Afro-American opera singer was thrown out of taxi

Alert DateFebruary 24, 2011 Country: Austria Address: Vienna General Type: Discrimination Racism and discrimination phenomena: Afrophobia
Groups affected / Interested in: Ethnic minorities Key socio-economic/institutional areas: Daily life
Victims Data
Victims Nationality/Ethnic Origin American
Victims Gender Female
Victims Age 26-35
Victims Number 1
Fatalities - deaths N/A
Perpetrators Data
Perpetrators Nationality/Ethnic Origin Austrian
Perpetrator Gender Male
Perpetrator Age N/A
Perpetrators Number 1
Extremist/Organised Group Violence No

On February 24th, 2011 an Afro-American opera singer was thrown out of taxi in Vienna. The incident took place at a taxi stand in front of the Vienna State Opera. The taxi driver refused to pick up the woman with the words: “Get out of my car, I don’t drive black women!” The spokesman of the Taxi Drivers’ Guild reacted inappropriately by telling that he that he didn’t believe that a taxi driver could speak such good English. Also the municipality of Vienna refused taking adequate measures to promote the rights of taxi costumers. The taxi driver couldn’t be traced by the police.

Sources: Die Presse, 2011-02-23, http://diepresse.com/home/panorama/wien/636721/Wien_Kein-Taxi-fuer-dunkelhaeutige-Saengerin, Date of access: 2011-10-30. Der Standard, 2011-02-28, http://derStandard.at/1297819001944/Hans-Rauscher-Die-Rechte-des-Fahrgasts-im-Wiener-Taxi, Date of access: 2011-10-30.