Irish bar in Luton REFUSES to serve people wearing poppies

[ian1964 10,514]

Outrage after Irish bar in Luton REFUSES to serve people wearing poppies - and then posts gloating Facebook message telling them to 'grow up'

 

Bar 32 in Luton told customers they had to remove their poppies or leave

After patrons complained, owners accused them of being EDL members and claimed the poppy is a terrorist symbol

Now hundreds of people have pledged to boycott the Irish-themed bar

 

An Irish bar in England has sparked widespread outrage after staff banned customers wearing poppies on Remembrance Sunday.

 

Bar 32 in Luton kicked out anyone wearing a poppy in memory of soldiers killed in war, then gloated online claiming that the flower was a 'terrorist' symbol and telling opponents to 'grow up'.

 

The bar's decision set off a furious backlash, with hundreds of drinkers pledging to boycott the pub because of its 'disgusting behaviour'

 

 

On Saturday night and in the early hours of Sunday, customers of Bar 32 reported being told to leave if they would not remove their poppies.

 

When patrons complained, staff posted a rambling online message accusing them of being members of the English Defence League.

 

A post on the bar's official Facebook page read: 'Ha ha if I offended people tonight (good) for wearing the flower of (terrorist) these young (EDL) lads/kids have to learn grow up' [sic].

 

It continued: 'Where else you going to get a drink after 2am there still a few of us left in Luton from the wee North good luck Mo Chara's ["my friends" in Irish] please share'.

 

The owners of the bar, which is apparently named after the 32 counties in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, are believed to be staunch Irish republicans.

 

Landlord Adrian Robb has a picture of IRA fighter Bobby Sands alongside Nelson Mandela on his personal Facebook profile, captioned: 'One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter.'

 

Many Irish nationalists are opposed to the poppy, regarding it as a symbol of imperialism and British rule.

 

However, many web users pointed out that among the soldiers commemorated on Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day are thousands of Irish servicemen.

 

Aidan Ward wrote on Facebook: 'Pardon me, but when was the poppy a flower of terrorists? People from the Irish Republic are honoured as well by the poppy for their sacrifices.'

 

John Allen, who is half-Irish, described how his grandfather and great-uncle fought for Britain in the First World War, saying: 'It makes me sad to see those raised in this country adopt the hateful attitude.'

 

Sarah Bavister added: 'So now the poppy is a symbol of the EDL... is the shamrock a symbol of the IRA then?'

 

Paul Harman said: 'Got told to remove my poppy or get out! Absolute disgrace of a bar. One of the reasons your bar is even allowed to exist is due to the sacrifice of many brave souls and this is how you treat them.'

 

One patron who was told to leave Bar 32 insisted that he would never return to the establishment after being discriminated against for wearing his poppy.

 

He told CitiBlog Luton: 'It was disgusting behaviour from the owner, to be told to remove my poppy or leave, I happily walked out and I’ll never be going back into that dump.'

 

Last night, far-Right activist Tommy Robinson led a small group of protesters outside the premises to express opposition to the no-poppy policy.

 

Bedfordshire Police said: 'We were called at approximately 6.30pm yesterday to reports of a threats being made against Bar 32 in Luton, following a dispute in the bar earlier that day.

 

'Later that evening, a protest was held outside the bar, again linked to the earlier dispute. Officers attended to ensure that the protest ran smoothly.

 

'A police investigation is currently underway into the both dispute and the subsequent threats.'

 

Bar 32 has not responded to a request for comment.

 

Two years ago, a bar in Belfast was convicted of illegally discriminating against a family by refusing to allow them in because they were wearing poppies.

 

A judge found that because most people who wear in poppy in Northern Ireland are from the 'Protestant or unionist community', discriminating against them is equivalent to discriminating on the grounds of religious or political belief.

 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3310209/Outrage-Irish-bar-refuses-serve-people-wearing-poppies.html#ixzz3r2T44ap3

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[ian1964 10,514]

This should probably be in the Bluenose lounge!,admin can move

[Gazza_8 233]

It's getting out of hand now. When I was a kid you'd watch Rememberance Sunday on the TV and attempt to imagine what so many people went through back in the day. Now it's all about social media, minutes silences (or not) at football matches and James fuckin MacLean.

 

Such a shame.

[ranger_syntax 3,877]

It's getting out of hand now. When I was a kid you'd watch Rememberance Sunday on the TV and attempt to imagine what so many people went through back in the day. Now it's all about social media, minutes silences (or not) at football matches and James fuckin MacLean.

 

Such a shame.

 

That's a good point. Why are we so eager to post stuff like this?