New York bar declares itself 'autonomous zone' to skirt COVID-19 restrictions - Owners of Mac's Public House are defying orders intended to slow the virus.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/york-bar-...source_4380645_2_heads_hero_live_hero_related (https://archive.md/KkQK5)

Bucking government-imposed COVID-19 restrictions, the owners of a bar in a virus hot spot of New York City said they've declared their watering hole an "autonomous zone" offering food and booze on the house, but asking visitors for tips and telling authorities they're not welcome.

After being stripped of their liquor license and fined $1,000 a day by the New York City Sheriff's Office for flouting rules enacted to blunt an alarming second wave of the deadly virus, Keith McAlarney and Danny Presti, the owners of Mac's Public House in the city's Staten Island borough, believe their self-proclamation makes them immune from Gov. Andrew Cuomo's executive order.

"We're still doing things in a safe way. We're still open," Presti said in a YouTube video briefing patrons on the tavern's status.

Mac's Public House is located in an area deemed by Cuomo to be a virus-risky "orange zone" after the Staten Island positive-testing rate climbed to 4.15% last week. Under "orange zone" restrictions, indoor dining is prohibited and outdoor dining is restricted to tables of four customers or fewer.

Reached by phone on Monday morning by ABC News, McAlarney said that he and his partner had no comment.

In the YouTube video he posted on Friday, Presti said he and McAlarney have no intention of abiding by the rules or paying fines levied against them. They've also removed cease-and-desist notices slapped on their windows by the state Health Department.

The proprietors, who opened their bar a year ago after conducting major renovations on the space, have also painted an orange square on the sidewalk outside the tavern's door that includes the words "autonomous zone," a phrase similar to the one used by activists in Seattle who established a law enforcement-free area during recent protests over police brutality.

"We refuse to abide by any rules and regulations put forth by the Mayor of NYC and the Governor of NY State," reads a sign posted in the bar's front window.

The owners continued to invite patrons inside over the weekend to imbibe and eat, ABC's New York station WABC-TV and other news media outlets reported.

"It doesn't seem like we can do business," Presti said in the video. "So here's what we're going to do for everybody: We're going to give away everything for free. So now you can come to Mac's Public House, and you can eat for free and you can drink for free. We just ask that you do make a donation toward us so that we can still pay our bills."

 

[5t3n0g0ph3r]

Here we go, again....

 

[Damocles_Sword]

Inb4 the governor takes Trump up on his offer to send in the marines.

 

[Frostnipped Todger]

God bless them.
I think it'll end badly, but they might be covered by the "peaceable assembly" part of the first amendment. Just depends if they can afford to go to court.

 

[Vecr]

God bless them.
I think it'll end badly, but they might be covered by the "peaceable assembly" part of the first amendment. Just depends if they can afford to go to court.

Probably not, the 21st amendment gives states and localities more than usual power regulating alcohol.

 

[DrunkenDozing]

Pfft. Unless theres an Instagram celebrity declaring himself warlords, homeless men annexing gardens and like 6 niggers who have nothing to do with anything getting shot, is it even really an autonomous zone?

 

[Iron Hamster]

Heroic, but I don’t think this is going to end well for them unless they have some officials in their pockets.

Curious to see if he pays sales tax since his license was taken. Flip side is does he still have biz insurance without a license.

 

[Oh Long Johnson]

Is my beer being detained?

 

[Cilleystring]

Democrats shocked people need income to take care of themselves.

You don't need income to survive if you just believe in social justice. Recite the mantra, say the magic phrases, be a true believer and social justice santa will spread economic joy on Christmas

 

[Looney Troons]

The co-owner of the bar was taken away in cuffs and neighboring restaurant owners protest.

Mac’s Public House owner taken away in handcuffs as business protests dining mandates

Scene unfolds outside of Grant City tavern that defied governor and city dine-in ban

www.silive.com

Spoiler

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — An owner of Mac’s Public House of Grant City was led away in handcuffs by City Sheriff’s Department officers Tuesday night as various agencies descended on the tavern.

The action was in response to the owners ignoring the state and city mandates to abandon indoor dining during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Five officers from the Sherrif’s office stood outside Mac’s Public House as Danny Presti was taken away in handcuffs by sheriffs at 7:15 p.m. He and Keith McAlarney own the Grant City tavern.

State Sen. Andrew Lanza was also on the scene. He delivered a speech to the crowd, which included dozens of restaurant owners from across the Island who came to show McAlarney and Presti their support.

