The establishments are selected because they are the subjects of “chronic complaints” from community members that are mostly reported through the city’s 311 and 911 communications systems over concerns He said every precinct in the city, except for Central Park, carried out such operations at what amounted to “a couple thousand clubs” each year. Browne, the Police Department’s chief spokesman, said the Eagle was one of four establishments in the 10th Precinct inspected on Friday under a program known as MARCH, or multiagency response to community “It is real serious harassment that they come out on pride weekend.”
Shevlin, a financial markets researcher and the treasurer of the Stonewall Democratic Club. “I was on the roof deck, smoking a cigar and having drinks with friends, and all of a sudden, the police showed up and started shining flashlights in everyone’s face and offending everyone,” said The marriage equality celebration, on Pride week.”Īccording to those present, about 100 people were mingling at the Eagle, when representatives from the New York Police Department and three other city agencies, as well as from the State Liquor Authority, showed up,Īt nearly the same time as a vote by the State Senate to legalize same-sex marriage and as the thrill of victory was swirling through the place. Stringer said, and while it was “true that there are these multiagency inspections, I think this one was ill-conceived and ill-timed given the circumstances surrounding The inspection occurred late at night, Mr. “I am going to ask the police commissioner to conduct a formal investigation concerning the circumstances around this raid,” he added. Place at the Eagle bar, on West 28th Street off 11th Avenue, and that the actions amounted to a raid.
Stringer, the Manhattan borough president, said that he was troubled by descriptions of what took Police officials said on Saturday that the inspection was part of a routine operation planned long ago. An unannounced inspection that several agencies carried out at a gay bar in Manhattan on Friday night occurred at nearly the same time that patrons were celebrating the passage of legislation in Albany legalizing same-sex