2 months and 14 days after the 40th anniversary of the historic Stonewall riots in NYC some Atlanta residents were describing a Stonewall like raid that occurred last night in the heart of downtown Atlanta. As now reported by three Atlanta Gay or Progressive papers and confirmed by the Atlanta Police Department, the Atlanta Police raided the Bar at approximately 11:30 pm last night.
The present writer for Atlanta Progressive News--who had come to the bar to dance--witnessed as several bar staff and male dancers were arrested between approximately 12:30am and 1am and taken away in paddy wagons, but it is not immediately clear why. One source stated he believed it was because the bar did not have a license for the dancers. (CORRECTION: A previous version of this article stated patrons had been arrested; no patrons were arrested).
About ten police cars and about 15 cops raided the bar, allegedly looking for drugs.
However, the police were said to have ordered all patrons to get on the ground--including patrons who were just dancing or standing at the bar--and numerous patrons said people were handcuffed indiscriminately.
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Several patrons described being forced to lie handcuffed face down on the floor for as long as an hour as the police checked identity cards and searched the bar for drugs or other incriminating evidence.
According to another report:
"We are sitting there and then I hear, ‘Get down now, Atlanta Police Department.’ Everybody lays down on the floor, the lights come on. People were asking what was going on and the police kept yelling, ‘Shut the fuck up.’"
People inside the bar were ordered to lay face down on the floor, were searched and handcuffed, the patron says. An elderly man at one of the bars was grabbed by an officer and pushed to the ground, he says.
"They were asking people if they are married, if they were in the military. They were saying things like I bet there are a lot of Marines, a lot of military in here. They were cracking jokes," the patron says.
"At one point, they start writing peoples names down and at one point I was singled out for doing illegal activity," he says. "They accused me of having someone bent over having sex in the back bar, which I wasn’t. When I tried to tell the officer that, he accused me of lying to him. They kept telling me, ‘Shut the fuck up, you are lying.’"
While he was detained in handcuffs for more than an hour, he also heard one officer tell another that "I hate gay people."
"I was held in the bar for over an hour; they were going through and searching people’s pockets. They tore the bar apart. They searched the cash register, they searched the ice machine, they were ripping things off the walls. It was ridiculous. They were in full SWAT gear," the patron says.
One patron of the bar reported that a police officer said to him as he was leaving the bar:
"This is gonna keep happening if we keep getting complaints from the community."
However, according to a volunteer with the Midtown Ponce Security Alliance (a group charged with collecting community complaints about unsavory establishments), the community does not have a problem with the Eagle.
Steve Gower, a volunteer with the Midtown Ponce Security Alliance, said the neighborhood group does not have a problem with the Eagle.
"I can assure you that the raid was not initiated by MPSA or its patrol, and we have never received any complaints, reports, or observations about criminal activity in any way associated with the Eagle," Gower said. "Further, I have spent much time on the streets of Midtown, and look under every rock to identify problem spots. Eagle is not one of those problem spots, and we have always considered the Eagle to be a good neighbor."
Although the police searched the premises exclusively no drugs, weapons, or other incriminating evidence were found. The only charge yet to be lodged against the bar is 'Dancing without a license'.
Patrons of the bar explained the police as acting harshly. According to Patron Alan Vives:
"Everyone was ordered to get on their stomachs and face down during this ordeal. As far as I could tell everyone was searched at least once, most of us twice. Most, but not all, of the officers were incredibly derogatory and insulting whether they found evidence of drugs or not," Vives said in an email.
"When asking why, we were met with derisive remarks and no explanation. I am furious at how we were treated and can't believe that this has happened in this day and age. The officers present were incredibly rude to anyone who dared to ask what was happening and several were openly hostile towards the gay patrons," he continued.
The Atlanta Police liaison to the gay community was frustrated but askedfor time and understanding:
Atlanta Police LGBT Liaison Officer Danni Lynn Harris confirmed Friday morning that eight employees were arrested, but did not know what the charges were.
The Atlanta Police Department's public information office has not responded to requests for information.
In an interview with Southern Voice, Harris expressed frustration that she did not know of the raid until contacted by the media this morning. While she understood the decision not to involve her in the raid, Harris said she is working on new protocols that would keep her informed in the future.
Harris said there was a complaint of illegal activities at the Eagle, but said she did not know what the alleged illegal activity was. After the complaint was made undercover officers were sent to the Eagle where they discovered enough information to secure a warrant for the raid.
While some believe the police acted with a heavy hand, Harris made a plea for understanding.
A protest of the Atlanta Police is being scheduled for Saturday evening.
Author disclosure:
- This post obvious relies heavily on the reporting of others. Please link through and read the full pieces.
- I live in the community and this behavior disgusts me. It appears at the least to represent gross misjudgment and negligence of oversight by the Atlanta police. Let's hope that's all it is. Intown Atlanta is not what Northerner's envision as the South. It is a vibrant, multicultural, open, progressive community that overwhelmingly went for Barack Obama. Our Congressman is Progressive icon John Lewis. Gays and Lesbians are a vital part of our community and active members of our government, schools, churches, and business. That is in part why this is so shocking.
- It is besides the point, but I am not gay. I don't really know why I feel like this is important to disclose, but there it is.