“This order simply says that they need to cease and desist,’' Lanza told officers at the scene after thumbing through a multi-page order. “Nowhere here is there an arrest warrant, nowhere here is anything about arresting anyone on their private property. So I’ll ask, [and] you don’t have to answer … why was he arrested? I was told you would tell me why he was arrested and now I’m asking for that answer.”

When the crowd began to shout at the officers, Lanza asked for calm.

“I understand that we feel very strongly about this,’' he told the crowd. “I feel as strongly as you, I assure you. But by speaking loudly it gives people an excuse not to answer us. So, let’s not give them the excuse. If they don’t want to answer, they don’t have to answer. We respect law enforcement on Staten Island like no other borough. “


Mac’s falls into the orange zone, where indoor dining is illegal. Despite summonses from the State Liquor Authority (SLA) and the state health commissioner’s office, the restaurant owners continued to serve food and beverages. Although it was given away for free to patrons, the law does not permit service during the pandemic, per Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s mandate.

“We urge our friends in the restaurant industry to be as resilient as possible while we appeal this decision,” attorney Mark Fonte, who was not present at the scene, later told the Advance. He, with Lou Gelormino, represents the tavern in its battle against the state and city. Gelormino was inside the business as officers handed out summonses. He himself received one as well for $5,000, as he was deemed an employee of the business when sheriffs arrived on the scene.

“From what I understand, he’s arrested because he didn’t want to leave [his business], and at that point … they considered it trespassing,’' Gelormino said. “I’d like to know why his attorney got three summonses for just being there and being peaceful and respectful and calm, and every one of these officers can attest to that.”

When asked where his client was, Gelormino responded, “He’s on his way to the Sheriff’s Office right now, where, they assured me … they’re gonna issue him a desk-appearance ticket and release him, for criminal trespass because he wouldn’t leave his own establishment.”

“These sheriff’s officers are ‘wannabe’ cops,” Fonte told the Advance. “This is what happens when little people get a little power. Each one of them will have to answer to a federal judge. The issuing of summonses to an attorney for representing his client will not be dealt with lightly. I would advise the issuing sheriff to lawyer up immediately.”

Artist and political activist Scott LoBaido was also on the scene. Some onlookers appeared agitated by the events.

“The COVID is bull****!” one man shouted in front of the restaurant.

Lanza took a more courteous approach with the officers. “We respect you, every single one of you,” he said. “But we also have questions … as American citizens. You just took out one of our constituents, one of our neighbors, a business owner, in handcuffs. I asked why…this piece of paper does not authorize an arrest. If there was some other reason why you arrested him, I’d like to know what that is.

Since Mac’s Public House took a solid stance on Nov. 20 to continue indoor dining in the pandemic, a myriad of agencies clamped down on the tavern. The establishment is still open for service indoors despite its orange zone designation — and still serving food and beverages.


“If you come into Mac’s, it’s free,” McAlarney told the Advance.

He added, “If you wish to make a donation that’s great. If you decide to stay that’s even better!”

Last week, New York state issued a Section 16 Order from Health Commissioner Dr. Howard A. Zucker directing Mac’s to follow the Executive Orders. Failure to abide by the law can result in fines up to $10,000 per day. Additionally, the SLAsuspended its liquor license on Nov. 27 by unanimous vote, as it found continued operation threatened public health and safety.

A spokesman for the SLA had issued a statement on behalf of the state earlier in the week. He said that free product is not a “loophole,” that a license was needed to serve booze.

“COVID-19 doesn’t respect autonomous zones, and neither does the sheriff. There are consequences for endangering your neighbors in a pandemic,” Mitch Schwartz, director of rapid response and deputy press secretary for the mayor’s office, told the Advance.


“Restaurant people work hard each and every day pre-COVID and during COVID to keep our customers safe while dining in our establishment,” said a borough restaurant owner about the state of the food industry. He added, “Now, more than ever, it’s all risk and no reward.”

Lanza continued to demand an explanation for the apparent arrests. “So I see that you have the power to arrest people who are sitting in their own establishment, on private property,’' he said. “Stick around. Here on Staten Island, we like law and order, but what I just saw here … it really deserves an explanation. Because it really confounds all of us here. ... I can tell you, as an attorney, this piece of paper did not authorize what you did here.

“…At some point, somebody’s gonna to have to answer for what happened here. Because this is wrong.”

