British BDS activist arrested following abusive tirade against Air India staff
Simone O’Broin charged with racially aggravated public disorder offence, after she attacked staff who refused to serve her alcohol
A British activist promoting boycotts against Israel was filmed threatening similar action against Air India unless flight attendants serve her wine on a flight that ended with her arrest.
Simone O’Broin, 50, went on a tirade aboard an Air India flight from Mumbai to London Heathrow on Saturday, the Mail Online reported Wednesday.
O’Broin, who appeared inebriated and who used to work as a head researcher for the anti-Israel Badil organisation as late as 2011, was filmed by fellow passengers telling flight attendants that she is a “leader of the f***ing boycott movement,” clapping in the air in front of a crew member. She added: “If I say boycott f***ing Air India, done. Do you understand me? You can’t give me a wee bottle of wine?”
Earlier in her rant, O’Broin, who once co-authored a research paper with former UN Special Rapporteur Richard Falk on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, said: “Do you treat business class passengers like that? Who are international criminal lawyers for the Palestinian people?”
Then her profanity-laced fulminations appeared to take a racist turn, when she told the Indian flight crew:
“I work for all you f***ing people… ‘The f***ing Rohingyas, the f***ing people of all Asia, for you, I’m an international criminal lawyer. Don’t get any money for it by the way. But you won’t give me a f***ing glass of wine, is that correct?”
She then called a female crew member “Indian f***ing money grabbing bastard,” shouting that she will “turn you inside f***ing out, you f***ing stupid c***s.”
London Metropolitan Police said that O’Broin was taken into custody at Heathrow Airport upon landing.
“She was arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated public disorder, common assault, and drunk and disorderly and taken to a west London police station,” a police spokesperson told the newspaper. She was subsequently released under investigation, the spokesperson said.
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