At around 8:30 on Tuesday morning, Anna Luschinskaya, a 40-year-old white woman, unleashed a racist, violent tirade onto a young Asian woman (and subsequently, the people of color who intervened). It was caught on video. She has since been arrested, but her words and actions are nothing short of disturbing and haunting.
The videos are still up on Twitter, but be warned that there is disturbing racist language, and violence:
Lushchinskaya repeatedly yelled “fuck off” in the woman’s face. She slapped the woman, who stomped back at her. She used a racial slur. Before this, the victim had been avoiding eye contact and silent.
A quiet back and forth occurs (not audible in the video), and Lushchinskaya ties up her hair, removes her gloves, and takes out her umbrella. She straightens her keys.
Was she preparing to get off the train? Gathering her accessories in quiet shame of her behavior so she could exit onto the platform?
No.
She was, apparently, preparing to fight this woman. She literally kicks her. The stranger kicks her back. Lushchinskaya yells, “they’re not letting me hit her back!” when others on the train finally intervened.
Not deterred by a man actually trying to contain her, Lushchinskaya kicks at him and swings her umbrella handle at the woman. This man, with incredible patience, explains that a train full of people saw her attack this person. He suggests calling the police.
She calls him a racial slur.
Juan Ayala, the man who ultimately contained Lushchinskaya and posted the viral video, then confronted her himself. (Another rider recorded this aspect of the confrontation.) At one point she yells, “What are you, her attorney? You piece of shit, fucking Mohamed Atta?” He laughs and says, “Bitch, I’m Dominican.” She knocks his phone out of his hand.
He held her until police arrived.
In an interview with Gothamist, the victim (who wants to stay anonymous) explains she had been transferring to the F train on Monday morning when she first interacted with Lushchinskaya, who she alleges punched her with her keys. The victim says she stumbled, kept walking, and tried to ignore her as she called her a “psycho bitch.”
In an exclusive interview with Eyewitness News, the victim, stated, “I'm lucky that she didn't have anything like weapons on her -- like knife, gun -- because it could have got a lot worse.”
She continued:
"I'm lucky that people were on the train who were helping me, especially the first Asian guy who stood in front of me right away because he wasn't recording. He just stood in front of me to help me, because I know other people were recording, but their recording didn't do anything until later on when it escalated."
Which highlights the fact that people are quick to record situations, but that doesn’t mean they’re quick to step in and help. There are obvious pros to these videos: they may help in an investigation or serve as evidence if charges are pressed and they might help identify people and hold them accountable. (Some people, for example, lose their jobs after their belligerent racism goes viral).
But these videos may also garner tons of attention to the poster on social media, someone who may not have any personal risk or stake in the situation at all. But for the people—and especially people of color—who are victimized again and again in these situations, white people’s quick jump to record altercations can reek of voyeurism and a clamor for “likes.”
In this sense, it’s deeply dehumanizing. The victims in these videos are just trying to live their regular lives, and (often) aren’t consenting to have these traumatic experiences posted for the world to see. Especially when, as the victim suggests, if Lushchinskaya had pulled a gun out, those cell phones recording videos weren’t going to save her life.
It was other people of color who ultimately stepped in and attempted to protect her. Which raises the important reminder: It’s not enough for white people to simply record and consume racist tirades and violence as witnesses. White people have systemic privilege and power that could deescalate these situations (or at least attempt to), and likely with less risk of personal harm or trauma than people of color face when they intervene.
The good news in Lushchinskaya’s case: As reported by ABC 7, she was not only arrested, but charged with menacing in the second degree, criminal possession of a weapon, attempted assault, menacing, and harassment.
The incredibly frustrating bad news: Though Lushchinskaya used racial slurs towards both the victim and the man who intervened, police are not currently pursuing bias crime charges.
As reported by CNN, she pleaded not guilty. She posted her $1,000 cash bond, and is due back in court January 22. Notably, this isn’t her first offense. Earlier this year, she allegedly pepper sprayed a Hispanic man and woman at the 36th Street Station in Brooklyn. (Yes, the place she was arrested just the other day). In that case, she was charged with attempted assault, menacing with a weapon, and harassment.