 

[kcbbq]

Criminal trespass on your own property? Wtf

 

[Slimy Time]

Criminal trespass on your own property? Wtf

It's not "your" property in New York, this is commieland, it's "our property", we just giving you the right to live there. The pigs that follow that fag Cuomo's orders should hang.

Edit: It was the sheriffs apparently, that's not surprising then given how many officers turned their back on Cuomo for the bullshit he pulled with BLM.

“These sheriff’s officers are ‘wannabe’ cops,” Fonte told the Advance. “This is what happens when little people get a little power. Each one of them will have to answer to a federal judge. The issuing of summonses to an attorney for representing his client will not be dealt with lightly. I would advise the issuing sheriff to lawyer up immediately.”

Fighting words, hope it pans out, though given that arsewipe's reaction to being btfo in the Supreme Court I am not optimistic.

 

[NerdShamer]

Criminal trespass on your own property? Wtf

I feel the same, but it's probably an commercial property for rent.

 

[Not a fake name]

I feel the same, but it's probably an commercial property for rent.

That doesn’t really matter, as long he hasn’t been evicted from it it’s still his to be in.
In a normal state he’d have the mother of all lawsuits against the city for civil rights violations, but this is New York they will probably double down and reinstate the death penalty for him.

 

[Vyse Inglebard]

The co-owner of the bar was taken away in cuffs and neighboring restaurant owners protest.

Mac’s Public House owner taken away in handcuffs as business protests dining mandates

Scene unfolds outside of Grant City tavern that defied governor and city dine-in ban

www.silive.com

Spoiler

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — An owner of Mac’s Public House of Grant City was led away in handcuffs by City Sheriff’s Department officers Tuesday night as various agencies descended on the tavern.

The action was in response to the owners ignoring the state and city mandates to abandon indoor dining during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Five officers from the Sherrif’s office stood outside Mac’s Public House as Danny Presti was taken away in handcuffs by sheriffs at 7:15 p.m. He and Keith McAlarney own the Grant City tavern.

State Sen. Andrew Lanza was also on the scene. He delivered a speech to the crowd, which included dozens of restaurant owners from across the Island who came to show McAlarney and Presti their support.

“This order simply says that they need to cease and desist,’' Lanza told officers at the scene after thumbing through a multi-page order. “Nowhere here is there an arrest warrant, nowhere here is anything about arresting anyone on their private property. So I’ll ask, [and] you don’t have to answer … why was he arrested? I was told you would tell me why he was arrested and now I’m asking for that answer.”

When the crowd began to shout at the officers, Lanza asked for calm.

“I understand that we feel very strongly about this,’' he told the crowd. “I feel as strongly as you, I assure you. But by speaking loudly it gives people an excuse not to answer us. So, let’s not give them the excuse. If they don’t want to answer, they don’t have to answer. We respect law enforcement on Staten Island like no other borough. “


Mac’s falls into the orange zone, where indoor dining is illegal. Despite summonses from the State Liquor Authority (SLA) and the state health commissioner’s office, the restaurant owners continued to serve food and beverages. Although it was given away for free to patrons, the law does not permit service during the pandemic, per Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s mandate.

“We urge our friends in the restaurant industry to be as resilient as possible while we appeal this decision,” attorney Mark Fonte, who was not present at the scene, later told the Advance. He, with Lou Gelormino, represents the tavern in its battle against the state and city. Gelormino was inside the business as officers handed out summonses. He himself received one as well for $5,000, as he was deemed an employee of the business when sheriffs arrived on the scene.

“From what I understand, he’s arrested because he didn’t want to leave [his business], and at that point … they considered it trespassing,’' Gelormino said. “I’d like to know why his attorney got three summonses for just being there and being peaceful and respectful and calm, and every one of these officers can attest to that.”

When asked where his client was, Gelormino responded, “He’s on his way to the Sheriff’s Office right now, where, they assured me … they’re gonna issue him a desk-appearance ticket and release him, for criminal trespass because he wouldn’t leave his own establishment.”

“These sheriff’s officers are ‘wannabe’ cops,” Fonte told the Advance. “This is what happens when little people get a little power. Each one of them will have to answer to a federal judge. The issuing of summonses to an attorney for representing his client will not be dealt with lightly. I would advise the issuing sheriff to lawyer up immediately.”

Artist and political activist Scott LoBaido was also on the scene. Some onlookers appeared agitated by the events.

“The COVID is bull****!” one man shouted in front of the restaurant.

