'Cancel Carmine's' Rally Draws Crowd On The Upper West Side

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — A crowd gathered Monday evening for a Black Lives Matter of Greater New York rally outside Upper West Side restaurant Carmine's, just days after a hostess attacked by customers was accused of making a racial slur.

The rally and press conference were held after a viral story about a hostess being attacked after she asked for proof of vaccination Thursday was followed up with an allegation of a racial slur against the women, who are Black.

The original report was sent out by the NYPD. The follow-up came from one of the women's lawyers, who spoke to the New York Times.

• Read More: BLM Holding 'Cancel Carmine's' Rally Outside UWS Restaurant

"This vaccination card mandate to create more Sandra Blands, and more Breonna Taylors, it ends here," said Kimberly Bernard, an organizer of the Black Women's March in 2020. "Consider yourself served. Cancel Carmines's!"

The group cheered "Cancel Carmine's" back multiple times.

The media conference and rally Monday took place one door down from Carmine's on West 91st and Broadway. A few employees of the Italian restaurant watched from just in front of the restaurant.

At one point, the demonstrators moved directly in front of Carmine's, using a microphone to yell into the restaurant. You can watch a video of that interaction here.

Early on during the media conference, a white woman passed by and loudly said, "This is nonsense," before walking away.

A flurry of "boos" followed her.

Multiple speakers mentioned that the vaccine mandate gives police a lopsided incentive to target Black people since the demographic is not as vaccinated as other groups.

"We will not sit by and allow you to use this pandemic, vaccine mandate, and masks, as reasons to throw us in prison," one of the speakers said.

Black Lives Matter protest happening outside of Carmine’s now on the Upper West Side. pic.twitter.com/o5Mc5mvdtX
— Gus Saltonstall (@GusSaltonstall) September 20, 2021

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