Report: Staff, Patrons Arrested in Raid of Atlanta Eagle Gay Bar
In a story eerily reminiscent of the June raid on the Rainbow Lounge in Fort Worth, Texas, Atlanta police reportedly raided the Atlanta Eagle gay bar last night. Mattthew Cardinale, a news editor for Atlanta Progressive News, filed a report:
"About ten police cars and about 15 cops raided the bar, allegedly looking for drugs.
However, the police were said to have ordered all patrons to get on the ground--including patrons who were just dancing or standing at the bar--and numerous patrons said people were handcuffed indiscriminately.
Bar patrons were furious at the aggressive and indiscriminate treatment and called the incident 'harassment.'
Patrons also stated that at least three undercover cops were present. One patron stated he knew this because he saw the undercover police first without their badges, mingling with the crowds, and then again with their badges on...According to one patron, APD handcuffed all Eagle staff members and dancers, patrons in a leather shop, and anyone who was wearing only underwear; Thursday is advertised as underwear night."
Cardinale also received an email from a patron who was there: “My roommate and I were there for the police raid at the Eagle on September 10, 2009. We had arrived about 20 minutes before the raid took place. Everyone was ordered to get on their stomachs and face down during this ordeal. As far as I could tell everyone was searched at least once, most of us twice. Most, but not all, of the officers were incredibly derogatory and insulting whether they found evidence of drugs or not,” Alan Vives wrote in an email to APN."
(image source)
Having grown up in a police family I tend to see both sides of the police's actions and the alleged victims. People need to understand that it is common practice for police to handcuff everyone during a raid whether you're innocent or not. Why? Because until the police figure out if you're armed or dangerous they are only protecting themselves and everyone else in case something happens (Has everyone forgotten how the police made all those school kids from Columbine march with their hands up because they didn't know who the killers were at the time).
Basically if you're innocent you'll understand and be polite and patient enough to allow the police to do their work. And if you're not innocent, generally you're the one who tends to complain the most about rights being violated and what not.
If undercover was there that means there was either drug trafficking or underage drinking taking place; the drug trafficking seems more likely but let's not assume completely.
Basically people needs to stop whining, suck it up, take responsibility for their actions and let the police do their job. Yes there are police who are corrupt and there are gay men who are drug dealers; it's a fact of life.
I'm personally against the use of drugs as having seen the first hand destruction of family and friends and I support drug raids by the police. And if you do drugs and are caught in a public establishment then you deserve to get arrested. Remember it's always the guilty who complain the loudest.
Thanks for reading. ~Craig
Posted by: Craig | Sep 11, 2009 12:47:39 PM
Let's not forget that crime in Atlanta is proliferating wildly... Don't the police have better things to be doing than raiding a gay bar? How about stopping the shootings and robberies around Georgia Tech campus, or in EAV, or Piedmont Park?
Posted by: Andrew | Sep 11, 2009 12:52:52 PM
"Remember it's always the guilty who complain the loudest."
No, CRAIG.
ALEX IN BOSTON,
Calm down. Your comment and analogy were peculiar.
Actually, the gay bars in antebellum Atlanta were all integrated (but no interracial sex--ever...that was only for "un-American" New Orleans). In fact, Big Sam and Ashley Wilkes tried to grope each other one night at The Cave . Miss Scarlett called the po'lice to raid the joint.
Miss Melanie said she knew all along...sweet, kind-hearted, gentle Georgia belle.
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Sep 11, 2009 1:23:52 PM
I sent a friendly letter to the convention and visitors bureau stating that they need to pressure the city council and mayor to stop alienating groups that would come and spend money on the businesses of Atlanta.
Incidents like this will make it hard for your organization to get people to come and visit Atlanta.
Even though the LGBT community is small, the community usually has money to spend to visit places such as Atlanta.
Posted by: Matt from California | Sep 11, 2009 1:27:17 PM
Hey Craig, did the police say anything about catching people with drugs? If so, I must have missed that. Atlanta Eagle on a Thursday night is simply not going to have that element. And you may be willing to give up all your rights for a bunch of gay hating harrarsing cops, but don't ask the rest of us to.
