Tommy Robinson asked to leave a restaurant because staff felt uncomfortable serving him…

[harriethoyle]

… AIBU to enjoy this?!

If you spout objectionable views, don’t be surprised if people object to you!

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/tommy-robinson-kicked-out-hawksmoor-london-b1231594.html

As a person of colour, I find it embarrassing for the restaurant. As much as racist, bigoted thug he is, if they used that generic policy most pubs would be empty. If he was filming, being loud and offensive then fair enough. No need to cause a scene.

Staff are entitled to refuse service to anyone.

Wasn't starmer refused service and thrown out of a pub a while back?

"First They Came" is about not speaking out because you're not part of a group that's being persecuted; it's not about tolerating anyone's right to say anything without them having to face consequences.

Freedom of speech doesn't extend to freedom from consequences of that speech. Tommy Robinson can espouse views (within the law) and other people can respond as they see fit on the basis of those views (within the law).

Agree with this. I don’t agree with anything he says but restaurant staff should not be policing customers on their views.

Though, that said, if someone did this to the Tate brothers I’d applaud. So maybe I’m a hypocrite.

As a person of pasty white complexion, I say that if he wanted to be welcome at every establishment he could try not being a violent shit-stirring thug.

If the employees were non-British ethnic minorities - I think the employer did well to safeguard its employees.

Absolutely.

If I feel that someone is a twat and I don't want to do business with them simply because I think they're a twat then nothing can compel me to do business with them.

It's fucking nuts that people think they can behave how they like, say what they want and everyone else has to silently take it up the arse because freedom of speech waa waa

Fuck that. Go be a cunt somewhere else.

No, because they'd fall under a protected characteristic (gay) and thus the Equality Act.
Racist cunts are not a protected characteristic.

Good. He wants "free speech"* so much he can deal with the consequences. He's not being denied healthcare, he's being refused service. I wouldn't serve him either.

*fairly sure he doesn't actually know what this means as a legal principle.

Did everyone clap afterwards?

Some people think he is a racist
Imagine if you were not white and had to serve a table of people who you believed were racist.
Any business can refuse service to someone

And that lovely guy on the left Guramit Singh was sentenced in 2013 to 6 years in prison for attempted robbery and threatening the shop owners with a knife. The surname denotes him as belonging to same religion as me unfortunately but I still would not serve him or the others in my restaurant either. Choices have consequences as OP said 🤷🏻‍♀️

And THAT is how much tolerance anyone should have for a racist, wife-beating, fascist thug and all round piece of shit such as him.

Well done that establishment.

He’s a criminal who uses hate speech to divide, and to incite violence.

Are any of those people listed doing anything criminal by being who they are?

I would’ve refused to serve him too.

You have a common law right to refuse to serve anyone you like.

This will be more grist to his mill. It’s him against the establishment. Blah blah blah

Is being an obnoxious teat a protected characteristic these days?

Yes, being a racist dickhead is not a protected characteristic

The vote says you're not alone. Just a shame you get piled on if you don't go straight in with calling him the usual names.

I love Hawksmoor - and am glad they have done this.
if I was celebrating my birthday etc and that bunch of racist oiks were near me I’d leave.
I have just booked a table for dinner next week to support them.

🙄

He wasn’t banned because of his political views. His investment fell below the threshold.
I think Tommy Two Names has such a reputation for violence that banning him is fine. They should have done it up front though, by not letting him in.

Yes, but there's a high threshold to be met for a political belief to be deemed projected, and many of Yaxley-Lennon's publicly expressed ones will fall far short. Belief in discrimatory ideologies will almost certainly not be protected, nor would most personal opinions or preferences.

I think it was wrong, once a sentence is completed you’ve been “rehabilitated” and where does it end of who can be refused service.

however, I see a lot of people call him racist - I don’t agree with his views, but Islam isn’t a race. I’ve not seen anything racist from him (happy to be corrected as I don’t follow him closely)

Private businesses can do that if they want.
they can refuse someone’s custom. Most don’t - cos they prefer money over their values and most businesses don’t feel strongly enough about how someone looks or whether they’re gay and prefer their money.
but some business owners may feel strongly enough to kick someone who is a racist out of their business. Others won’t.
its not happening all the time because most businesses operate on their profit first.