Justin Hemmes' hospitality empire under fire after his venue is accused of turning away diners because of their outfits - as bosses hit back
Seven people told the Sydney Morning Herald they weren't allowed in to Jimmy's Falafel on George Street on August 3 unless they took off their keffiyehs - the Middle Eastern headscarf that has become a symbol of the pro-Palestinian movement.
Jimmy's Falafel is just one of more than 90 venues operated by Merivale, which is owned by billionaire Justin Hemmes.
A Merivale spokesman said management banned anyone carrying or displaying flags and placards inside the venue between 3.55pm and 4.15pm on the day of the protest for the safety of staff.
They claimed the decision was made following 'many instances of rogue members of the public passing Ivy venues on George Street and shouting obscenities and violent rhetoric inside'.
According to Merivale, some protesters who walked by had shouted 'death to the IDF', 'death to all Zionist pigs', and 'f***ing Zionist pigs and scum' towards Jimmy's Falafel.
CCTV from the venue, that does not have audio, showed multiple groups of people were turned away from Jimmy's Falafel during the 20-minute ban.
Farah Ghafar was one of the protesters who claims she was told to remove her keffiyeh-printed hijab. 'I felt excluded. I felt discriminated against,' she said.
It is not suggested she had yelled anything towards the restaurant.
'I have never, ever in my life been refused service based on what I was wearing, or asked to remove an item of clothing in order to enter a store.'
Farah, who is considering legal action against Merivale, said when she and her sister went back to ask the manager of Jimmy's Falafel why they couldn't enter, they got an apology and were allegedly told security shouldn't have refused them entry.
They claimed they were told the request to remove the keffiyeh was to maintain the restaurant's neutral stance and ensure the safety of employees and others inside.
Another person, who asked not to be named, said he and his wife were also told they could not dine in unless they removed their scarves and claimed the guard told them they didn't know why.
'He said that he was following orders [from management] and that our scarves were not allowed in, and if we wanted to sit inside, we would have to take our scarves off,' the man claimed.
The Merivale spokesman said the march was a 'challenging time for venue staff' and that it didn't want to get involved in the politics of the day, but had safety on their mind.
'The safety and comfort of staff and patrons is always a priority at our venues…aggression and discrimination are never tolerated.,' a spokeswoman said in a statement.
'No Merivale venues, including Jimmy's Falafel, have policies on customers wearing keffiyehs or other political or religious items of clothing.'
Authorities believe around 90,000 people arrived at the Harbour Bridge on August 3 to protest the on-going conflict in Gaza.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Yvette Cooper defends Palestine Action ban as 60 more faces charges
The home secretary has again defended the proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist group, saying it is more than "a regular protest group known for occasional stunts".Writing in the Observer, Yvette Cooper said the group had claimed responsibility for incidents that saw those allegedly involved subsequently charged with a range of crimes, including violent disorder and aggravated added that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had assessed these charges have a "terrorism connection".Her comments come after the Metropolitan Police said on Friday that a further 60 people would be prosecuted for showing support for Palestine Action. More than 700 people have been arrested since the group was banned by the government on 5 July - including more than 500 at a demonstration in central London last Saturday, Norfolk Police arrested 13 people accused of supporting the group, after a protest in Norwich city Met added that more prosecutions were expected in the coming weeks and that arrangements had been put in place "that will enable us to investigate and prosecute significant numbers each week if necessary".Palestine Action has engaged in activities that have predominantly targeted arms companies since the start of the current war in moved to ban the group after activists from the group caused an estimated £7m of damage to jets at RAF Brize Norton in home secretary said while many were aware of that incident, fewer would be aware of other incidents for which the group had claimed also referenced a so-called "Underground Manual" from the group, which she said "encourages the creation of cells, provides practical guidance on how to identify targets to attack and how to evade law enforcement"."These are not the actions of a legitimate protest group," Cooper also reiterated a comment made to the BBC earlier this week that some people who were supporting Palestine Action out of concern for the humanitarian situation in Gaza were not aware of the true nature of the group. "No-one should allow desperate calls for peace in the Middle East to be derailed into a campaign to support one narrow group involved in violence here in the UK," Cooper government's banning of Palestine Action means membership of or support for the group became a criminal offence, carrying a sentence of up to 14 month, the group won permission to challenge the ban and its case will be heard in the High Court in November. It argues that the ban breaches the right to free speech and has acted as a gag on legitimate protest. Rights groups have also been critical both of the proscribing of Palestine Action as a terrorist group and of the subsequent arrest of hundreds of International's chief executive, Sacha Deshmukh, earlier this week suggested the response to last weekend's protest was disproportionate."We have long criticised UK terrorism law for being excessively broad and vaguely worded and a threat to freedom of expression. These arrests demonstrate that our concerns were justified," he UK is not one of Israel's main suppliers of arms but does provide some parts for the F-35 jet - state-of-the-art multi-role fighter that has been used extensively by Israel to strike Royal Air Force (RAF) has also flown hundreds of surveillance flights over Gaza since December 2023, reportedly using Shadow R1 spy planes based at an RAF base in Akrotiri in nearby the foreign secretary has insisted that the flights have not led to the sharing of any military intelligence with the Israeli military.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Ted Hui reportedly granted asylum in Australia
