African Students Denied Entry To Australian Apple Store, 'They Might Steal'

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Staff from an Apple store in Melbourne, Australia have been accused of racial profiling after they told six teenage students to leave the store and were recorded saying they were worried “they might steal something.”

A video of the incident appeared on Facebook prompting online outrage, as it shows the prejudice being meted out to young Aussie students with dark skins.

The Guardian reports:

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A video of the interaction between a Highpoint Apple store staff member and a group of students was uploaded to Facebook on Tuesday night.

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The six boys from Maribyrnong College were denied entry to the store by a staff member and two security guards.

“These guys [security guards] are just a bit worried about your presence in our store. They’re just worried you might steal something,” the Apple staff member says in the video.

Australia’s logic: darker pigmentation correlates with stealing @Crypticgirl_

— Yaqub Ahmed (@yukzaaboii11) November 10, 2015

A member of the group replied: “Why would we steal something?”

Many comments on social media say it was a blatant case of racial profiling.

Seriously?! Staff at #Apple store in #Melbourne denies #African students entry. Outrageous! https://t.co/Aol2C0mzd3 #racism #Australia

— Meilin (@MeilinWS) November 11, 2015

“That’s what people do, racial profiling happens a lot, and white Australians want to ignore that. Smart of u guys for recording it,” Fardawsa Shanino wrote on Facebook.

Another Facebook user, Joel Kipchumba, said he would camp outside the Apple store involved in protest on Saturday.