McDonald’s Restaurant In China Bans Black People From Entering Premises Due To Fears Of Coronavirus
A McDonald’s restaurant in Guangzhou, China, has reportedly banned black people from entering its premises out of fears they might be infected with COVID-19.
Footage that recently emerged online and has made many people around the world furious shows a customer holding a sign that reads:
‘We’ve been informed from now on black people are not allowed to enter the restaurant.’
After the video was widely shared across the web, McDonald’s was accused of harboring xenophobia, mainly towards Africans in the country.
In a statement, the fast-food chain said that the paper “is not representative of our inclusive values”. McDonald’s has temporarily shut the said restaurant, according to reports.
The incident occurred after African officials criticized China both publicly and in private due to their racist practices towards Africans in Guangzhou.
The notice, printed in English, states that the new rule was set up to protect the health of customers.
‘For the sake of your health, consciously notify the local police for medical isolation, please understand the inconvenience caused.’
Again, for those who still doubt that Black people and particularly #AfricansinChina are being targeted we feel it is our duty to share this. A sign at a @McDonalds restaurant seems to make this perfectly clear pic.twitter.com/FaveKrdQHi
— Black Livity China (@BlackLivityCN) April 11, 2020
The footage, made public by Twitter account Black Livity China, sparked many negative reactions on the web.
‘Banning black people is f****** insane. The world needs to know about this. China calls racism all the time, this is REAL racism,’ one person wrote.
Another person said:
‘I feel sorry for what black people are going through in China. I’m Chinese, but I absolutely support you to fight for your rights. No one should be treated like this.’
Black people in Guangzhou also revealed they have been discriminated against in public and are targeted for additional coronavirus tests without getting the results back.
‘There is an escalating scrutiny of foreign nationals, but they are targeting the Africans and the African American community. Since last Thursday we saw 114 new cases reported in Guangzhou of coronavirus infections and 16 of those were Africans,’ said Al Jazeera’s Sarah Clarke
‘We’ve seen a number of reports from social media from members of the African community in Guangzhou making complaints of mistreatment, arrests, eviction and being denied access to restaurants and hotels, and some students are even claiming to be living on the streets and being denied food,’ she continued.
You can see more on the issue in the video below.
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Source: Daily Mail