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A woman from Ontario, Canada, went viral on TikTok after posting a video of her horrible experience at an optical shop where she says she was subjected to racial profiling. On the morning of Nov. 30, 2024, Symone Sparks (@saiyan_sy) and her female partner Demi Zannelli were at Bloor Optical at 2235 Bloor Street W Toronto to get new contact lenses. Before paying for her purchase, the manager locked the entrance to the store and asked Symone to empty her pockets. As a Black woman, she, depressingly, had an idea of what was about to happen and started recording.
In the TikTok video, Symone could be heard asking a woman, “What happened? You think I took something from you?” The camera is pointed toward a woman, believed to be the store’s owner Dragana Kljajic, who is standing in front of the door. Symone then said that she was there to purchase and asked whether there were cameras in the store so she could prove that she didn’t steal anything. There were none. “Is it because I’m Black, is that the problem? Because my girlfriend is here standing buying from you?” she asks.
A male customer was also in the store, and he told Dragana that confining the women was against the law. “This is racism, that’s what this is,” he added. Demi is heard contacting authorities through her phone and giving them Bloor Optical’s address. Symone is then heard explaining that she tried one pair of glasses but put them back on the display. The video cuts off shortly after that point.
Symone’s post went viral on social media, and viewers were appalled at what they saw. One commenter said, “They actually locked you in the store? That is against the law,” with another one writing, “They’re not allowed to confine you. They can call the police and that’s it.” Another user commented, “They are not allowed to lock you inside like that. What a terrifying situation.” Others praised the male customer who stood up for Symone and Demi, calling him a “green flag.” Many urged Symone to contact a lawyer immediately.
According to Symone and Demi, Dragana never once said that she saw one of the women take the frames. All she said was, “I filled up those spots 10 minutes ago, and now they’re gone. I think it was you,” referring to Demi. In addition, the women said that Dragana didn’t attempt to call authorities or take a photo or video while accusing them. She just stood by the door until the situation escalated. Symone and Demi called 911, but they were told that it wasn’t an emergency situation and advised her to reason with the manager. They were eventually allowed to go out of the store and immediately went to the police to report the incident. An investigation is ongoing.
Symone set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for a lawyer. On the page, she expressed how harassed and vulnerable she felt and at one point “even considered stripping off my clothes just to prove I wasn’t stealing.” After the TikTok video went viral, many flooded Bloor Optical’s Yelp page, which is now under Public Attention Alert and is temporarily disabled amid the investigation. More than a month after the incident, many are asking Symone for updates, and she replied to one of the TikTok comments that their lawyer advised them to “stop replying” online in the meantime.