A Sylt bar loses its business partner and now seeks compensation.
Following the filing of a criminal complaint, the management of the Pony, where the video of racist remarks was captured, plans to sue the culprits for damages. The upmarket venue is concerned about the negative impact on its brand.
The Pony Bar has lost one of its collaborators because of the video of clients singing racist slogans. After lodging a criminal complaint, the Sylt Club intends to file a civil lawsuit against the perpetrators to seek compensation. "Our brand has taken a serious hit because of these incidents," said business manager Tom Kinder to Bild. "In addition to that, one of our partner organizations has ended our cooperation, at least temporarily."
The extent of the damage is still unknown. One of the offenders has since issued an apology. The State Protection Office is investigating the case for incitement to hatred and the use of unconstitutional symbols. "In the video, you can hear some people singing far-right lyrics ('Germany for Germans, foreigners out!'). There is also suspicion that someone is making the so-called Hitler salute," the authorities stated. Two other perpetrators were let go by their employers.
The managers of the Pony maintain that they dealt with the situation appropriately. "If our staff had spotted such behavior at any point, they would have acted immediately. We would've contacted the police and filed a criminal complaint. We have now managed to do so," they stated in a Sunday night announcement. The individuals in question have been identified and reported.
The federal government's commissioner for combating anti-Semitism, Felix Klein, expressed astonishment. "Not so much because I'm surprised by the presence of such anti-Semitic thoughts, but because they've seemingly become part of popular culture and are tolerated in an environment where it should be clear that foreigners play a major role in enhancing our well-being," he said to Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland.
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In response to the incident, the Sylt Club is planning to file a civil lawsuit against the perpetrators of racism and xenophobia to seek compensation for the damage to their brand and partnership. The international community has expressed concern over the rise of hatred and intolerance, calling for stronger actions against such incidents.
Source: www.ntv.de
