A movie theater in Silver Spring, Maryland [Regal Cinemas Majestic Stadium, to be exact] had a seriously heightened security presence during the opening night of The Butler this weekend…as the majority of the audience was black.
A woman named Tiffany Flowers live tweeted the entire ordeal, explaining that the theater checked customers’ tickets twice before being met by a guard who told them where to sit.
But the police activity didn’t end there. Tiffany went on to add that armed guards faced the crowd while the film was being shown.
I’d like to take this time to express my utter disgust with @RegalMovies cinema in Silver Spring, MD. You all should stay away from here.
— Tiffany (@MsFlowersTweets) August 18, 2013
Tickets were double validated. First they get torn then upon entering the theater (10 FT. AWAY) we were asked for stubs again. @RegalMovies
— Tiffany (@MsFlowersTweets) August 18, 2013
Then as soon as we enter the theater we were greeted by an actual police officer who herded traffic in one direction. @RegalMovies
— Tiffany (@MsFlowersTweets) August 18, 2013
Once we get around the corner and start looking for seats we see yet another police office inside the theater facing patrons. @RegalMovies
— Tiffany (@MsFlowersTweets) August 18, 2013
The almost entirely black audience of #TheButler was subjected to watching the film while armed guards faced the audience. Why? @RegalMovies
— Tiffany (@MsFlowersTweets) August 18, 2013
After the social media backlash over the, well, racist situation, Russ Nunley, a representative from Regal, issued the following statement:
‘Regal Entertainment Group routinely employs security personnel to ensure the safety all of our guests and staff.
‘When a theater experiences sold out showings of any feature, security will assist with crowd control and guest assistance throughout the facility, including auditoriums
‘This weekend our Majestic theater experienced a tremendous guest response to the feature the ‘Lee Daniels’ The Butler’ such that additional showtimes were added to meet our guests demands.
‘At no time did local management receive any guest complaints or concerns about our security or staff, who worked diligently to meet all of our guests needs.
‘To the extent any guests were disappointed with their experience, we welcome the opportunity to address their concerns and provide them the best entertainment experience possible in their future visits to our theaters.’
But, on a more positive note, the film was in the number one spot at the box office this weekend, bringing in $25 million.
SOURCE: Daily Mail