Bristol's Race Equality Commission calls gin firm tweet 'racist'

The firm apologised for the advert earlier this week

A tweet by a gin company has been called "racist" by Bristol's Commission for Race Equality, after the firm posted a "looting and shooting" advert.

Bristol Dry Gin tweeted its "high flammability" gin had been "voted No 1 by rioters", amid protests in the US over the death of George Floyd.

The firm apologised, but Bristol's Commission on Race Equality (CORE) said it did not accept the apology.

Bristol Dry Gin has been approached by the BBC for a comment.

Last week the company said it was sorry for the "insensitive tweet" and insisted "it was not a calculated publicity stunt".

It said the tweet was a "misjudged attempt to make a joke".

But Bristol's CORE said it "condemned" the company for "racist stereotyping and incitement to violence".

'Denigrating and demeaning'

The organisation was set up in 2018 by Bristol's elected mayor Marvin Rees to look at race and ethnicity discrimination in the city.

In a statement it said the firm "chose to hijack the movement for racial justice and equality by tweeting a message inciting the worst kind of violence whilst stereotyping our communities as 'rioters' and denigrating and demeaning all those who wish to exercise their right to protest in support of our black and Asian citizens."

"All this just to promote their brand of gin," the statement added.

Bristol's CORE said it "strongly and unequivocally condemns this racist, cynical and outrageous attempt to gain from the suffering of others, particularly at this highly sensitive time in both local and global terms".

"We do not accept that this was a mistake," it added.

"We do not accept their subsequent apology, again tweeted, and including a reference to the brand they wish to sell."

The statement added the company had "exposed their true nature and/or ignorance" and it had "also stained the reputation of their home, Bristol".