Progressive DC bar owner stands by defund the police tweets after attempted armed robbery

The founding father of a well-liked progressive Washington, D.C.-area restaurant chain stood by his earlier calls to defund the police and abolish prisons after one in every of his joints was hit by an tried armed theft late Sunday night time.

Busboys and Poets, which operates as a restaurant, bar, bookstore and “secure area” for progressives to collect, is the newest instance of the violent crime wave gripping the nation’s capital.

Andy Shallal — the founder and CEO of Busboys and Poets — confirmed to Fox Information Digital that nothing was stolen from the enterprise within the theft and that he believes it was probably dedicated by native “children with nothing higher to do” that need to “terrorize folks.”

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“I feel there’s been an uptick in crime, not simply in D.C. however all through the nation, and D.C. isn’t any exception, in fact,” Shallal mentioned within the Monday telephone interview.

The restaurant chain founder defended his previous “defund police” tweets on Monday, saying he stands by them “greater than ever.” 

“You can’t reform a damaged system. It’s a must to dismantle it and begin over. Kudos to Minneapolis Metropolis Council for taking the result in dismantle the police division,” Shallal tweeted in June 2020. “Subsequent is abolishing prisons. #DefundPolice #protests #BlackLivesMatter #keepthemomentum”

“I feel the issue we’ve got right here is when the police present up, the incident has already occurred. The issue has already occurred,” Shallal instructed Fox Information Digital. “So for us to have the police — it’s good to have them to point out up, however what are we doing to cease the foundation causes of what makes folks do stuff like this?”

Shallal mentioned that when he calls the police, it’s “normally one thing horrible that’s simply occurred” and mentioned that legislation enforcement “can’t un-terrible one thing.”

“After we discuss defunding the police, simply to be clear, it’s to divert a few of the funds that go to the police to companies that make it simpler for the police to do their jobs,” Shallal mentioned, including he believes police departments ought to rent extra social employees and psychological well being counselors to “take away” the police’s accountability to “should take care of all that and divert them from what they really want to do.”

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Shallal mentioned he sees the COVID-19 pandemic, social media and an absence of financial alternatives as just a few components driving the nationwide crime surge, however mentioned he doesn’t “think about” how the altering view of policing influenced by the “defund the police” motion would have an effect on the surge in crime.

“Once more, we’ve got to have a look at the foundation causes, proper? I imply, it’s one factor to place a Band-Support on an harm, and it’s one other factor to learn the way the harm began and guarantee that it doesn’t preserve bleeding,” Shallal mentioned. “We proceed to bleed, we proceed to place Band-Aids on, and it doesn’t assist.”

Shallal mentioned he’s “not towards police” and that he speaks to them “on a regular basis,” and mentioned that the police are coping with the “most ridiculous issues” they’re “anticipated to take care of,” like “homelessness,” “psychological well being” and “social dysfunction.”

“It’s very laborious for them to do their job,” Shallal mentioned, including that he has “by no means referred to as the police apart from if there’s an issue.”

Shallal referred to as for defunding the police whereas claiming the violent protests after the homicide of George Floyd that led to riots had been turning into extra peaceable as a result of the police “have develop into much less violent.”

“The demonstrations are getting extra peaceable in keeping with information. Nothing modified with the protesters, it’s the police which have develop into much less violent,” he wrote in June 2020. “Defunding police and Refunding a lot wanted social companies is the best way ahead. #BlackLivesMattters #protests2020 #DefundPolice”

The bar chain founder has a historical past of calling for the defunding of police.

Shallal, who has donated hundreds of {dollars} to Democrats, together with Kamala Harris’ presidential marketing campaign, has been within the headlines a number of instances in recent times, together with when he laid off lots of of employees firstly of the pandemic and when progressive “Squad” Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., defended their anti-Israel stances at his restaurant in 2019. 

Busboys and Poets made headlines in January after the restaurant chain canceled an occasion being held at a location by pro-life Democrats.

“Whereas we welcome conversations from people expressing totally different viewpoints and satisfaction ourselves on being a venue for respectful conversations between numerous teams, we’re additionally a secure area,” a restaurant spokeswoman instructed the Washington Free Beacon. “As such, we cannot knowingly settle for occasions designed to fund an agenda which our neighborhood members consider to be trampling on the rights of others.”

Three suspects walked into the D.C. bar late Sunday because the enterprise was closing up store, brandishing rifles and a handgun whereas demanding cash.

Nothing was taken from the restaurant, and the robbers drove off in a four-door sedan, in keeping with native studies.

This isn’t the primary time one in every of Busboy and Poets’ areas has made it into the headlines for being on the middle of a criminal offense scene. Final July, a gunman opened hearth outdoors and hit a number of buildings, together with the Hyattsville location of Busboys and Poets.