The former pro-democracy Hong Kong legislator Ted Hui, who is wanted by authorities in the Chinese city, has been granted asylum in Australia, he said in a social media post, calling on Canberra to do more for those who remain jailed. The special administrative region, handed back to China by the UK in 1997, has seen dissent quashed since Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law following huge and at times violent pro-democracy protests that erupted in 2019. Hui, a high-profile participant at the time who has since resettled in Adelaide, where he works as a solicitor, said the Australian government had granted him a protection visa this week, with asylum also extending to his wife, children and parents. Sign up: AU Breaking News email 'I express my sincere gratitude to the Government of Australia – both present and former – for recognising our need for asylum and granting us this protection,' he said in a Facebook post on Saturday. A vocal critic of Hong Kong and Beijing authorities, Hui is among several overseas activists targeted in 2023 by police bounties of HK$1m each (A$196,000). The bounties, which have previously drawn strong criticism from western countries, are seen as largely symbolic given that they affect people living abroad in nations unlikely to extradite political activists to Hong Kong or China. Earlier this year, an anonymous letter sent to Hui's Adelaide office offered his colleagues $203,000 for information on his whereabouts and his family. Fake pamphlets falsely accusing Hui of being an pro-Israel lawyer willing to 'wage war' against Islamic terrorism were also allegedly mailed to mosques in Adelaide in an apparent attempt to intimidate him. In this Facebook post, Hui urged the Australian government not to forget other Hong Kong activists who remained jailed, including media mogul Jimmy Lai, who has been behind bars since 2020. 'Australia must do more to rescue them and to speak up for their humanity,' Hui said. 'Its stance matters internationally, and its protection of Hongkongers sets a precedent for other democracies.' Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion He added that he and his family will 'give back to Australia in every way we can – through our work, our civic engagement, and our commitment to the values of democracy and freedom'. While Hong Kong's government did not comment directly on Hui's case, a spokesperson said on Saturday those who absconded should not think they could evade 'criminal liability'. 'Any country that harbours Hong Kong criminals in any form shows contempt for the rule of law, grossly disrespects Hong Kong's legal systems and barbarically interferes in the affairs of Hong Kong,' the spokesperson said. The Australian foreign minister, Penny Wong, has previously objected to Hong Kong's arrest warrants and bounties. 'Freedom of expression and assembly are essential to our democracy,' she said last month on social media. 'We have consistently expressed our strong objections to China and Hong Kong on the broad and extraterritorial application of Hong Kong's national security legislation, and we will continue to do so.' The Department of Home Affairs has been contacted for comment.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
This is the face of anti-immigration rallies planned around Australia... now his shock ties to one of the country's wealthiest families can be revealed
A coordinator behind a series of planned anti-immigration rallies across Australia has come under fire over his links to one of Australia's biggest property developers. Hugo Lennon, also known as 'Auspill', has encouraged his followers to stand up against 'mass immigration' at a series of rallies scheduled for August 31 - a problem he believes exacerbates the country's housing shortage. Mr Lennon has been revealed as the grandson of Tony Lennon, the millionaire ex-chairman of one of Australia's largest real estate development companies, Peet Limited. The 82-year-old, who retired last year but retained a sizeable shareholding, has been listed on Western Australia 's top-50 rich list multiple times with an estimated wealth of up to half a billion dollars. The company, which Mr Lennon's father Anthony serves as non-executive director, has one of the biggest residential landbanks of any ASX-listed property group. A number of online creators have taken issue with Mr Lennon's housing advocacy, given his family's deep ties to the WA property market. Mr Lennon, who has attracted more than 80,000 followers on TikTok in just over a year, recently called on his followers to 'end mass immigration' by attending the upcoming 'March for Australia' (MFA) rallies. 'It will be a peaceful march advocating for something virtually every Australian agrees on: that immigration has to be reduced,' he said. 'Australians have been ignored on immigration for a long time and that's gonna come to an end because on the 31st Australians will voice this majority opinion to have an end to mass immigration.' Organisers claim 'endless migration, weak leadership and political cowardice' have overstretched the housing supply and caused the country to change in ways 'most of us never agreed to'. 'It's time to take our country back. It's time to defend our way of life. It's time to defend our culture. Stop mass immigration now,' one flyer read. According to Mr Lennon's 'Auspill' account was listed as a moderator and administrator of the March for Australia Facebook group until recently. He told the outlet his account was removed as MFA did not wish to be 'connected to any one name and thus any one set of politics'. 'The reasons expressed by MFA are broad, they reflect the organisers' and supporters' diverse political backgrounds,' he said. 'Concerns around mass immigration include housing shortages, demographic change, infrastructure strain, environmental impacts, water supply shortages and fractured social cohesion.' MFA has attempted to distance itself from radical figures, including the leader of the National Socialist Network, and has previously expressed concern over fringe players attempting to hijack the event. In a statement posted to the MFA Facebook group on Friday, Mr Lennon wrote Australians had been sidelined over mass immigration which, he claimed, had transformed their 'way of life'. 'So we have a situation where the benefactors of mass immigration have clearly set the policy, they've decided the numbers, the types, and the discussions that are allowed to be had- all while millions of Australians are ignored for decades,' he said. 'The supreme betrayal of the political class is to disregard the clear and settled will of the Australian people on a matter that shapes their daily lives so directly. 'Australians are being told by their rulers that they must bear the burden of a transformation they never sought and do not consent to, a transformation that strikes at the heart of our national character and way of life. 'To ignore the voice of the nation is not merely folly; it is to tear at the very foundation of consent on which our democracy rests.'
