Top celebrities of Hollywood boycott Royal on the Park hotel in Brisbane owned by the Sultan of Brunei!
Brisbane’s Hotel Royal on the Park is owned by the Sultan of Brunei. Hollywood celebrities who used to love to stay at the hotel previously have now called for a boycott of it! What could be the reason? Read on for it!
Royal on the Park Hotel faces a boycott
It is one of the top Aussie hotels situated in Brisbane. Named Royal on the Park, the Sultan of Brunei owns it. It was the favorite hotel of Elton John.
Other modern-day celebrities used to also frequent it but now they have called for a boycott of the place. The celebrities who asked people to stop booking rooms at this destination hotel are George Clooney, Ellen Degeneres, and Elton John himself.
The reason for the boycott of Hotel Royal on The Park.
The Sultan of Brunei’s conservative party has brought in several new laws in the country. These include stoning people for gay sex. Since Brunei Sultan owns this hotel, the celebrities are expressing their protest against the Draconian laws of the Sultan and his government by boycotting his hotel.
The Sultan also owns similar properties in Beverly Hills (Beverly Hills Hotel) and London (Dorchester). The top celebrities have called for a total boycott of all these properties.
In London, Dorchester has already faced the heat of its guests and many vowed not to return to the hotel. Many people protested in front of the hotel and hence the hotel personnel stationed security men at the entrance as a preventive measure.
Royal on the Park had put on its Facebook that Elton had stayed there in the 1980s but due to the protests, it has pulled down this post.
What do celebrities say?
The famous Hollywood actor George Clooney said:
“Every single time we stay at, or take meetings at or dine at any of these hotels we are putting money directly into the pockets of men who choose to stone and whip to death their own citizens for being gay or accused of adultery.”
Elton John tweeted:
“‘I commend my friend, #GeorgeClooney, for taking a stand against the anti-gay discrimination and bigotry taking place in the nation of #Brunei — a place where gay people re brutalized, or worse — by boycotting the Sultan’s hotels.”
The TV host Ellen also wrote:
“Tomorrow, the country of Brunei will start stoning gay people to death.”
“We need to do something now. Please boycott these hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei. Raise your voices now. Spread the word. Rise up.”
The protesters have formed a group called Boycott Brunei in Australia.
But Boy George is against this boycott. He tweeted:
“The problem with boycotting Sultan owned hotels is you are further attacking the LGBTQI people who work in these places!”
Boycott Brunei in Australia disagrees. Its spokesperson said:
“George is right: a hotel boycott might cause some LGBT workers to have their shifts cut or in extreme cases, even lose their jobs.”
“But that pales in comparison to people in Brunei having rocks thrown at them until they’re nothing but a bloody pulp.”
To protest against Brunei’s death penalty for homosexuality, adultery, blasphemy, and apostasy, the Boycott Brunei in Australia group will be holding a protest outside the Brisbane hotel this weekend.
Source: Who
