Sean Ricks and daughter targeted with racist abuse at Stockmann corner in Tampere
Journalist Sean Ricks says he and his young daughter were subjected to racist shouting by a man at the Stockmann corner in Tampere, and he urged people not to stay silent in the face of hate.
Sean Ricks and his daughter were subjected to racist shouting in Tampere city centre on Sunday, Aamulehti reports. A clearly intoxicated young man at the Stockmann corner hurled the n-word and declared he was a Nazi, an episode Ricks described as part of a worrying normalization of racist language in Finland. In an Instagram post, he wrote that "at the Stockmann corner in Tampere my child heard for the first time how ugly the world can be" and said she may have to "build an armour" against random hatred and indifference. He urged people not to stay silent: "Don't be silent. Hate grows in silent acceptance." He also encouraged adults to talk about racism honestly and teach solidarity to children. Known for hosting Yle's current affairs programme and currently on leave to direct a documentary about skier Mika Myllylä, Ricks said the incident highlights a need for action, not just conversation. The episode comes as the city recently held Anti‑Racism Week focused on safety and reporting and prepares an anonymous racism-reporting channel due to open this summer.
Earlier coverage
Catch the full story over at Aamulehti
