A video showing a group of African students being asked to leave an Apple store at Highpoint shopping centre in Melbourne on Tuesday has caused widespread outrage on social media amid claims of blatant racism.
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The staff member can be heard saying security staff are concerned the boys will shoplift in a video posted to Facebook.
The boys, who are all black, say they were thrown out because of the colour of their skin.
In it, a staff member can be heard saying: “These guys are … just a bit anxious you might steal something”.
“At Highpoint two weeks ago they asked to try out a few self-propelled scooter and the guy told them, “No, you can’t, legally I can’t let you try it out”. While another asks: “Why would we steal something?” Ese, one of the students, said that he was shocked and offended by the incident that carried racist undertones.
“It was just really offensive when he said ‘we are afraid you are going to steal something.’ It was shocking; it was racism”, Ese said.
The senior store manager also apologised and said the boys are welcome in the store any time after they returned the next day with their school principal. “He didn’t even give us a chance”.
The boys were apparently being loud in the store and had left after staff requested they leave, but then tried to re-enter, at which point the footage was taken. “I’m so shocked right now”, wrote Vanessa McIntosh.
Apple store in Melbourne kicks out #AfricanAustralian teens “We’re just anxious that you might steal something” they were told.
However, an Apple spokesperson stressed to Mashable that diversity is incredibly important to the overall company and that it’s looking into what happened.
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The spokeswoman cited a quote from CEO Tim Cook that said: “We believe in equality for everyone, regardless of race, age, gender, gender identity, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation”.
