" I do not require to be humiliated or racially discriminated against any longer at these airports . I do n’t want to cut my haircloth and endure a three - composition lawsuit so that I ’m treated like a first - class citizen . "
Eric André alleged that he was racially harassed in an airport in Australia.
In an Instagram video posted on Monday, the comedian alleged that the incident happened when he was traveling by Qantas International at Melbourne airport as part of his journey from Los Angeles to Brisbane.
“I got detained and I got pulled out of a lineup and put in a special line in Melbourne where I was sniffed thoroughly by a dog,” he said in the video. “It’s one of the many times I’ve been racially profiled at the airport. So this is a message for all Black, Brown, and Indigenous people traveling through Melbourne today…please be careful. They are searching Black, Brown, and Indigenous people.”
Asking for any recommendations for legal counsel in Australia, Eric continued, “Anybody hiring me to work in Australia going forward, whether it’s a production or a tour, please don’t make me go through the Melbourne Airport alone. Please provide a police escort or some type of security escort for me, or have me fly into Brisbane or Sydney directly. I do not feel safe in the Melbourne Airport. I do not want to be humiliated or racially discriminated against anymore at these airports. I don’t want to cut my hair and wear a three-piece suit so that I’m treated like a first-class citizen.”
“It’s providing a less safe experience for Black, Brown, Indigenous, and immigrant passengers. It has nothing to do with safety. It has everything to do with racial harassment,” he emphasized.
An account for the Melbourne airport subsequently commented on the video, “Melbourne Airport does not tolerate racism in any form.”
A spokesperson for Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF)told NBC Newsthat everyone who arrives in Australia is “part of biosecurity screening processes for things such as fresh fruit or vegetables, plants and food, or soil on footwear or recreational equipment.”
Eric, along with Clayton English, previouslysuedan airport in Atlanta, alleging “a program of racial discrimination and unconstitutional jet bridge stops.” The lawsuit wasdismissedin 2023, but the comedians appealed the decision earlier this year.
