Video of Emirati man being assaulted in London sparks outrage

A London-based Emirati man, now identified as Abdullah Al Hosani, was brutally assaulted while in his car near Times Square, Whitechapel, early on Sunday. 

A video capturing the assault shows a man attacking Al Hosani after he walked to his car window, repeatedly throwing punches at his head. The victim is then seen hitting back at the assaulter. 

Speaking to local newspaper Emarat Al Youm, the young man, who is a student at a university in London, said he spotted the attacker spray painting offensive words on cars parked at the scene. 

"He painted words like 'war' on one of my parked cars and on several others. I stopped him as I passed by with my other vehicle and that's when he started punching me," Al Hosani explained.

Al Hosani also said that the attacker told him he wanted to murder him.

"He said he wanted to stab me to death and that's when I fought him off. I don't know what his motives were but I think they might be racial." 

After authorities were called to the scene, the man was arrested. Even though some tweeps said the attacker is of Arab descent, his nationality is yet to be confirmed.

In a video he posted on social media in the wake of the attack, Al Hosani said he was now safe. 

"What happened was a reaction to what I saw the man doing. This is how we were raised by our father Sheikh Zayed, when we see someone doing something wrong, we speak up," he said.

"I am doing OK now and I thank every single person who sent me a message asking about how I am doing," he added.

Several other cars holding number plates from Gulf countries were also targeted by the attacker who used spray paint to vandalize the vehicles.