A Toronto woman has accused a store owner of locking her inside a shop after falsely accusing her of theft, in an incident that has sparked widespread outrage on social media.
Symone Sparks was browsing at Bloor Optical with her partner, Demi, when the owner, believed to be Dragana Kljajic, allegedly blocked the door and refused to let them leave. In a viral TikTok video, Sparks can be heard asking, 'What happened? You think I took something from you?' to which Kljajic shrugs and replies, 'I don't know.'
Sparks demanded to know if she was being targeted because of her race, asking, 'Is it because I'm Black? Is that the problem?' A male customer intervened, telling Kljajic, 'It's against the law, and you're confining them, which is also against the law. This is racism.'
The couple later called 911 but were told the incident was not an emergency and were directed to file a report at a police station. Sparks has since launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover legal costs, describing the experience as 'a painful reminder of the racism and discrimination that Black individuals, especially Black queer women like myself, continue to face daily.'
