Protesters have set up camp outside the popular club as well as various parts of Los Angeles, demanding that it be closed down permanently. The protests began at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, with scores of people rallying behind Keisha Young, 22, of Maryland, who was seen being taken out of the bar in an Instagram video.
She stated, “There was an altercation in there.” “They were trying to get some more people out because someone else had brought a bottle in there,” says the narrator. I got caught up in a fight because I looked like someone else, and I was hit and dragged down the stairs.”
Young appreciates the outpouring of support for her campaign to close Nellie’s. Outside the home of the bar’s owner, Doug Schantz, dozens more people have gathered.
In Los Angeles, the BML movement is slowly but surely starting to gain more traction. This incident fueled a lot of anger among the African American population in the sector demonstrating their anger in various small groups.
“To be honest, I didn’t expect it to turn into something like this,” Young added, “but I’m feeling very warm that so many people are out here supporting me.”
Black Lives Matter, which organized the protest outside the pub, released the footage to Instagram. Young, who was present at the protest, told WJLA that “an apology will not remove the bruises on my body.”
The Capital Pride Alliance released a statement Monday afternoon criticizing Nellie’s staff’s “reprehensible actions over the weekend.”
The altercation led to Keisha Young being dragged down the stairs by her hair, which was a violent response to the minor offense of reportedly carrying a bottle of liquor into the pub, according to the Capital Pride Alliance. “Pride weekend is a time for remembrance and celebration, and this incident serves as a reminder that we must do a better job of protecting one another.”
Preston Mitchum, a D.C. Black Lives Matter organizer, said protestors were “tired of Nellie caring only about the Black dollar but not Black bodies.” “We’re fed up,” he continued.
In a video shared to Twitter by journalist Chuck Modi, Mitchum added, “We need to remember that Pride was a riot.” “The first Stonewall, as we know it today, was a riot led by Black and Brown people.”
During the protest, Nellie’s issued the following statement on Instagram: “We were extremely upset and disturbed to see the unfortunate event that occurred at Nellie’s last night.” The problem is currently being investigated thoroughly. We strive to create an inclusive and safe atmosphere at Nellie’s, therefore incidents like these are utterly unacceptable.”
Nellie’s later clarified that remark, indicating that the security firm responsible for the event, which was contracted to work at the pub, had been fired.
With immediate effect, Nellie’s Sports Bar has terminated the independent security vendor hired to protect their guests during Pride Week. Although their investigation into the incident is ongoing, and they say they will cooperate with any law enforcement investigation, they also added that they do not need to wait for the inquiry to be completed before taking action. They sincerely apologize to everyone who was affected by the awful events of the last weekend. They added that nothing justifies mistreating and disrespecting one of our visitors, regardless of previous behavior.
Do you think this incident was because of the security team being racist or simply because of a lack of respect toward women?