Event organizer files complaint over alleged racial discrimination at Restaurant Jack in Helsinki

A week ago, an event celebrating Middle Eastern and North African dance music took place at Restaurant Jack in Helsinki’s Punavuori district. Alaa Altamimi attended with friends, but they were surprised to find themselves denied entry. Altamimi reported that upon their arrival, around 15 individuals of foreign descent were already outside the venue. A restaurant representative informed them that the establishment was at full capacity and that they could not wait for entry. Simultaneously, Altamimi claimed that more white patrons were continuously allowed inside, including one of his friends who requested to let Altamimi’s group in but was refused.

Altamimi recorded a video of the incident, which he later submitted to Yle. The footage showed the restaurant representative preventing his group from entering while welcoming white customers without issue. The restaurant was not a private event but an openly advertised music event.

Altamimi confronted the representative about the racism involved in selecting customers based on skin color, which led to the restaurant calling the police. The police informed Altamimi’s group that the venue had the right to choose its customers, directing them to another restaurant instead.

Altamimi has filed a complaint with the Equality Ombudsman, providing video evidence of the incident. The Ombudsman expressed concern regarding the situation, noting that customer selection cannot be based on ethnicity, nationality, religion, or disability, as it constitutes discrimination.

The restaurant owner, Amira Chokairy, denied the allegations, asserting that the majority of their staff are not ethnic Finns and that the claims of racial discrimination are absurd. She stated that the crowd dynamics led to prioritizing regular customers, but insisted that people of various ethnicities, including brown individuals, were also admitted. The incident has sparked ongoing discussions about discrimination on social media, and the DJ community behind the event has condemned any form of racism, promising to prioritize attendees from Middle Eastern and North African cultures in future events.