Posted by: MikeyDallas | Sep 11, 2009 1:31:06 PM
If the police are truly doing drug raids then why don't they travel just a few blocks from the Eagle and stake out the apartments across the street from the Taco Bell drive-in? Whilst waiting for your Nachos Bell Grande you can watch half a dozen drug deals occur right out in the open!! This has blatantly been occurring **FOR YEARS**...and while there are some in the gay community who suffer from drug addiction and bars can be a frequent place of use why don't you focus on stopping the source? Harrass, arrest, disrupt, etc. the dealers on the corner instead!
Posted by: A Quirk | Sep 11, 2009 1:32:59 PM
Hey Craig - I'll take your advise WHEN Police start RAIDING straight bars and doing the same thing to ALL thier customers....like making them LAY down on a filthy/sticky floor....I've been to many a straight bar where drugs are being used & sold...but NEVER heard of Police usin those tactics on the straights!!!
Posted by: Disgusted American | Sep 11, 2009 1:36:44 PM
alex in boston does that include the Real Hausfraus on Bravo?
Posted by: Gus | Sep 11, 2009 1:41:35 PM
i find it amusing that it is ok for gays to be as lude and crude as possible in public and force our lifestyle onto everyone in the world. it is ok that we treat each other like shit, basing whether or not we even speak to each other on "fuckability". if we dont want to fuck someone, aint no way in hell we are ever going to so much as speak to them.
it is ok that we walk around practically naked in our clubs, daring anyone to say anything about it. it is ok that we spend so much time being gay that we forget oftentimes to be MEN.
but it is NOT ok for anyone to be opposed to it or to say anything about it, or stand up for what they believe is right. i think we all know that a great many gay clubs are havens for drugs and lude sexual activities and we do not bother trying to hide it. rather, we advertise and promote it. yet, when we are called out for it, we are more concerned with "who else is doing whatever else" than the fact that the present situation has to do with US!
if the rest of the world jumped off of the empire state building, would we have to do it too????
i cannot help but notice that people in straight bars DO NOT have to behave in such a way, and maybe that is why straight bars arenot being raided. the fact of the matter is that we are not entitled to do whatever we want simply because we are gay. nor, do negative things happen to us merely because we are gay.
in a police raid, police instruct (demand even) that everyone in the building (gay, straight, or indifferent) lie face down on the floor. maybe if we werent so busy being victims, we would have known that!
furthermore, if we are really that concerned with what may be on the floor, maybe we should take proper measures to make sure those questionable substances stay off the floor...
...just a thought
Posted by: darryl | Sep 11, 2009 1:45:47 PM
I don't know where CRAIG is getting his information from but NO WAY IN HELL is it common practive to HANDCUFF EVERYONE in a raid.
Not enough handcufs or personel do accompish and riddiculous law enforcement this is an ATLANTA bar not some horseshit little bar....and are you kidding..always the GUILTY who complain the loudest....?
Police Brutality against minorities and the LGBT community is well documented and has gotten out of control.
SUE THE ASS OF ATLANTA and BANKRUPT the city for all I care.
Posted by: MCnNYC | Sep 11, 2009 1:49:09 PM
Why does this crap always happen in the south. Just what the hell is wrong with these people? They can't pick on black people anymore so they go after us? Is the typical Southerner really as mean-spirited and hateful as the sterotype?
I often wish Lincoln had just said: "Fine, go your own way, we're better off without trash like you in the Union." Can you imagine how nice a country we'd have if we didn't have to constantly appease the South? It would be like Canada, but with better weather.
Posted by: Ozu | Sep 11, 2009 1:51:32 PM
@Chad: Yes, they couldn't have that many people in the park due to water restrictions and grass maintenance, so they held a freakin' PAUL MCCARTNEY CONCERT instead. How's that for a slap in the face?
Posted by: Sean Mac | Sep 11, 2009 1:54:44 PM
And the story linked above has been updated and NO PATRONS were arrested....only the bar staff and dancers and according to the bar owner "Ramey said the only charge faced by bar staff and dancers is that the male dancers in their underwear had been dancing without a permit."
No Drugs...10 POLICE CARS 15 Uniformed Cops and in addition UNDERCOVER cops....for dancing in underwear? read the link....
Posted by: MCnNYC | Sep 11, 2009 1:56:28 PM
There's apparently a demostration being planned for tomorrow already and I might just go. In front of the Eagle on Ponce, I hope no one gets arrested for that (although no one was arrested at the Eagle last night according to the owner of the Eagle).
Posted by: James | Sep 11, 2009 1:57:11 PM
And CRAIG u are entitled to your IGNORANT beliefs and statements but you should have read the article before your comments are posted....cause the only people who were being disresctful were your thin blue line members.
