A shopping centre is investigating a complaint after some children were refused entry by a security guard because they were ‘Murri’.
A mother shared a post on social media saying her son and nephews were stopping at Vincent Market Place in Townsville, Queensland, when they were allegedly turned away because of their race.
‘They were stopped at the entrance by the security guard who told them “all Murri kids under the age of 18 can’t enter without a parent after 6 o’clock,”‘ the mother told Daily Mail Australia.
A shopping centre (pictured) is under fire after a group of children were refused entry by a security guard because they were ‘Murri’
A mother shared a post on Facebook saying her son and nephews were stopping at a Vincent Market Place in Townsville (pictured) when they were turned away because of their race
Murri is a term used to describe Indigenous Australians most often used in Queensland as Koori is used in the same way in NSW and Victoria, according to Welcome to Country.
The young teenagers, aged 15, 14 and 12, were in shock after hearing the ‘rule’ which they hadn’t heard before, the mother said.
‘While in there, they were also being watched by the two security guards and one staff member,’ the mother told Daily Mail Australia.
‘He later told us he felt unhappy and violated, they were all really in shock.
‘Emotions were running high when they got home.’
Woolworths responded to the complaint online saying they were ‘disappointed’ by the situation.
‘The security guard involved is not employed by Woolworths but provided by the centre itself,’ the company wrote.
Vincent Market Place spokeswoman Jenny Garland refused to comment when approached by Daily Mail Australia.
Ms Garland told Townsville Bulletin the allegations were ‘ridiculous’ and the shopping centre did not have a discrimination policy ‘in terms of race’.
‘We don’t discriminate on who can or can’t go in, that’s ridiculous,’ she said.
The spokeswoman said the centre has no policies for children under 18 and they have referred the incident to its security contractor.
‘They were told by the security guards there that no Murri’s under the age of 18 are allowed to go into Woolies after 6 o’clock,’ the mother wrote on Thursday