Racism Report 2003 - Zara

Page 12 Cases: Public Space Racism Report 2003262728293031A. and Mr B., both born in Cameroon, were at the Restaurant Mardigras on the ‚Copa Cagrana‘ inMr.Zivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-ArbeitVienna. Mr. A. had already been to the restaurant more often with his Austrian friend. As the waitress brought theirfood to the table however, she demanded that they should first pay. Mr. A. and Mr. B. pointed out that all the othercustomers did not have to pay first and received their food immediately. The waitress gave no answer to the questionof why they were being treated in this way. When the manager arrived and Mr. A. asked him about this unfairtreatment he became aggressive and threatened to call the police. The ZARA counsellor tried to make contact withthe manager. However, he denied everything and did not want to talk any further with Mr. A. He was reported underArt IX Abs 1 Z 3 Introductory Provisions to the Code of Administrative Procedure.June 2003 Ms. B. and a group of friends wanted to go into the locale ‚Q‘. They were not allowed in evenInZivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-Arbeitthough a ‚white‘ friend was. The doormen asked for her club card. Ms. B. asked why her friend was not asked for aclub card. One doorman said that he let in ‚no Blacks‘. ZARA reported the case under the Introductory Provisions tothe Code of Administrative Procedure.4 October 2003 Ms. P. found an article in the Vorarlberg newspaper Neue in which was reported thatOnZivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-Arbeitthe local council of Krumbach had decided not to give permission for a kebab stand on public land. (A Turk living inKrumbach had made the application. Many discriminatory postings also appear with the article: ‚They made the rightdecision. It begins with a kebab stand and ends with a mosque. No thanks.‘)In the minutes of the local council meeting of 30 July 2003 it is recorded that ‚the commercial livelihood ofexisting catering businesses is an important matter of concern for all councillors.‘ (www.krumbach.at) In the councilminutes of 2 October 2003 under Point 10 - Renting of snack stand location: ‚(...) By locating the stand near a blockof council flats the council , as landowner, could have influenced further developments in the case of unacceptabledisturbance of the neighbours or the appearance of competition feared by Austrian gastronomers.“ZARA asked council representatives for a statement. Until now this request has not been met.Ms. D. arrived with friends in front of the locale ‚Nachschicht‘ in Kagran, Vienna, a group of Arab-WhenZivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-Arbeitlooking people was already in a discussion with the doorman. He was saying they were not regulars, but said laterthere had been ‚trouble between Austrians and foreigners‘. (Some of the ‚foreigners‘ are Austrian citizens.) Ms. D.reported that as time went by a bigger and bigger group of foreign-looking men formed who were all not let in.The girls were all let in, including Ms. D. She looked around the disco and saw that there was a sparse scattering offoreign-looking people. She reported: ‚But most noticeable were the shaven heads which were very much like skinheads.When two ‚less noticeable‘ types greeted each other (in summer in a disco) with calls of „Ski heil!“ we left thelocale as quickly as possible.L. photographed a sign at a Lower Austrian barbecue association withMr.Zivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-Arbeitthe following announcement: ‚1 May 2003. ATTENTION! Your attention is drawn tothe fact that this barbecue area is private property. Therefore use of the facilities bypeople of „NON-AUSTRIAN ORIGIN“ is no longer welcome! This regulation is validimmediately. Thank you all for your understanding! The organisers.‘ZARA sent a letter of complaint to Mr. B., responsible for the association, whogot in touch by telephone and apologised and finally assured the ZARA counsellorthat he would remove the sign. A few days later another member of the barbecueassociation called. The caller make racist comments about people of Turkish origin.He said that Turks cannot integrate themselves, they are dirty, not ‚real‘ Austrians,only Austrian citizens etc. The ZARA counsellor entered discussion with him andexplained that the association was committing an offence under the IntroductoryProvisions to the Code of Administrative Procedure and could be fined. Upon thisthe man ended the call.Burgenländische VolksZeitung published an article about the re-opening of a discotheque: ‚NewTheZivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-ArbeitDisco opening. TANZTEMPEL / Two men from Wiener Neustadt, a father and son, have taken over the former „Miami“.The opening on 26 September. (...) „Miami“ has been closed for a long time. Shortly before closing down there wastrouble due to violence. Walter Musil wants to avoid this problem from the beginning: „Under 18 you don‘t get inat all.“ He also does not want to let in „foreigners“. To prevent fighting, as Musil says. A doorman will carry out a„face-check“. (...)‘ZARA reported the case under the Introductory Provisions to the Code of Administrative Procedure Art. IX Abs 1 Z. 3.