Around 15 - 20 Police [in total] on either side of the Sihlquai tramstop doing ticket & ID checks today.
About 8 boarded our tram, walked through it & picked out only black or Asian looking passengers for ticket & ID checks.
They also refused to speak English to a group of tourists from Brazil sitting opposite me who asked why they were being singled out.
On the other side of the tram stop, 3 police surrounded a black guy whilst a 4th was checking his ID over his phone/radio.

Not one single caucasian person was approached or checked.



I'm sure someone will be along soon enough to tell me that they are sure the Police had good reasons.

They might well have been looking for a specific individual, hence the selective questioning. No need for the downright rudeness to the tourists though.

It's not nice is it. But it doesn't just happen here it happens in all European countries. it's easy for the police to do it this way. I'm sure the same thing occurs to Europeans in countries such as Iran, but there they are looking for people to hang!!

Are you sure they were police? Police are not usually checking tickets for VBZ. This is done by VBZ's controllers, usually one guy per door (to avoid letting somebody slip away).

I'm sorry but it doesn't.
If they did this so blatantly in London or Paris, or even Berlin or Madrid, there would be a god damn riot.

so if they're looking for a non-white subject, they should stop and question white people just to be fair?

They're damned if they do and damned if they don't.

Yes. I know the difference between the ZVV dudes & the Police, thanks.
(Blue 'Polizi' shirts, jack boots & hand guns are usually a bit af a give away too )

Sorry, but I'm not really convinced they were looking for an individual - call it intuition. The set up was bored looking young un's doing spot checks.
In this day & age, a hunt for an individual would be carried out much more discreetly - even by the Swiss.

Well lets be honest, if the were stopping only whites in London or Paris it would be the minority. So that points invalid.
Here, stopping only non-whites that that does seem racial profiling. What can be done though? I appreciate this is a sensitive subject, and this incidence has upset you but what can be done?
In my two years here the violence, drug pushing, erratic behaviour has all come from the non-white community living here. I assume because often these people have come from different cultures, are struggling to find work, may be addicted to drugs, may be here illegallly, I do not know. I do not have the answers, and unfortunately assume that people are unfairly singled out on many occasions. It is unfortunate.
But I can relate to what you are saying. A friend of mine, black guy, working professional legal resident, feels this prejudice. He often always wears suits as when he doesnt he is suddenly perceived in another way.
But I would like to hear your solution suggestions?

ah you're jumping to the sweeping generalizations you accuse the police of?

It does happen. It is so easy for the police to go for colour when checking passports etc.

I ask my partner the same question.. But I as a pure Asian face, never got check by police.. My partner says that firstly they look at your dressing ( I am always well dress, not smelly , or at least I hope not!)

Secondly, it is the sad truth, but most drug dealers here are either Black or Hispanic looking (Gypsy, Yogis..)

I have actually never seen an Asian getting check before!

But to be fair to the police, we saw 2 white boys getting hancuffed at Paradeplatz on a Saturday just 2 months ago...

The police were very polite to me when they caught me speeding as well..

Err, no.
They picked out a group of 4 Brazilian tourists, a single black guy & an Indian looking guy.
If they were looking for a specific individual, I think they might know a least the more specific ethnicity they were after, don't you?

My point was more that they would never dream of doing it in such a blatant manner these days.

Ooh, are they finally arresting some bankers?

But if the only description they had was a "a dark-skinned individual heading in direction Sihlquai tram stop", that isn't much information to go on.

When I said "specific individual" I should have said "a specific description", not necessarily a known individual.

dark-skinned males of a certain age?

We're just guessing - again, you're generalising based on what you think they're doing.

I'm sure there's a reason behind it.

No chance, the bankers will sue their entire pension fund off! It was 2 young boys with big stash of white looking substance.. Maybe they were on their way to the bankers?

Wrong. In Paris, the controls targeting only non-whites are known as "contrôle au faciès". If there is a word for it...

Perhaps they couldn't speak English? Or would an English bobby speak to a German tourist in German?