Popular West Village Eatery Swarmed By Anti-Vax Group: Report

WEST VILLAGE, NY — A group of anti-vax protesters bombarded a West Village restaurant Tuesday night demanding to be served and roughing up its outdoor dining structure, reported Eater NY and the New York Times.

Dame, like many other New York City restaurants, has chosen to keep asking customers for proof of vaccination to dine inside, despite the city dropping the vaccine mandate at the beginning of the week.

The owners of the restaurant at 87 MacDougal Street told Eater NY and the Times that around 8 p.m. on Tuesday, two men barged into the restaurant and sat down at the bar asking for drinks despite the eatery being fully booked — and that even if there was space they needed to check their proof of vaccination.

The men didn't move, though, repeating that the city had lifted the mandate, reported Eater NY.

A group of around 20 people with anti-vax signage appeared outside the restaurant and did damage to the outdoor dining shed as the two men argued inside, reported the two publications.

Over the next few hours, police were called multiple times to remove the smaller group who left and returned inside the restaurant on two occasions, according to the Times.

The group reportedly kept chugging water, sitting at communal tables, loudly referencing freedom and segregation, and saying they had a lawyer present while filming everything.

“We support the right to protest peacefully outside,” co-owner Patricia Howard told Eater. “But not in our tiny, 450-square-foot restaurant while guests are trying to enjoy the reservation they’ve waited weeks for.”

Dame is hiring a bouncer in the short term in case the group comes back, the owners told Eater.

You can read the full story on Eater NY.