Scruffy Murphys, a pub in the Sydney CBD, is in a bit of hot water because they won’t let in ‘Arabs or Islanders’.

This report in the Sunday Star Times sums it up:

A Maori and a Samoan are among those testifying at a tribunal hearing where a Sydney bar owner admitted refusing patrons entry on racial grounds.

Malcolm McGuinness, the owner of Scruffy Murphy’s Irish pub, this week told the New South Wales Equal Opportunity Tribunal he had ordered security staff to follow the racist exclusion policy in 2005.

He claims the ban on patrons of Pacific Island or Middle Eastern origin was to reduce a spate of violent gang-related incidents at the popular central city pub, the Daily Telegraph reported. The policy was scrapped last year.

Samoan Benji Tupou and Maori Marcellus Cook both told the tribunal they were refused entry by security staff who were transparent about the reasons.

Mr Tupou said it happened twice while he waited in a queue to enter the pub.

The first time, he claims a bouncer asked him what nationality he was.

“I’m Samoan or Niuean,” Mr Tupou says he replied.

He then alleges the bouncer said: “Seriously boys, I don’t know how to say this, but you guys can’t come in to the hotel.”

“No Islanders or Lebanese,” the security guard allegedly added.

On the other attempt to enter, Mr Tupou claims he was removed from the queue by a Polynesian bouncer who told him: “Yep, no Islanders.”

This ABC investigation goes into more detail, and Luke McIlveen from the Daily Tele suggests that patrons banned on racial grounds should be happy that they can no longer get into such a shithouse pub.