Yahoo Lifestyle ABC's Tony Armstrong 'gutted' over 'disgraceful' video shared by Eddie Betts
Eddie Betts posted footage of an unknown driver yelling racial slurs to a group of young boys playing basketball in Melbourne.
Indigenous ABC presenter Tony Armstrong says he's "gutted" over the shocking video former AFL legend Eddie Betts posted online which shows four children being subjected to racial slurs while playing in their Melbourne backyard.
The footage was captured by a home security camera overlooking a backyard basketball court, reported to be at Betts' home. It shows a white car passing just beyond the fence with the driver yelling racial slurs to the boys playing.
Betts posted the video online on Thursday night and wrote, "Aboriginal kids deserve to be able to play safely, free from racism and abuse over the fence". He also shared his intentions to get in touch with the driver in the hope of "having a chat" and explaining how this is hurtful for the children.
Armstrong 'gutted' by 'straight up racism'
On Friday morning Armstrong, who has been on the receiving end of racist abuse himself, reacted to the footage live on ABC News Breakfast saying he was angry but not surprised by the racism.
"It's not a shock, this is the one we've seen, this is one we've caught with CCTV footage, think about all of the incidences which [are experienced] day to day, every day," he said. "Microaggressions, overt aggressions, straight up racism, profiling... they chip, chip, chip away at you."
Eddie Betts fighting hard to stamp out racism
This isn't the first time Betts has advocated for First Nations issues and Armstrong pointed to this, emphasising he has "taken the high road again" and said "it's not on us to make people understand".
"Eddie is a better man than I am. He has reached out and said he wants to talk to that person, what a star."
"I hope the kids don't have a long lasting sense of PTSD with this but unfortunately they probably will because it won't be the only one they're subjected to... I'm gutted," he said.
Online there was an outpouring of anger and disgust over the "putrid" behaviour of the driver, AFL club Western Bulldogs calling it "disgraceful" while Donnell Wallam, Indigenous netball player said, "this is absolutely disgusting!".
Betts has been on the receiving end of racist abuse several times in his career, and in 2016 the then Adelaide Crows star had a banana thrown at him from the crowd by a rival fan.
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