Nationwide — McDonald’s has been under fire after one of it’s locations in Guangzhou, China reportedly began banning Black customers from entering the restaurant in response to a myth that all African immigrants were infected. The fast food giant has since issued an apology statement in connection to the incident.
A video showing a sign posted at the door of a McDonald’s in Guangzhou that read “From now on, Black people are not allowed to enter the restaurant” has surfaced on social media.
McDonald’s Corporation issued a statement saying the sign, which has since been removed, is “not representative of our inclusive values.” The location was also temporarily closed to “further educate managers and employees on our values, which includes serving all members of the communities in which we operate,” the statement added.
Guangzhou is known to have the largest African community in China. In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, racial tensions have sparked between Africans and the locals. Africans have been allegedly targeted even though they do not have recent travel history or known contact with COVID-19 patients.
Meanwhile, the recent heated racial tensions prompted the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou to advise African Americans “to avoid the Guangzhou metropolitan area until further notice.”