Where's the TV special on violence against women?

Migrant community leaders and commentators have criticised Channel 7 show Sunday Night as “racist” ahead of an episode on African gangs tonight.

On Saturday Sunday Night released a 40 second promotional clip that drew backlash on Twitter. The clip cycles through shaky footage of crowds and ominous-looking CCTV footage.

A reporter is seen asking a police spokesman questions about the gangs: “African gangs, do they exist or not?” the reporter begins, before later in the clip asking “do you admit that there is a crime problem?”.

The clip also airs a segment of an interview with Elaine French, an alleged victim of African gang violence.

“I was dumbfounded, I thought I was dead,” she says, “My hands are shaking. I’m just a shell of a person.”

People quickly started claiming that the show was creating racial tensions by falsely exaggerating the issue of gang violence.

This is so fucking racist https://t.co/Ilpopjlkph — Nayuka (@NayukaGorrie) July 7, 2018

you guys really aren’t hiding it anymore hey — Pat Caruana (@patbcaruana) July 7, 2018

Many were quick to compare the threat of African gangs to the threat of violence against women.

White men murdering their wives and children are the biggest threat to Australian lives. This is racist bullshit. https://t.co/cH1DZ3d8JD — Meshel Laurie (@Meshel_Laurie) July 7, 2018

Or the so called "African gangs" https://t.co/BJ6LUsF8Gi — Nyadol Nyuon (@NyadolNyuon) July 7, 2018

Don’t mention the rising tide of dead women and children killed by their mostly white partners and fathers. I live in WA and I have visited Melbourne several times in recent years. I have family living there. I never felt threatened. Nor do my family members. #racistmedia #SN7 https://t.co/QMuePf1bzF — Michael Dowling (@MeckeringBoy) July 7, 2018

Lawyer and migrant activist Maker Mayek even fired up a hashtag in response to the promotional clip, calling on supporters to write #NotMyAustralia in opposition to Channel 7’s story.

Dear friends, @Channel7 is promoting to broadcast this racist story tomorrow at 8.20 pm. I'm in the community and I'm not aware of this story. Trust me.Tomorrow, one hour before they broadcast, I'll be tweeting under #NotmyAustralia. Let's stop them before they have a chance. https://t.co/m207gANdQm — Maker Mayek (@MakMayek) July 7, 2018

Channel 7 has faced claims of racist broadcasting behaviour before: earlier in the year, in a Sunday night evening news broadcast, 7 News interviewed infamous far-right leader Blair Cottrell. In the interview, they failed to mention Cottrell’s recent criminal conviction for racial vilification or his past praise of Adolf Hitler.

Last month, Sunday Night aired an interview with former deputy PM Barnaby Joyce, partner Vikki Campion and new baby boy Sebastian Joyce — an interview they allegedly paid $150,000 for.

You can watch Sunday Night’s African gang promo clip below: