Pub boycott after black barman attacked by six white men

Anti-racist campaigners are boycotting a pub after a young black barman was attacked by six white men.

The young barman was nearing the end of his night shift at the Duke of Wellington pub in Notting Hill when the group of men began racially abusing him.

The men attacked him in a back room of the upmarket pub on Portobello Road, before robbing some jewellery.

The young man’s mother said no customers or staff came to his aid, while accusing the Young’s brewery pub of failing to protect her son.

She led hundreds of protesters on Saturday in a demonstration, calling on the pub to ‘say no to racist thugs’.

The protesters held up ‘shame on you’ placards that demanded justice for her son.

Boycott the Duke of Wellington pub #Justice4El pic.twitter.com/pnqySN9no2

— Stand Up To Racism (@AntiRacismDay) February 22, 2020

The mother’s protest is supported by the campaign group Stand Up To Racism and Labour politician, Emma Dent Coad.

The former Kensington MP said locals will boycott the pub and return every week with more protests.

In a series of tweets, she wrote: ‘The young man, shocked and frightened, had to walk 20 minutes home on his own.

‘His mum took him to hospital. He has severe bruising and a dislocated shoulder, after a chair was thrown at him.

‘Lucky for us all, no concussion.’

She added: ‘Given that he had been racially abused, beaten up, and robbed – and the pub also robbed as the racists ran off without paying – we’d like to know if this is the normal practice.

‘The family want a sincere apology, compensation for loss of earnings.’

A spokesperson for Young’s brewery said they were ‘deeply shocked’ by the attack on one of their employees.

They said: ‘We are doing all we can to assist the police in their investigation into the incident to ensure that the people concerned are brought to justice.

‘We have a zero-tolerance policy for abuse towards our employees.

‘We are providing our full support to the member of staff involved and we share the outrage of the community at the disgusting behaviour of those involved.’

A Met Police spokesperson said: ‘Police were called at 00:03hrs on Sunday, 16 February to reports of an assault at a pub on Portobello Road, Kensington and Chelsea.

‘Officers attended and spoke to a man, aged in his 20s, who reported he had been assaulted and had an item of jewellery stolen by a group of males. He was also racially abused.

‘Officers are investigating; no arrests have been made.’

A spokesperson for Young’s brewery said they were ‘deeply shocked’ by the attack on one of their employees.

They said: ‘We are doing all we can to assist the police in their investigation into the incident to ensure that the people concerned are brought to justice.

‘We have a zero-tolerance policy for abuse towards our employees.

‘We are providing our full support to the member of staff involved and we share the outrage of the community at the disgusting behaviour of those involved.’

A Met Police spokesperson said: ‘Police were called at 00:03hrs on Sunday, 16 February to reports of an assault at a pub on Portobello Road, Kensington and Chelsea.

‘Officers attended and spoke to a man, aged in his 20s, who reported he had been assaulted and had an item of jewellery stolen by a group of males.

‘He was also racially abused. Officers are investigating; no arrests have been made.’