Sitting in the train. A passenger is caught without the correct ticket (only valid for IC not ICE trains), gets confronted, tries to explain himself, overreacts.

Passenger is a young (16/17? Year old) Tunisian guy.

Comes a drunk big guy, thinks he could solve the problem and pokes the passenger with his fingers into both eyes.

The situation escalates. Three additional passengers attack the Tunisian passenger. Tunisian passenger has a meltdown. Starts cursing. Threatening people with revenge in the name of Allah and pride.

The whole train is listening. I start hearing racist calls. "Take the scum out". "Send them back home". "Germany is going to shit".

I stand up, go talk to him, try to calm him down and understand what happened. He gets quieter but still cursing. I see that he is hurt. This eyes red and watering. He has his belt in his hand. Tried to fight back.

Police has been called. He gets off the next stop.

It's calm again. I am in my seat again. The Germans start talking. Racism bubbling out of the mouths of the older generation. The young passengers listening and nodding.

I stand up and explain the situation. Some people discuss that he should not have threatened and addressed people in that tone. I agree, and still ask them to get the whole picture.

They stop arguing, with stabbing comments, I have a feeling I didn't reach anyone.

The murmurs turn into whispers.

Racism still runs deep in our society. Specially in the old generation.

I fear such stories. They give the young generation a feeling that the world is black and white. Muslims, Jews, Christians. Them against us.

In a time where movements like PEGIDA are sprouting from nowhere and getting traction, such stories only add more hatred. I fear the future.

I wonder what would have happened if the guy who overreacted was a white "German" guy.

A guess, the passengers would have laughed, and said "he was drunk..." And continued playing candy crush.