BUSKERS BAR IN Dublin’s Temple Bar has confirmed that an investigation is underway into alleged discrimination of three students who were declined entry last Sunday.

It’s reported the South African students were refused admission by a security guard on the door, who allegedly said there were “no blacks allowed”.

When they asked to speak to the manager of the pub, the security guard refused.

The students went straight to the garda station to report the incident, and later made a statement.

Busker’s Bar, a popular venue in the heart of the tourist area, has released a statement in relation to the incident.

Discrimination

The bar said it “abhors unlawful discrimination of any sort and welcomes an international and multicultural clientele of every gender, race, colour and creed”.

It is this diversity that contributes to the success and appeal of Busker’s Bar and whereas management reserves the right to decline admission that flexibility can never extend to unlawful discrimination of any sort.

Buskers Bar said it is treating the allegation of discrimination “very seriously” and an investigation is currently underway.

Management also stated it has established contact with the students who were declined admission and has invited the students to share their first-hand accounts of their experience.

Speaking earlier this week on RTÉ’s Liveline, Ezile, one of the students involved in the alleged incident, said that she had never experienced anything like the refusal before.

“This weekend I was denied access to a place because of my skin colour,” said Ezile

I was told ‘no black people allowed’.

She said that she had gone to the pub with two her friends at about 7pm Sunday evening.

When they arrived at Busker’s, the bouncer refused them entry, saying that there were “no black people allowed”.

Ezile said that she and her friends couldn’t believe what the bouncer said and asked him to repeat it.

“We even asked for the guy to ask the manager, but he refused,” said Ezile

They spoke to the manager eventually and he told them the policy of the bar – that they didn’t have to disclose their reasons for refusing entry.

Ezile said that the manager upheld the bouncer’s decision not to allow them entry – saying that he [the manager] said that he supported the bouncer.

Anathi, a friend who was with Ezile, also spoke on the programme – reiterating what she said.

“Our only concern was that he cited the words – no black people,” he said.

He was dead serious… It was not a joke.

Ezile and Anathi said that they went straight to the gardaí to lodge a complaint over the incident.

They were told that it was not a criminal offence, however, and there was nothing the gardaí could do for them.

In its statement, Busker’s stated that “out of respect to the rights of all parties involved, Busker’s Bar cannot comment further whilst the investigation is ongoing”.

- With reporting from Cormac Fitzgerald