A viral video of a Karen harassing Black restaurant employees because she did not want to abide by the establishment’s policies has gained 4,900 views after being shared by The Activated Podcast (@theactivatedpod) on Twitter.
The woman’s episode devolves into a racist rant comparing COVID-19 policies to segregation after she and her boyfriend were asked to wear a mask at a Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles in Anaheim, California.
When she arrives to the restaurant without a mask, the Karen insists she is exempt from any mask requirement due to a medical condition, specifically post-traumatic stress disorder. She is informed by a hostess that she must either wear a mask or leave the establishment, which is where things took a turn.
“Under the 1964 Equal Rights Act, I demand equal access, and I will be calling the police,” the Karen says in the video.
She goes on to threaten a lawsuit against the hostess, who repeats that she is denying the Karen service.
The Activated Podcast shared screen grabs with the video of the woman’s alleged Instagram account and a post detailing her version of the incident. The Instagram account shown in the photo no longer exists, indicating the woman may have changed her handle or taken her account down.
“Manager Discriminates and Assaults,” the post begins. “Today my Boyfriend and I were discriminated and assaulted by [ a Roscoe’s] manager in Anaheim, California. No business has the right to refuse service based on religion, sex or orientation, race or medical status.”
Some users who watched the video felt the woman had trespassed on sacred ground—that the restaurant is for “good vibes only.”
Another video also shows the Karen bringing up the Equal Rights Act, stating segregation would have prevented the restaurant’s hostess from sharing a water fountain with her. Users took issue with this and pointed out that the circumstances are not an apples-to-apples comparison.
“She brought Black folks not being able to drink from a water fountain, as if Black folks were forced to do that because they didn’t wear masks,” they wrote.
To cap off her rant, the Karen called the employees “fucking r*tards.” The Activated Pod shared other tweets claiming the Karen had participated in right-wing protests in front of Wi Spa in Los Angeles earlier this year.
According to posts shared on the now-defunct Instagram account, a protest has been set for Sept. 25 in relation to the videos.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles regarding the incident.
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