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An Iraqi
Kurd and four Ethiopians tried to get into various
night spots in Oslo, with a journalist filming their
efforts.
Web site Utrop, a net portal for all ethnic
minorities in Norway, used a hidden camera to
document that four out of five clubs turned the
young men away on a variety of pretences.
The first place told them that the establishment was
hosting a private party, but several white
Norwegians entered without problem. Utrop's
journalist, a white girl of foreign extraction also
had no trouble getting in.
At a discotheque one of the Africans and the Iraqi
boy were stopped for being too poorly dressed. The
other two Africans tried a bit later and were
stopped for wearing running shoes. White guests,
less well dressed, were admitted without incident.
Utrop's editor, Majoran Vivekananthan, believes they
have clearly documented systematic discrimination.
"This is hair-raising. Especially second-generation
immigrants experience this kind of discriminatory
treatment," Vivekananthan said.
The Utrop project will form a test for a law passed
by parliament on Dec. 6. - that establishments can
lose their liquor license if they are found to have
discriminatory practices.
Ann Helen Aarø at SMED (Centre for Combating Ethnic
Discrimination) said that racial discrimination was
greatly underreported since people had little faith
that anything could be done, but the new law offers
a chance to change that.
"Now it just remains to be seen if the authorities
will use this law," Aarø said.
Aftenposten's Norwegian reporter
Ingrid Wærp
Aftenposten English Web Desk
Jonathan Tisdall
http://www.aftenposten.no
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