Lisa Wilkinson slams Bunnings anti-mask shopper
Lisa Wilkinson has slammed the “Karen” who went viral for refusing to wear a mask inside a Bunnings store in Victoria and praised Bunnings staff for being “extraordinary, professional and polite” in the face of a pandemic denier.
Wilkinson’s comments came after an interview on the Sunday Project where a leading epidemiologist said face mask deniers like “Karen” who berated Bunnings workers for enforcing the rule should have their “oxygen” cut off.
The woman who has been titled “Bunnings Karen” on social media, threatened a lawsuit against the store and was handcuffed by police for a brief moment as she claimed her human rights were being violated.
After watching the clip, Wilkinson replied: “You can only shake your head”, while describing the situation as “a waste of time and energy”.
“Most of us have seen that footage of the pandemic denier having a very strong discussion — mostly on her side — with the staff at Bunnings.
“We have to say first up, those staff at Bunnings were extraordinary. They were patient, polite, they were professional, they never lost focus the whole time”.
Chief Operating Officer for Bunnings Deb Poole said the customer’s behaviour was “completely unacceptable” and that the safety of staff and other fellow shoppers was their highest priority.
“We won’t tolerate abuse against our team members and we have security at all metro Melbourne and Mitchell Shire stores as support,” she said.
Wilkinson offered advice over Australian law to those faced with deniers like “Karen”.
“Australian law says that private land owners or occupiers can take reasonable steps to protect themselves, their employees and people on their property.
“So it would be legal for business including cafes and supermarkets to make it a condition of entry that customers wear a mask and sanitise their hands.
“End of story. They have every right”.
The so-called “Bunnings Karen” confrontation occurred at Narre Warren Bunnings store in southeastern Melbourne on Friday, and video of it was posted on Facebook and Twitter on Sunday.