Hank’s Olde Irish is at the centre of a race row after two partygoers were caught on camera confronting the pub’s owner about an alleged racial incident.
What happened at Hank’s Olde Irish pub?
Christopher Logan, the man seen reprimanding the pub’s manager for using race to deny his friend Thabiso Danca entry into the establishment, has been hailed for bringing light to what’s said to be an age-old policy at Hank’s Olde Irish.
In the video clip that’s since gone viral, Logan was heard hurling accusations toward the pub’s owner, who allegedly told his security to deny all entry to black people at the popular establishment, especially in the event they were not accompanied by a white person.
According to Logan, who stood next to a friend who corroborated his assertions, Danca was explicitly refused entry into the pub by the bouncer on the basis of his skin colour.
Moreover, when questioned about the bizarre admission policy, the bouncer reportedly informed the partygoers to take the matter up with the owner, who allegedly enforced the bizarre admission policy.
Here is the video where Logan stood up for Danca and lambasted the Hank’s Olde Irish pub owner for his racist policy.
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How did the pub respond? – By pressing charges against the whistleblower
As reported by The Citizen, Hank’s Olde Irish pub has since released a statement vehemently denying all wrongdoing. The pub categorically dismissed claims that the Cape Town establishment had discriminatory policies against black patrons, neither has their staff ever been instructed to “discriminate on any basis whatsoever, on the basis of gender, sexual orientation or race.”
Moreover, the pub expressed its concern for the safety of staff members after the viral video attracted protests from the EFF’s Western Cape branch.
Hank’s Olde Irish pub has also filed assault charges against Logan for the defamatory accusations and has since refused to make any further statements about Danca’s alleged racial encounter.
“We want to place on record that we are extremely concerned for the well-being and safety of the staff involved, therefore we will not be commenting any further while we conduct an internal disciplinary process about these allegations and the police conduct their criminal investigation,” the establishment noted.
In a statement, the EFF Western Cape blasted Hank’s Olde Irish pub as a white supremacist establishment that promotes “the psychosis of many white racists who are still locked in a racist paradigm of white exclusivity and the old days of apartheid nostalgia.”
“EFF Western Cape visited the pub yesterday (Sunday, 4 December 2022) to make sure that the racist pub does not operate until that racist has paid the ultimate price,” the party noted.
The EFF confirmed it will approach the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to file a case of racial discrimination against Hank’s Olde Irish pub.