(RightWing.org) – Law enforcement officials strive to protect and serve the citizens of their communities nationwide. The country’s various police unions operate to preserve the interests of those officers. A recent clash across two social media sites highlighted the struggle between armed officers and a local business banning weapons in their facilities.
On August 24, the San Francisco Police Officers Association (SFPOA) posted a two-part notice on its X (formerly Twitter) account. The statement advised that the organization confirmed that a San Francisco Mission District restaurant called Reem’s California banned customers in uniform and bearing arms from the business. The SFPOA reported that the restaurant refused to serve its officers the previous weekend.
The post included a screenshot of an email from the restaurant admitting to the ban. The message also advised that “all” police officers were welcome at the establishment, provided they were “off duty and not armed.”
The SFPOA notice advised that it wasn’t asking Reem’s, or any other local business establishment, “with a bigoted policy… serve [its] officers.” However, it did ask companies doing so to have the courtesy of publicly owning their “discriminatory” policies and post a sign advising customers of their restrictions. That way, SFPOA members “know not to spend money” at their businesses, “on or off duty.”
NO COPS ALLOWED. That’s the confirmed policy of the bakery chain Reem’s. One of our officers was denied service last weekend because he was in uniform. Reem’s confirms that they will not serve anyone armed and in uniform. Presumably, this includes members of the US Military. pic.twitter.com/0cDzEV0D68
— San Francisco POA (@SanFranciscoPOA) August 24, 2023
The police union mockingly “took the liberty of designing” a sign for Reem’s and posted an image of it. The all-capital letter notice warned that “no cops were allowed” and told prospective customers to “have a nice day.”
On August 26, Reem’s California posted a statement responding to the controversy on its Instagram account. The restaurant advised it decided to maintain a “strict policy of prohibiting guns” at its establishment to keep its patrons “safer.”
The post noted that numerous members of the community had been “impacted by gun violence” related to various causes like “increased fears” due to the recent rise in “political extremism.” The restaurant also warned that “all too often, black and brown people” and the poor fall victim to firearms. Reem’s concluded its remarks by calling on community members to “step up” and join them in “creating [a] culture of care and resilience.”
The restaurant recently closed its facility for on-premise dining due to unspecified financial reasons. Reem’s California announced its decision to temporarily shutter the establishment after the alleged banning incident with the local police officer but before the SFPOA posted its statement on X.
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