Campaigner allegedly attracted insults for highlighting how Woolworths was selling a singlet bearing the message ‘if you don’t love it, leave’

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

A Queensland woman has been charged with posting online abuse against the human rights activist Mariam Veiszadeh.



Police are alleging the 22-year-old woman from Collingwood Park used social media to attack Veiszadeh, who fled Afghanistan when she was a child.



The Brisbane Times reported the online abuse was allegedly sparked when Veiszadeh wrote about her dismay that a Woolworths store in far north Queensland was selling an singlet with an offensive message. It featured the Australian flag and the words “if you don’t love it, leave”.



Mariam Veiszadeh (@MariamVeiszadeh) Pls RT @woolworths I'm outraged that #WOOLWORTHS are allegedly selling these bigoted singlets at their Cairns stores pic.twitter.com/0GVwscbpuK

The woman allegedly responded by calling Veiszadeh a “rag head”, and told her to return to her “sand dune country”.



Police have confirmed the woman has been charged with one count of using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence.



She will appear in the Ipswich magistrates court on 3 March.