Melbourne: A group of black students kicked out of an Apple store in Melbourne for they might steal something.
The video shows the teens — Abdulahi, Gereng, Ese, Mabior, Mohamed, and Petrieaged — were approached by staffers of Highpoint Apple store asking them to leave the store.
The video shows the Apple staff members saying, “These guys (security guard) are … just a bit anxious, a bit worried about your presence in our store. They’re just worried you might steal something”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lR2PX97itSs
The students appear shocked at the claims and argued against the ejection.A member of the group replied: “Why would we steal something?” however they were again asked to leave. When the boys protest, the staff member tells them: “End of discussion – I ask you to leave our store”.
One of the boys, Mabior Ater, said he had been going to the Highpoint shopping centre for “a long time” and never thought he would experience racism. “It was the only time in my life I have felt this way, and I’m shocked”, he said.
The boys, who are Year 10 students at Maribyrnong College, in inner-west Melbourne, later got an apology from the store.
Many comments on social media say it was a blatant case of racial profiling. People have responded to the video with anger and are calling it “disgusting”.
Apple Australia confirmed to the media on Thursday that the store’s manager had apologized saying they are committed to ‘equality for everyone, regardless of race, age, gender, gender identity, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation’. to the students and their school principal Nick Scott.