Man hurls foul-mouthed tirade at Purpleman as he collects messages of support for Brussels – video
He was hoping for nothing but positive vibes to take with him from York to Brussels.
But Purpleman was confronted with something much more negative on Saturday (March 26).
Suicide bomb blasts in the Belgian capital’s airport and metro system claimed 32 lives and injured more than 300 people on March 22.
Purpleman said most people in York have shown “amazing” support for his plan to take messages of love to Brussels from York.
But one man hurled “toxic abuse” at him. And to make matters worse Purpleman said a family from Brussels was within earshot of the tirade.
He caught the last few seconds of the confrontation on video. Straight afterwards he wrote down a transcript of the exchange from memory:
Man: What you are doing is fucking bullshit… it didn’t happen. Why not help Syria and Iraq.
PM: I’ve just come back from taking toys to orphans from there.
Man: Bullshit. You ain’t got the balls… get a life.
Warning: strong language
PM: What have you done to help them?
Man: There was a bomb in Iraq… kids killed today… what did you do about that? Brussels didn’t happen as they say… what you are doing won’t make a difference.
A shame for York
In the video the man is heard to say: “The government made-up shit in Brussels that probably didn’t even happen.”
To which Purpleman asks: “So the people in Brussels didn’t get killed?”
“Not at the Metro Centre, no,” he says. “Maybe at the airport.”
As he walks off Purpleman says: “I wish you much love mate.”
He told YorkMix: “A family with PM heard it all and were distraught – and they were from Brussels. It was a shame for York.
“Overall though, the love and support has been amazing.”
Last year York’s most colourful character hired security guards to protect him from drunks in York at the weekends.
Purpleman plans to go to Brussels next week taking messages written in his #LoveToBelgium book and flowers. Either he or his purple apprentice will be in Stonegate again on Easter Monday (March 28) if you want to add your own message or donate towards the flowers.