Democratic Socialist party harassed by ‘white nationalists’ at Kentucky restaurant, owner says
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Members hosting a Democratic Socialist meeting at a Kentucky restaurant share video of confrontation with alleged white nationalist group. (Google Maps)
A group of Democratic Socialists holding a public meeting at a Kentucky restaurant were reportedly verbally harassed by a group of anti-leftist men, the owner of the establishment said.
Members of the Democratic Socialists of America’s Louisville chapter were holding a meeting at The Silver Dollar restaurant on Thursday evening when they claim a group of at least four men gathered on the sidewalk and began taunting them.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}According to a video of the incident, both parties can be heard yelling at each other to leave. At least four men standing on the sidewalk can be heard swearing and calling the Democratic Socialist group “Commies” and threatening the group.
WARNING: Video contains graphic language
The police were called to the scene around 8 p.m. and took reports of the incident, but made no arrests due to conflicting reports.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“Given the conflicting stories received by officers and the officers not witnessing the incident, a report was taken and no arrests were made,” Louisville Metro police spokesman Lamont Washington wrote in an email to the Courier Journal.
Washington said that an investigation has been opened.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Vanessa Cantley, owner of The Silver Dollar, and a few others reported pepper spray being used during the altercation, though police did not confirm.
“They hit my general manager and some others on the back patio with pepper spray,” Cantley told the Courier Journal. “They were just standing on the sidewalk and didn’t move on.”
Cantley said she recognized the men on the sidewalk as members of a “white nationalist organization” from previous encounters at the restaurant, the Courier Journal reported.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}However, the Louisville Police Department could not confirm if the men were white nationalists.
“It’s all subjective,” Washington said to WKMS of how each party described the other.
Police have not identified the men on the street, but said no one was seriously injured during the confrontation.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Cantley said in a since-deleted Facebook post that she was frustrated with the police response saying she, “was advised at least one officer was seen laughing and joking around with the white nationalist group before letting them go with no repercussion,” WKMS reports.
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She plans on filing a criminal complaint against the men she identified as “white nationalists” and is "gathering video from the restaurant and will be posting photos and other information on social media in an effort to identify the perpetrators of this crime."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}According to the Courier Journal, the shouting match happened after a member of far-right men’s organization the Proud Boys recognized one of the members of the Democratic Socialist group at the restaurant. He said he had fought with the member at an event a few months ago, sparking the feud.