Rocio Martinez, 40, was returning home from a rehearsal when the incident occurred near her Abbeyhill residence.
The mother-of-two, originally from Mexico City but now residing in Edinburgh/ with her young family, witnessed a man allegedly behaving extremely aggressively while on the phone in a residential area, according to Edinburgh Live. She described the man as being around 5ft7 to 5ft9 with short brown hair and a beard, heavy eyebrows and dressed in black jogging bottoms and a Hibs shirt.
Rocio, who is currently studying for an Msc in Data Engineering in the city, unfortunately attracted the attention and anger of the man who allegedly launched a barrage of abuse at her. She was particularly distressed when the man is alleged to have told her to “go back to your own country.”
The incident took place on Saturday May 17 at around 6pm.
“It started at the top of Waverley Place and Regent Place, at the steps, kind of next to the Artisan pub,” she said. “I was walking down the steps to go home, and I heard someone on the phone being quite aggressive and loud to whoever they were talking to, they were swearing a lot.”, reports the Daily Record.
“I looked back and saw it was a man, and I thought to myself, ‘gosh this man is angry!’ And then this street has a lot of children, including my own who were close by.
“At the time I just hoped it didn’t escalate. But I guess he thought I was being nosey looking over, which was enough for him to shift his anger to me.
“He started by shouting ‘what are you looking at?’ But I said nothing, although I did give him another look of: jeeeez! !”.
“I kept walking, he then started to follow me and started yelling ‘f**k you! F*****g whatever whatever! ! C**t! , mind your own f*****g business.’ At first, I told him calmly but firmly to stop.
“I said do not talk to me like that. But he kept going and he kept walking next to me shouting all these horrible things, calling me a b***h.
“At one point he started getting too close into my personal space and making chesty movements, almost like a gorilla. I worried he might punch me.
“I don’t remember when, but I did say f**k you back but he kept going on and on, walking beside me as I walked back home. Then he told me to ‘go back to your country.'”.
It was at this point Rocio threatened to call the police and became embroiled in a verbal exchange with the man. She didn’t actually make good on her threat to get the police involved, but this seemed to discourage the man from taking things further.
However, she noted that several neighbours showed concern for her welfare following the confrontation.
“I did try to defend myself by retaliating verbally but his aggression caught me off guard,” she continued. “It left me responding in a way that’s out of character for me.
“I was really shocked that this man would talk and behave like that to a stranger. He was acting like a child, or even an animal.
“Even his physical movements were just so aggressive, he was full of anger. I felt shocked, angry, scared and then hurt and sad that someone would tell me to go back to my country just because I look different.
“I have called Scotland my home for the last 11 years and it really hurts to be told to go back to my country. It was all really upsetting and hurtful.
“He thought he could get away with talking to me like that cause I am a brown woman. He would have probably attacked anyone, but he would have also thought about it twice if I were a muscular white man.
“I do not deserve to be intimidated and harassed by anyone. It is also scary to think that this happened so close to my home.
“It has kept me from sleeping well the last couple of nights. It is just awful to be verbally attacked.
“I recently married my husband who I met here in Edinburgh. This country has really given me a lot of happiness and a chance to be my true self.
“So this attack was really hurtful. Hopefully I won’t see his face again and I can put this behind me. He needs help if anything, because his behaviour is irrational and dangerous, probably to himself and others.”
