DC bar co-owner defiant against COVID regulations speaks out after liquor license suspended

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While DC ignores surging violent crime, it suspends bar's liquor license for defying COVID mandates

D.C. bar owner tells 'The Ingraham Angle' we aren't second-class citizens - I never thought it would be controversial to open a bar where everyone is welcome

A business owner at a Washington, D.C., bar called "The Big Board" had its liquor license suspended Friday by the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration after it was determined they violated public health guidelines, such as enforcing masks for its employees and checking patrons' vaccine cards. 

The co-owner, Eric Flannery, spoke out about the regulations on "The Ingraham Angle" Monday. 

Host Laura Ingraham said, "Canada's COVID tyranny is spread south of the border to D.C." She then asked Flannery why he refused to comply with the regulations.

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Flannery answered, "Because it doesn't really make any sense." He pointed out the absurdity of the rules over who is required to wear a mask and who is not required. The servers, for example, he said are being treated as second-class citizens for being forced to wear a mask while patrons who are eating and drinking are not required to wear one. 

"It's ridiculous. And the thing is customers will come in all the time and some will be there and they repeat their orders to us and we're like, 'Oh, it's just my mask, I can't hear it. It's really hard to hear people when you can't see their lips move.'"

Flannery is not one to get too involved in the politics of the issues, and describes himself as "apolitical." He added that people of all stripes and political backgrounds come into his business and get along. 

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"They actually sit down and talk with each other because this has been a place where everybody's always been welcome. So they come in and they have a good time," he explained.

Flannery added he never thought in the U.S. there would be such regulations in place.

"And that comes from me as a Navy veteran, a guy who served for 10 years like. I never thought that in the capital city of the United States of America, it would be somewhat controversial to open up a bar where everybody was welcome."