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Fury over ‘racist’ signs at a pub ‘segregating whites and blacks’ – but owners say it’s all a misunderstanding
- A pub sparked heated debate on Facebook over signs posted in front of bar
- Images of the signs divided opinions, with many slamming them as ‘racist’
- But the pub responded, saying the signs did not carry any racial connotations
A pub is at the centre of a social media storm after signs posted in front of its bar were slammed as ‘racist’.
Kirby’s Katherine Hotel in the Northern Territory sparked heated debate on Facebook on Thursday after images of the signs were uploaded to a public page.
‘Good afternoon everyone and have a look at what these employees of Kirby’s put up for us black people in this bar,’ Indigenous man Terrance Frederick wrote in a post on Facebook, along with images of the signs.
Mr Frederick said he uploaded the images as ‘I wanted everyone see this so yous can have your own say and what you think about this sign’.
A pub in the Northern Territory has sparked heated debate online after this image of two controversial signs were posted to Facebook
There were two signs – one which read ‘F**k off dat ways’ and another that said ‘No f**ky f**ky dis ways’
There were two signs, one which read ‘F**k off dat ways’ and ‘No f**ky f**ky dis ways’.
Each sign had an arrow underneath the wording and were attached to a retractable barrier in front of the bar.
Hundreds of people on social media suggested the signs referred to the dialect used by some of the local Indigenous community.
‘Looks racist… to me, everyone knows that’s our slang,’ claimed one commentator.
One person who commented on the post claimed it was ‘racism at its finest’ while another said the signs were ‘disgusting’.
But others said they did not believe the sign was racist in anyway.
‘I don’t think it’s them being offensive on purpose,’ one person said. ‘Nowhere in this sign does it refer to black people,’ another said.
The pub manager, Billy Harney, told Daily Mail Australia the signs were not meant to convey any racial connotations but ‘it’s now been portrayed as something that it is absolutely not and caused people to be offended by it’.
‘This had nothing to do with racism, race segregation or Covid-19 restrictions, this was simply to help the bar staff be able to do their jobs and get in and out of the bar,’ Mr Harney said.
The images went viral after they were uploaded to Facebook on Wednesday with the following caption
Terrance Frederick, who uploaded images of the signs to Facebook, said: ‘I wanted everyone see this so yous can have your own say and what you think about this sign’
Social media reaction after the images of the signs were posted to Facebook
‘What most people on Facebook don’t realise is this was right at the entrance to get into the bar. So to the right you can go get a drink, to the left, you walk straight into the bar or into the office.’
Mr Harney said the barrier and signs were put up during a busy local pool competition and while new couches were delivered to the venue to stop competitors encroaching on the bar area.
‘I get along with everyone pretty well so we talk to each other in Territory language… so in my own Territory words I’ve told them to get out of the barrier, this happens a few times and every time it’s back and forth Territory banter between the pool players and myself.
‘I decided to have a laugh and make a sign. The whole pub had a laugh and that was it. Until the sign was posted to Facebook, people were laughing about my sign and telling me to f**k off too.’
Daily Mail Australia contacted the man who originally posted the photos to Facebook for comment.
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