Tony Armstrong, an Indigenous ABC presenter, said he was shocked by the video that former Australian Football League player Eddie Betts posted online, which showed four kids being abused while they were playing in their backyard.
The footage was reportedly taken by a security camera that was placed on Betts’ property.
The video shows a white car driving past the kids as they play. The driver then starts yelling racial slurs at them.
Betts, who posted the video on Thursday, stated that the kids should be allowed to play safely as they should not be subjected to abuse and racism. He then said he would try to reach out to the driver in an effort to try and help the kids.
On Friday morning, Armstrong, who has been the target of racist abuse in the past, said he was disgusted by the video.
However, he was not surprised by the racism as it had been seen through the lens of CCTV footage. He said that it was not a shock and that the incident should serve as a warning to society.
Betts has previously advocated for the issues of First Nations people. Armstrong noted that this is not the first time that the former professional football player has done this.
He said that it was not on the hosts of the show to make people understand the issues of indigenous people.
According to Armstrong, Betts reached out to the driver and said that he would like to speak with them. He added that he was devastated by the incident and that it could potentially have long-term effects on the kids.
Online, there was a lot of anger and disgust about the driver, with the Western Bulldogs calling his behavior disgraceful. Indigenous athlete Donnell Wallam called the video “disgusting”.
Throughout his career, Betts has been the target of racist and abusive behavior. In 2016, a banana was thrown at him by a supporter during a game.