LONDON: Two popular Paris nightclubs are facing fresh allegations of discrimination against Arab and Black people, after a newspaper published the results of an investigation into the treatment of customers from ethnic groups.
Mediapart reported on Wednesday that the clubs appeared to charge some people more for entry based on the color of their skin. The story used research carried out by a nongovernmental organization SOS Racisme that sent three groups of people to the nightclubs. Each group included two men and a woman of the same age group, wearing clothes that met the clubs’ dress codes. The members of the first group appeared to be of North African origin, those in second of sub-Saharan origin, and the people in the third group were white.
While neither nightclub refused entry to any of the groups, they imposed additional conditions on the Arab and Black groups, such as the purchase of a bottle of alcohol or paying for a table at prices significantly higher than the basic entry fee.
According to Mediapart, this meant the sub-Saharan group had to pay €180 ($196) to get into L’Aquarium, compared with €25 for the white people. Figures for the group perceived as having North African origins were not immediately available.
Meanwhile at L’Arc Paris, the North African group had to pay €800 for entry, while the group of black people were charged €500. In contrast, the white group paid €50 for men and €30 for women.
The NGO accused the nightclubs of charging prices “according to whether you like the look of the customer” and said that the prices were “much higher” for people from ethnic groups.
Dominique Sopo, SOS Racisme’s president, told Mediapart: “This simply shows that there is a bias, there is a difference in treatment between, on the one hand, Black people and Arabs, or in any case people who will be considered as such, and on the other hand, white people.
“And this shows that prejudices, whether conscious or unconscious, continue to be operative.”
Mediapart said it would file a complaint with authorities in Paris over the actions of the clubs. However, previous investigations into the two venues in response to similar accusations were closed because the evidence was found to be “not sufficient” to proceed. Authorities in Paris said a new civil case would be opened if a fresh complaint is filed.
The managers of the nightclubs denied allegations of discrimination when contacted by Mediapart, but admitted they do filter customers based on perceptions of their financial means.
In 2017, SOS Racisme accused several nightclubs in Paris and Nice of racial discrimination after groups of clubbers from ethnic groups were refused entry, only for white people to be allowed in moments later.
