Casey ‘Little Zangief’ Heynes, a brave Australian schoolboy who stood up to a playground bully, has won screeds of online praise after a video of him fighting back against his tormetor was released on YouTube yesterday.
Nicknamed ‘Little Zangief’, after the Streetfighter2 videogame character whose signature move is a piledriver, overweight Heynes, a pupil at Chifley College Dunheved’s Campus in New South Wales, first takes a punch in the face from his persecutor Richard Gale but holds his cool until it’s obvious the smaller, cockier kid is not going to stop his harrassment.
Heynes grabs his bully, picks him up and delivers a stunning piledriver into the merciless asphalt. His antagoniser struggles to get to his feet and when he does, is very shaky before he topples over.
Almost instantly the clip, filmed on Monday, became a viral sensation, spawning remixes, slo-mo replays and even tribute songs.
Heynes has enjoyed a hero’s reception online with international praise and encouragement from all walks of life. He’s even had a Facebook page set up in his honour – it’s so far garnered more than 72,000 ‘likes’.
@Happy harry Toons tweeted: “The Zangief kid is just rocking my world. It’s the best child on child violence I’ve seen all day.
Hottellio120 commented on YouTube: “GOOD JOB ZANGIEF KID! YOU DID A WONDERFUL JOB. BULLY PERSON EPIC FAIL”
@ mariamenounos wrote on Twitter :”Casey is an instant hero & a beacon of light to all who are/have been bullied to stand up and stop taking it!”
Meanwhile, YouTube user JayBx25 was bemused by the bully’s choice of target: “australia kids have it backwards you pick on kids smaller than you so stuff like that doesnt happen,” they wrote.
Some online sympathisers have also started a “Casey Heynes Anti Bullying Day”.
YouTube initially tried to remove the video but it had been copied and was reposted straight away.
Today, bully Gale’s mother came forward demanding an apology.
Tina Gale told Australia’s Seven Network that she and her family have been victimised by the footage, which has spread worldwide. She also demanded an apology from the victim.
“We don’t need this posted everywhere,” she said. “I would like him to apologise.”
While she was “shocked” at her son’s behaviour, she did not think he deserved to be bodyslammed by Heynes.
“I was actually shocked because I always brought my three children up to walk away from fights,” she said.
However, Casey’s father said yesterday his son had been the victim of bullying for several years and feared for his safety if he spoke about the fight.
“There’ll be reprisals from other kids in the school and he still has to go to school somewhere,” he said in the Herald Sun.
“He’s not a violent kid, it’s the first time he’s lashed out and I don’t want him to be victimised over that.
“He’s always been taught never to hit. Apparently other people’s parents don’t teach their kids that.”
Both students were suspended for four days after the incident.
Whatever happens to Casey from here, he’s made a name for himself and one thing’s certain – bullies will think twice, even three times, before picking on him again.