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A row has broken out after a university’s student union took freshers on a “safari tour” of London chicken shops.

The Chicken Run event was organised by the union at Goldsmiths University in Lewisham to introduce new students to the local area and encourage them to use small businesses rather than chains.

But some students branded it a patronising “safari tour” of working class culture, with BilliePauI writing on Twitter: “Why must you always exotify ‘local culture’ for middle class students to consume?”

Around 50 Goldsmiths students attended the Chicken Run event on Monday, visiting fast food outlets in New Cross including PFC, Morleys, Gateway and Chick Chicken.

An advert for the event promised there would also be “gender neutral toilets.”

The event description said: “South East London has a reputation for its chicken shops for a reason!

“We show you our favourite spots and you get free fried chicken samples so you can decide for yourself!”

But student Che Scott-Heron Newton, the daughter of late American jazz poet Gil Scott-Heron, complained: “This is the blatant and gross exotification of local working-class culture.

“Today I became aware that the student union is offering ‘chicken shop tours’ and I can honestly say that this is one of the most pretentious messes that I have ever seen in my entire life.

“I am beyond disgusted and appalled that the student union would think it appropriate to parade its new (typically non POC typically middle class) students through Lewisham as if it is a safari tour.

“This is an issue that needs to be addressed with urgency, as I’ve seen the SU mess up situations like this before and this is the type of nonsense that leads to diverse students not wanting to attend Goldsmiths.”

A spokeswoman for Goldsmiths University Students’ Union said they received no complaints about the event, which was attended by students from the local area as well as international students.

She added: “The Chicken Run event was created as a response to gentrification in the local area and wider London, encouraging our students to engage with and support the local community and local businesses.

“With a raft of local BME-owned businesses recently shutting down, we want to encourage our students to engage with these companies rather than the growing number of chains that are changing the face of South East London.

“A huge diversity of students attended the event, from international students to commuter students from other parts of London, and it was extremely encouraging to see so many different students keen to engage with and support BME-owned businesses in the area.

“The event was led by our full time officers who are black and minority ethnic, whose major projects this year include the Black Businesses of Lewisham scheme, working to promote local community ventures run by black business owners.

“This scheme and others will continue work with these businesses and the community, to showcase, support and signpost Goldsmiths students to them.”