The NYC murder rate is skyrocketing because cops have been defunded, but THIS is the hill the authorities have chosen to take a stand on.
Restaurants are open literally a block and a half down the street from where this guy’s restaurant is under lockdown.
Three guesses about the political leanings of either side of that line.
When the law is an ass and appears to lack legitimacy, free people rebel against them. That’s what was happening here.
If enough people all decided to go back to work, to hell with what some pencil-pushing gnome in a government office building thought about it, there’d be nothing the government could do to stop it.
One guy, Danny Presti owner of Mac’s Public House, drew his own line in the sand. What happened next was straight-up entrapment.
The bar has been fined thousands of dollars as it continued to serve patrons inside and to operate past the 10 p.m. curfew for restaurant service that Cuomo imposed citywide.
According to a release from Sheriff Joseph Fucito, plainclothes deputies went inside Tuesday and ordered food in exchange for a mandatory $40 “donation.” Uniformed deputies went in then and issued tickets for state and city violations.
Presti, 34, was uncooperative and was charged with obstruction of governmental administration in addition to the charges stemming from unauthorized food and beverage service, the sheriff said.
Lou Gelormino, an attorney who represents the tavern in its battle against the state and city, was there during the bust and was also ticketed. Gelormino told the Staten Island Advance that Presti was arrested because he didn’t want to leave his business “and at that point … they considered it trespassing.” –APNews
Here’s what went down.
What did the protest look like from above?
Like this.
Sheriffs temporarily moved onto the protesters who appeared to be dancing on Sheriff’s car ram rack, they soon after retreated.
Protest still continues now outside of Mac’s Public House, Staten Island bar shut down after being declared Autonomous Zone.Desk@scootercaster.com pic.twitter.com/nHPmrA76bE
— @SCOOTERCASTER (FNTV) (@ScooterCasterNY) December 3, 2020
Want to know more about the incident? Here’s a longer interview:
The Bar Owner whose video arrest went viral just last night is out and talking with @HarrisFaulkner . Danny Presti says he had to defy COVID-19 restrictions to save his business. Normally we don’t tweet an entire interview but watch this: pic.twitter.com/0z7qyX60A7
— Outnumbered Overtime (@OutnumberedOT) December 2, 2020
When cops arrested him, he didn’t argue, resist, or raise his voice. He complied with police, accepted his charges, and plans to deal with them in court.
The protest was similarly peaceful. Nobody got hurt. Nothing got burned down.
The Bar Owner whose video arrest went viral just last night is out and talking with @HarrisFaulkner . Danny Presti says he had to defy COVID-19 restrictions to save his business. Normally we don’t tweet an entire interview but watch this: pic.twitter.com/0z7qyX60A7
— Outnumbered Overtime (@OutnumberedOT) December 2, 2020
It was just a simple patriotic expression of belief that elected officials have limits to their official powers and this crowd will not stand idly by if they see capricious leaders abuse that authority at the expense of personal rights — including the right for a citizen to earn a living.