Posted by: MCnNYC | Sep 11, 2009 2:01:20 PM
@Craig: speaking as a native of Atlanta, the Eagle is known for *drinking*. It's not known for any sort of dealing, don't think any dealers would waste time trying to drum up business there. As for underage drinking, well I know of a couple of people who can tell you how strongly Robby protects the license from underage drinkers.
Posted by: Sean Mac | Sep 11, 2009 2:10:41 PM
For a similar story, go to www.sovo.com and search for "spring4th" (or use the link below) to read about a raid that turned up no drugs, no sex, no alcohol, (but yes, there was some leather) but the same behavior by Atlanta police officers.
http://www.sovo.com/2007/11-23/news/localnews/7753.cfm
Mayor Franklin should fire the police chief and be on the news right now apologizing for this behavior. There is just no excuse for the targeting of this type when the APD is woefully understaffed.
Posted by: Stacey | Sep 11, 2009 2:25:38 PM
" cannot help but notice that people in straight bars DO NOT have to behave in such a way, and maybe that is why straight bars arenot being raided."
DARRYL, you got me laughing so hard I peed on myself a little. Straight people do everything gay people do--they love "tossin' salad"....secretly. And they love makin' babies out of wedlock.
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Sep 11, 2009 2:27:32 PM
WTF. when will this madness stop? its not the 40's-50's anymore!!!!
Posted by: clayton | Sep 11, 2009 2:29:48 PM
Sean Mac is right. The Eagle is a big burly leather bar. The only thing going up someone's nose there is a hairy guy's smelly armpit.
If this was a drug raid, the cops woulda had as much luck raiding a Home Depot.
Posted by: crispy | Sep 11, 2009 2:41:44 PM
Say Darryl, why don't you and Fred Phelps get a room?
--just a thought.
Posted by: bobbyjoe | Sep 11, 2009 2:46:30 PM
Darryl, are you fucking serious or are you a closet case?: "i find it amusing that it is ok for gays to be as lude and crude as possible in public and force our lifestyle onto everyone in the world." First, go back to school and learn how to spell--because I think you meant "LEWD" not "LUDE"; second "force our 'lifestyle' onto everyone in the world" sounds like you're actually an "American Family Association 'Ex-Gay'" than a part of our community...I'm fairly certain that no one was dragging people off the street into the Eagle to force them to watch men dancing in their underwear.
And actually, you've got your panties in knots--if you don't like men running around with their shirts off or showing a bit of basket, then you'd better be out there in Midtown handing out Annette Funicello Mousketeer chest-hiding devices to all the women showing off their boobs in public, buddy...no double standards. Really--if you don't like being in a place where men are being men, DON'T GO THERE...no one is forcing you there, and you probably aren't someone any of us want to associate with anyhow. Have fun being asexual, buddy.
Posted by: Dean | Sep 11, 2009 2:50:58 PM
Craig has the same typical "nazi" cop mentality that most of the NYPD (New York Pussy Department) (Pussy=Police) has in New York.And we wonder why no gay person wants to bother with New York Shitty anymore.Craig keep your ignorance to yourself.Its always cops defending cops no matter how butt-headed the issue and no matter how blatant the stupidity.
Posted by: Rocky | Sep 11, 2009 3:07:17 PM
@ darryl
"i cannot help but notice that people in straight bars DO NOT have to behave in such a way, and maybe that is why straight bars arenot being raided."
> You're a tool. You just haven't been to the right straight bars. There's plenty in Atlanta where crazy stuff is going on.
"i find it amusing that it is ok for gays to be as lude and crude as possible in public and force our lifestyle onto everyone in the world. it is ok that we treat each other like shit, basing whether or not we even speak to each other on "fuckability". if we dont want to fuck someone, aint no way in hell we are ever going to so much as speak to them."
> You're clearly not fuckable, so please move along you self-loathing fuckwit.
Have a nice day :-)
Posted by: Gregus | Sep 11, 2009 3:22:37 PM
If I were a frightened cop, about 39, one year away from retirement, I would raid gay bars rather than deal with real scum in Atlanta. Hell yes. I'd much rather do a raid at a dialysis center than on a rough street corner. I'm with the cops on this one. It's scary out there.
Posted by: Vera Waitress | Sep 11, 2009 3:55:37 PM