The owners of a café in Exmouth, Devon have removed a small statue of a monkey in top hat and tails after someone complained it was offensive.
The news of its removal has been welcomed by the anonymous complainant, who said: “I was recently at Fortes and noticed they have a figurine of a monkey depicted as a human begging for money.”
The customer added: “Given the heightened issue in the pub in the UK displaying golly dolls, and the fact that these types of caricatures are racist towards black people, I asked to speak to the manager about it but they were not there. It’s really important that we reflect on how welcoming and inclusive our environments are here in the southwest to people of all backgrounds.”
The Fortes café management decided to remove the figure, with the customer also remarking: “A member of staff seemed to be indifferent about the figurine, saying it was just decor. It is highly offensive. I am very glad the owners have since decided to remove the figure.”
The management team then released a statement in which they said: “We would never endorse the use of any item which may have racist connotations as we take this very seriously. The figure of a monkey business card holder was removed as soon as the gentleman mentioned it may cause offence.”
The Homeland Party will always champion free speech. However, we notice the sheer number of times stories are written, even about us, where the word of an anonymous commentator, a government expert or merely “a source” are taken as gospel by mainstream media in this country.
When we hear phrases like “it’s really important that we reflect on how welcoming and inclusive…” we know this isn’t how regular people speak: this is the sort of language some sort of political activist would use!
Homeland Party members will always put their names to their words and actions – exactly as we should in a free and open society.