Lanza took a more courteous approach with the officers. “We respect you, every single one of you,” he said. “But we also have questions … as American citizens. You just took out one of our constituents, one of our neighbors, a business owner, in handcuffs. I asked why…this piece of paper does not authorize an arrest. If there was some other reason why you arrested him, I’d like to know what that is.

Since Mac’s Public House took a solid stance on Nov. 20 to continue indoor dining in the pandemic, a myriad of agencies clamped down on the tavern. The establishment is still open for service indoors despite its orange zone designation — and still serving food and beverages.


“If you come into Mac’s, it’s free,” McAlarney told the Advance.

He added, “If you wish to make a donation that’s great. If you decide to stay that’s even better!”

Last week, New York state issued a Section 16 Order from Health Commissioner Dr. Howard A. Zucker directing Mac’s to follow the Executive Orders. Failure to abide by the law can result in fines up to $10,000 per day. Additionally, the SLAsuspended its liquor license on Nov. 27 by unanimous vote, as it found continued operation threatened public health and safety.

A spokesman for the SLA had issued a statement on behalf of the state earlier in the week. He said that free product is not a “loophole,” that a license was needed to serve booze.

“COVID-19 doesn’t respect autonomous zones, and neither does the sheriff. There are consequences for endangering your neighbors in a pandemic,” Mitch Schwartz, director of rapid response and deputy press secretary for the mayor’s office, told the Advance.


“Restaurant people work hard each and every day pre-COVID and during COVID to keep our customers safe while dining in our establishment,” said a borough restaurant owner about the state of the food industry. He added, “Now, more than ever, it’s all risk and no reward.”

Lanza continued to demand an explanation for the apparent arrests. “So I see that you have the power to arrest people who are sitting in their own establishment, on private property,’' he said. “Stick around. Here on Staten Island, we like law and order, but what I just saw here … it really deserves an explanation. Because it really confounds all of us here. ... I can tell you, as an attorney, this piece of paper did not authorize what you did here.

“…At some point, somebody’s gonna to have to answer for what happened here. Because this is wrong.”

The elite assholes are pissed that the proletariat is using their tactics against them. Fuck them all. Hope the bar owner sees justice when all this is over, but I doubt it, considering it's fucking New York.

 

[FuckedUp]

I'm not surprised at all that they went after the bar, but at least between that and the BBQ place in Canada, it seems it's not killing off the "momentum" like it did before when it basically got everyone back into reluctant submission.

 

[Xarpho]

The co-owner of the bar was taken away in cuffs and neighboring restaurant owners protest.

Mac’s Public House owner taken away in handcuffs as business protests dining mandates

Scene unfolds outside of Grant City tavern that defied governor and city dine-in ban

www.silive.com

I'd bet money that the person arrested knew EXACTLY what happened and wanted to get arrested to make himself a martyr. Mission accomplished?

 

[Snekposter]

I'd bet money that the person arrested knew EXACTLY what happened and wanted to get arrested to make himself a martyr. Mission accomplished?

To be fair, that's how civil rights shit gets done. Someone steps up and takes the hit to show just how brutal people are willing to be to enforce their rule. Its why the cops were so fucking brutal toward MLK and his marchers. They deliberately picked cities and towns with the most racist, asshole cops they could find, and let themselves get caught on TV being attacked by hounds and sprayed with water cannons just to show what assholes were in charge of things. Were they antagonizing matters? Sure, but if you can't fight back to a bully since everyone's backing him (you know, like how Cuomo and de Blasio have the whole authority, legal or otherwise of NY behind them), all you can do is let yourself get beaten to a pulp in public view in the schoolyard and hope people no longer look the other way when he does things now that he's shown his true colors.

 

[ConfederateIrishman]

Nothing will happen; He will go to jail and ultimately achieve nothing except accelerate his life away.

Any sort of passive resistence only works with a sympathetic media and a State with at least some scruples instead of none.

 

[Afinepickle]

I'm oddly enough perfectly okay with this.

Just a shame it'll amount to absolutely fuckall.

 

[AnotherPleb]

I'm not surprised at all that they went after the bar, but at least between that and the BBQ place in Canada, it seems it's not killing off the "momentum" like it did before when it basically got everyone back into reluctant submission.

Business owners went with it begrudgingly the first time since they were told it'd only be two weeks. After a near year of state-enforced economic suicide businesses that were just barely hanging on aren't wanting to do it all over again.