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New York bar declares itself 'autonomous zone' to skirt COVID-19 restrictions

nahmus

nahmus

Refugee from syrup
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First autonomous zone I agree with.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/york-bar-declares-autonomous-zone-skirt-covid-19/story?id=74460052

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.




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ABC7
Mac's Public House on Staten Island, New York.






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.

MORE: New Jersey gym owners arrested after repeatedly defying COVID shutdown orders

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."
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that's awesome.

free food and drink, autonomous democratic authority, give those authoritarian commies some of their own medicine :rasta:

now they just need to burn down their neighbors buildings and move the homeless into the street out front to complete the look
 
"After being stripped of their liquor license and fined $1,000 a day by the New York City Sheriff's Office"


And people still think the police would be on our side...shakes head.
 
Problems like this arise because the police commissioner is an appointed position of the mayor. He needs to be an elected official like a sheriff so he has the ability to tell the mayor and governor to fuck off.
 
Rockbuggy84 said:
They’ll send a bunch of people in to eat and drink and leave without a “donation” to exhaust their funds.
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i think they will get enough people who leave substantial tips to offset it for a while.

what happens when restrictions are lifted and they still don't have a lic to operate, that will be the real dealio
 
Provience said:
i think they will get enough people who leave substantial tips to offset it for a while.

what happens when restrictions are lifted and they still don't have a lic to operate, that will be the real dealio
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Just begin peacefully protesting and complain that the government doesnt have enough community outreach programs. And had they had these necessary programs in place there would have been no need to pull their licenses. Just point out how it was all the governments fault regardless of what “laws” were broken. After all it works for the left. They sue PD’s and city councils after rioting because they had less than lethal Force used on them...
 
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Are they going to put him in the same cell as all the protesters that broke covid rules... Oh wait.

I wonder if that is going to be part of his defense. That the state is picking and choosing when and where to enforce.
 
NYC had a big "autonomous zone" slash "occupied protest" over the summer and (likely) zero arrests.

they only cleared it out after the feds threatened them.

this should be a pretty easy standard to hit.
 
oh good, according to the article he was arrested over TRESPASS and that is the charge he will have to answer to.

yet again, always and obviously, they can stand by their "we won't arrest you over covid guidelines" :lmao:
 
Provience said:
oh good, according to the article he was arrested over TRESPASS and that is the charge he will have to answer to.

yet again, always and obviously, they can stand by their "we won't arrest you over covid guidelines" :lmao:
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How do you get arrested for trespassing in your own business?
 
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