American comedian Eric André has sadly revealed how he was racially profiled at Melbourne Airport. The Black and Jewish entertainer narrated his ordeal in a video shared on Instagram on Sunday.
He claimed the incident occurred when he was traveling from Los Angeles to Brisbane, Australia, for a shoot. After stopping in Melbourne, André said he was “put in a special line” and “sniffed thoroughly by a dog.”
The host of “The Eric André Show” said in the video: “It’s one of the many times I’ve been racially profiled at the airport.” “Please be careful,” he added by warning his followers flying through Melbourne.
“They are searching Black, brown and Indigenous people,” the 41-year-old comedian alleged.
Unhappy about the incident, André is seeking a security escort through Melbourne Airport in the future if he is hired to work in Australia. He would also appreciate it most if his itinerary allows him to avoid such checks.
“I do not feel safe in the Melbourne airport. I do not want to be humiliated or racially discriminated against anymore at these airports,” he averred.
The famous comedian further enquired about discrimination lawyers in Australia as he labelled what he called “Giuliani stop-and-frisk-esque nonsense program” as ineffective.
“I don’t want to cut my hair and wear a three-piece suit so that I’m treated like a first-class citizen,” Eric André further stated in the video. “I shouldn’t be made to feel that I am unaccepted by entering a country.”
Amid his claims, a spokesperson for the airport has reacted.
“Melbourne Airport does not tolerate racism in any form. We welcome all passengers to Melbourne, and we expect everyone to be treated equally,” the spokesperson told NBC News in a statement on Tuesday.
The spokesperson also revealed that the Australian Border Force and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) were asked by the airport to investigate and that those agencies had responded to André.
Following this, a DAFF spokesperson explained in a statement that all passengers arriving in Australia are “part of biosecurity screening processes for things such as fresh fruit or vegetables, plants and food, or soil on footwear or recreational equipment.”
According to the spokesperson, travelers might be subjected to baggage scans through X-rays or “be subject to individual inspections and unpacking of baggage, or by general screening with the assistance of our highly trained dogs.”
“Any traveler coming into Australia will experience some or all of these screening measures,” the spokesperson added.
