Ari Lennox Arrested: Singer Says Amsterdam Security ‘Hates Black People’

In Summary

R&B singer Ari Lennox was arrested in Amsterdam on Monday following an incident in which she says she was racially profiled at the airport.

Dreamville artist Ari Lennox ran into some trouble over the weekend after she was reportedly arrested at Amsterdam Schiphol airport for disturbing public order, per Reuters

In a series of tweets, Lennox briefly detailed the arrest, which she says came after she reacted to being racially profiled. 

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“I’m being arrested in Amsterdam for reacting to a woman racially profiling me,” Lennox tweeted early on Monday. “F— Amsterdam security. They hate black people.” 

Lennox added she wanted to go home and was never going to leave again. 

Despite Lennox’s claims, Dutch military police, who are in charge of security at the airport, said the R&B singer was detained for her violent behavior toward an airline official, as well as public intoxication. 

“Our unit found a woman full of emotions that wouldn’t calm down,” police spokesperson Robert van Kapel told Reuters. “That’s why she had to be taken into custody.” 

Lennox’s last tweet was sent at 4:36 a.m. PST, and it’s unknown how long she’ll be held, as police are also looking into reports that she made threats during the altercation. 

Following news of Lennox’s arrest, people across social media began sending out “reminders” of how dangerous it is to be Black, especially in Europe. And it’s not the first time a musician has found themselves in potential legal trouble while traveling abroad. 

Rapper A$AP Rocky was detained in Sweden in July 2019 after a brawl on the street near the Max Burger restaurant involving his crew, BBC News previously reported. He was in the country for the Smash festival at the time. 

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Rocky, Bladimir Corniel and David Rispers were all arrested and charged with aggravated assault. With the intervention of former President Donald Trump, they were released a few weeks later, just before their trial began. 

A year before Rocky’s ordeal, rapper G-Eazy was arrested in Sweden for assault and drug possession. After lunging towards security during an attack on a fan and being found with around 1.5 ounces of cocaine, he was spared jail time and settled for a $9,000 fine and restitution. 

The rapper claimed “white privilege” kept him from facing the same legal troubles as Rocky, as reported by PageSix

“This is the sad truth … The difference between me and Rocky’s treatment in Sweden brings to mind two concepts that disgustingly go hand in hand: white privilege and systemic racism,” G-Eazy said at the time. “Let’s call it what it is. He should not be behind bars right now.” 

Plainclothes officers detected a “strong smell of cannabis” from the vehicle Lil Baby was driving during Paris Fashion Week in July, and he was arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking. The incident, which resulted in the rapper receiving a fine for drug usage, also made him realize he needs to get “bigger overseas” so police could at least know who he is, per Revolt TV

Racism has long been part of the history in Europe. According to Isil Gachet, the executive secretary of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), the issues are increasingly at the center of political and societal concerns. 

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In a United Nations article titled Combating Racism and Racial Discrimination in Europe, Gachet stated the Council of Europe Member States have been taking firm and sustained action for several years to combat these trends, which include racism and racial discrimination in employment, education, housing, and access to social services; hostile attitudes toward and stigmatization of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers; and intensification of expressions of xenophobia.

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