A high-profile American comedian and actor has accused Melbourne Airport of “racial bias against people of colour” after he was randomly stopped and searched by customs officials.
Eric André, 41, went on a social media rant after he was pulled aside for a random search with sniffer dogs when he landed in Melbourne on Monday.
The Florida-born artist claimed he was detained by staff at Terminal Two after a 25-hour flight from New York.
“I was taken out of a queue and put in a special queue in Melbourne where I was thoroughly sniffed by a dog,” he explained in an Instagram post.
‘This is one of the many times I have been racially discriminated against at the airport.
‘This is a message to all Black, Brown and Indigenous people travelling through Melbourne today, especially if you are travelling through Qantas International Airport in Terminal Two: be careful.
“They are looking for black, brown and indigenous people.”
The Eric Andre Show host has vowed to never return to Melbourne Airport alone and has asked anyone who books him in the city to also provide a police escort.
André asked his followers to send him the Melbourne Airport complaints line and the contact details of any Australian discrimination lawyers in response to the incident.
Eric André said he no longer felt safe at Melbourne airport after an unpleasant encounter with customs officials on Monday.
The American comedian was singled out for a random search with sniffer dogs when he landed in Melbourne on Monday (file image)
André flew from New York to Brisbane via Los Angeles before making the final leg of his journey to Melbourne.
He says it was the only airport where customs officials stopped him.
“It is a disgrace that people at Melbourne Airport are applying this absurd procedure,” he said.
“I don’t want to be humiliated or racially discriminated against…” (and) I don’t want to cut my hair and put on a three-piece suit to be treated like a first-class citizen.
“It’s unethical… it’s nothing to do with safety, it’s everything to do with racial harassment… I doubt it will make the world safer for anyone in Melbourne or Australia.
“I don’t feel safe at Melbourne Airport.”
American comedian and actor Eric André, 41, has claimed he was targeted because of his race at Melbourne airport after customs officers pulled him aside for a random search with sniffer dogs.
The comedian compared the procedure to Giuliani’s “stop-and-frisk,” a reference to former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s controversial method for reducing crime.
Stop and search techniques allowed police to temporarily detain, question and sometimes search anyone they deemed to pose a danger to the public.
The initiative targeted an overwhelming number of people of color: 90 percent of those registered in 2017 were African American or Latino men.
André also questioned the efficiency of sniffer dogs and mentioned A UNSW study who called the practice “an ineffective strategy” in his article.
The study concluded that “the use of drug-sniffing dogs is not only ineffective, but may actually increase the risk of drug-related harm.”
“I shouldn’t be made to feel like I’m not accepted when I enter a country. I would love to know the statistics on what comes out of that program,” André said.
The comedian had just landed in Melbourne after a 25-hour flight from New York when a dog pulled him aside and “sniffed him thoroughly”.
The online tirade prompted a response from Melbourne Airport, which revealed in the comments that would do it Follow up on André’s complaints.
A spokesperson He told 7News that the airport does not Tolerate racism of any kind.
“Melbourne Airport is proud to be the gateway to one of the most multicultural cities in the world,” they said.
“We welcome all passengers to Melbourne and expect everyone to be treated equally.”
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Melbourne Airport, the Australian Federal Police and Eric André for comment.
