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Stacy Squires / Stuff
A visitor to the Rockpool bar felt discriminated against when he had questions about his ta moko.
A Christchurch man says he felt shocked and embarrassed after being racially profiled in a bar for his tā moko.
The man, who did not want to be identified, said he was discriminated against when he tried to enter The Rockpool over the weekend.
In an Instagram post in response to the incident, The Rockpool noted that it had a dress code that meant patrons with facial tattoos, offensive tattoos, and gang-related tattoos cannot be admitted to the facility.
However, cultural tattoos and tā moko did not fall into this category, and staff would receive further training “on how to identify and differentiate between different tattoos”.
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The man said he wanted to find a bar that served Guinness, his “favorite,” and approached the “four guards” at The Rockpool to ask if they served it.
Stacy Squires / Stuff
The Rockpool closed when the Canterbury earthquakes struck, but reopened at the same location in 2015.
“He was not intoxicated, he was well dressed and he was polite,” he said.
As he got closer, he said the guards suggested that he visit another bar.
When he asked what the problem was, he was told that the manager needed to look at him because he “had a facial tattoo.”
“I said, are we going to go this way? This is not a facial tattoo, it is a mataora, it is very different … I couldn’t believe it was happening, ”he said.
I felt … like I was the naughty kid or the drunk being held back, which is not the case. I wasn’t intoxicated, I just wanted a bar that had my favorite drink. “
Screenshot / Instagram
The Rockpool released a statement on Instagram saying it welcomes those with cultural tattoos to its facility.
The manager asked what his problem was and then said that the owners of the bar had a policy of not allowing entry to anyone with “facial or offensive tattoos or bad attitude.”
“I was quite shocked, I have never encountered such blatant racism and racial profiling … this is a cultural brand, not a gang tattoo.”
He was also asked to explain the tattoos on his arms.
” On one arm there is a religious sleeve that refers to my personal faith. He said ‘well what’s that on your other arm?’ I said that it is a cultural manga, that it is a moko. I have my whakapapa on my face. ”
The man said he felt “deprived, questioned and ashamed.”
Alden Williams / Stuff
Rockpool and Micky Finn’s on Hereford St have long been popular bars in central Christchurch.
In the end they told him he had a “good attitude”.
“He said they don’t sell Guinness, but he said I could sit at the bar. I thought ‘no, after that interrogation, I am not going to give you my money or my company after that behavior.’
The Rockpool contacted him after he shared a video of the incident online, but he did not respond.
” People keep getting rejected at his bar for years. They only apologize that they got caught again. ”
In 2015, artist Jesse Wright was denied entry to the bar and said he was made fun of by gorillas when he tried to explain the meaning of his non-gang related facial tattoos.
The bar’s Instagram post indicated that in this case, their new security asked the manager to review the customer in relation to the dress code.
Dean Kozanic / Stuff
Jesse Wright was denied entry to The Rockpool bar on his 22nd birthday due to his facial tattoos.
“The client was not denied entry … in the future, we will endeavor to train all of our staff on how to identify and differentiate the different tattoos to prevent this from happening in the future.”
The Rockpool has been contacted for further comment.
The man involved in the latest incident said Aotearoa would not tolerate intolerance and racism.
“’Mata’ means face and ‘ora’ means life, mataora is expensive life, if you have a moko on your face you have given life to your face. It’s a beautiful thing and that’s how it should look, ”he said.
“‘If you discriminate against Maori and our cultural brands, you are racially incompetent … I can’t believe this will continue to happen in 2021.”
