Melbourne Karen Refuses To Wear Mask At Bunnings, Films Self Yelling At Staff About Human Rights
"You're in breach of the 1948 charter of human rights to discriminate against men and women", she says, referencing a UN declaration created to prevent future genocides.
A Melbourne woman has uploaded a video where she enters a Bunnings store without a mask and accosting staff who ask her to leave, calling it an act of “discrimination” that ‘breaches the 1948 charter of human rights’.
In the video, which went around on Twitter on Sunday afternoon after user @sexenheimer shared it, the woman enters a Bunning store without a mask — a direct violation of current laws in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell shire, unless you have a legal/medical reason to not wear one.
This woman’s reason was legalise gibberish you might find across private Facebook groups, aka not a legitimate reason at all.
“You’re not authorised by the Australian government to even ask me about it”, she continually repeats as staff members, including the manager, tell her to leave the store if she doesn’t wear a face mask.
When told it’s a condition of entry to enter the store, she responds by saying it’s “unlawful” and “in breach of the 1948 charter of human rights to discriminate against men and women”.
I wonder if a Bunnings team member might be able to tell me in which aisle I'll find the Magna Carta?
— Terry Sweetman (@Terrytoo69) July 26, 2020
She is seemingly refering to article seven: “All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.”
Call me a prescriptivist, but the UN was probably more concerned with outlawing the human rights abuses that led to a world war and genocide. Who’s to say!
Dear Karen’s of Melbourne,
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was created to protect people from persecution, torture, genocide and oppression.
Not so you could endanger the health & safety of staff at my local Bunnings by refusing to wear a mask.
— Kon Karapanagiotidis (@Kon__K) July 26, 2020
In a follow-up video, the woman films police who are arresting her. She also argues with them, and says he will charge the officer with an illegal arrest with a weapon, which according to her is extra illegal because he had a weapon and she didn’t.
To be clear, while Bunnings can’t force a customer to wear a mask, they can refuse service and ask the person to leave, given it’s private property. HIV activist Paul Kidd has tweeted a solid breakdown of the woman’s very shaky legal argument if you’d like to read more.
Another video has emerged where the woman — dubbed Karen online — yells at some Australia Post workers in a similar confrontation.
Gonna get very interesting when the counter-lawsuits start & #bunnings employees start suing these un-masked lone rangers. Poor staff just trying to do their jobs.The selfishness is gobsmacking. Honestly, beyond minor inconvenience what’s the prob with wearing a mask? ? https://t.co/x8P9cVo9Qn
— Magda Szubanski AO (@MagdaSzubanski) July 26, 2020
In response to the video, Bunnings chief operating officer Deb Poole called the behaviour “completely unacceptable”, and that they wouldn’t “tolerate abuse against our team members” (via News.com.au).
The video has also been slammed by Victorian premier Dan Andrews, who had absolutely no time for it.
“This is not about human rights, there’s 10 families that are going to be burying someone in the next few days. Wear a mask, it’s not too much to ask,” he said when asked about the video during a Sunday press conference
“And what’s more, the nurse who will be treating you or a loved one they’ll be wearing a mask so you wear one to prevent that nurse from having to treat more patients.
“It can’t get any more serious than that, that 10 families are currently planning funerals and the youngest among them, they’ve lost someone in their forties.”
Twitter, meanwhile, has, of course, torn this woman apart via dumb jokes, including a spoof of a Bunnings ad that spruiks their priceless tolerant staff “who put up with your bullshit”.
I wonder if a Bunnings team member might be able to tell me in which aisle I'll find the Magna Carta?
— Terry Sweetman (@Terrytoo69) July 26, 2020
Does anyone have a favourite passage from the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights? Mine is the bit about not having to wear a face mask at Bunnings. #COVIDIDIOTS
— lehmo23 (@lehmo23) July 26, 2020
Bunnings' new ad is on point #covidiots #bunnings #karenfrombunnings pic.twitter.com/XkgdgCHODM
— Social Kris-tancing (@DesignedToFade) July 26, 2020
Find the videos below.
Qaren doesn’t believe in being arrested. pic.twitter.com/mmNsxwILOX
— cam smith (@sexenheimer) July 26, 2020
— cam smith (@sexenheimer) July 26, 2020
— cam smith (@sexenheimer) July 26, 2020