BLM, NJNP protest Nellie's Sports Bar after Black woman beaten by security

Video-Chuck Modi's interviews at the protest, and Nee Nee Tay's video of the violent assault by security 3 min 43 sec

More: Chuck Modi's video of police assaulting protesters at Nellie's Sports Bar 53 sec

On the evening of the June 12 main Pride events, security at so-called Gay bar Nellie's Sports Bar claimed to see a Black woman drink an outside beverage. They responded by brutally dragging her down the stairs by her hair-as a camera rolled. One patron intervened against the security thugs. The next day, protesters showed up at Nellies vowing to shut them down. They too faced violence, at the hands of MPD thug "Officer" S. Riley. That too was on video, caught by DC's own Chuck Modi. Despite the police violence, this protest which began in the evening with less than 3 hours notice continued well into the night.

The violent assault captured on camera looked like something that would have been expected to happen at Harry's Bar in Dec 2020, not Nellies or any other claimed GLBTQ establishment at any time. Even at Harrys however the staff did not partake in the violence, and in the end, Harry's kicked out the fascists. It's time for Nellies to do the same, the fascists in question being their "security" company.

One protester on June 13 said "you could smell the slavery" even before this incident. Another reminded everyone that "Stonewall was a riot" which is of course true. Stonewall was the defeat by physical force of a vice squad raid on an NYC Gay Bar (the Stonewall Inn) on June 28, 1969 with fighting continuing for days after. It marked the end of police impunity in harassing most GLBTQ folks the way women working the sex industry are still harassed.

Three years ago,Nellie's Sports Bar went so far as to fly a Thin Blue Line (aka Blue Lives Matter) flag during police week. That was quite incompatable with the message of Stonewall, and they have published an "apology" in the Washington Blade for that flag. Now they display a Black Lives Matter sign on their building while beating a Black woman and dragging her down the stairs inside. Thus, Nellies just got their first but probably not their last noisy protest.