Fort Worth bar that hosted Fourth of July protest event may be shut down for 30 days
A Fort Worth bar and music venue may be shut down for 30 days after hosting a “Tea Party Protest” inside the bar on the Fourth of July.
Chris Polone, owner of Rail Club Live, planned the gathering as a protest against the “unjust shutdown” of bars. Last week, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered bars to close to try to slow down the spread of coronavirus in Texas. Polone said while coronavirus is serious, he does not think it is fair that restaurants, amusement parks and other crowded places can remain open while bars have to shut their doors.
“(People) think we’re doing it for attention or a money grab or we’re trying to hurt people,” he said. “That couldn’t be further from the truth.”
Tarrant County code compliance issued a notice to Rail Club Live on June 29 saying that they should stay closed, code compliance director Brandon Bennett said. They also notified the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission of the bar’s plans.
Polone said the bar took extra precautions to make sure Saturday’s event was safe.
Groups of four people sat at 10 tables that were spread out inside Rail Club Live at 3101 Joyce Drive. Employees handed out masks and mandated that everyone wear them inside. Tape on the floor boxed in each table and Polone asked everyone to stay within their box. Polone said no alcohol was served and no admission was charged, which he said made the event a lawful protest.
The Centers for Disease Control classifies being inside a bar as high-risk and recommends that people stay home.
A state police officer with the TABC spoke with Polone at the bar during the gathering. Polone recorded the interaction on Facebook Live. In the video, the officer hands Polone a copy of Abbott’s order and tells him if he does not shut down, the state will shut down the bar for 30 days.
“That’s about it, no big deal,” the officer tells Polone in the video. “Well, it is a big deal, but you know what I’m saying. You’re not going to jail or nothing like that.”
Polone says they will not shut down and shakes the officer’s hand. He goes back into the building, and the crowd inside cheers for him as the band continues to play. Polone goes to the microphone on stage and explains what happened to the crowd. He rips up the copy of Abbott’s order and throws the pieces of paper on the ground.
“That right there does not feed my children, it does not feed my staff,” he says, gesturing to the ripped up paper.
Polone told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the state violated his freedom to assemble because the event was a protest, and the officer threatened repercussions if he did not shut it down. He plans to fight against the TABC suspension.
“It’s in the state’s hands at this point,” he said. “If they suspend my license for 30 days, that gives me grounds to go after them big-time.”
He said Abbott’s order sets an “extreme double standard” for bars, because restaurants that serve alcohol are able to remain open at 50% capacity, but establishments that make more than 50% of their revenue from alcohol sales cannot operate.
“Abbott is demonizing the word bars,” he said. “We’re advocating right now if this virus is truly as bad as they say it is, they need to shut down amusement parks, mall, restaurants — shut down everything that they already did if it’s truly that bad.”
On Sunday, Tarrant County reported 585 new coronavirus cases and three deaths — the figures are from Thursday’s test results.
Coronavirus cases have been surging across the state for several weeks. Hospitalizations of coronavirus patients in Texas reached an all-time high last Monday after breaking records nearly every day the previous two weeks. Hospitalizations have risen nearly every day of June, and have more than tripled since Memorial Day.
Tarrant County is experiencing a “mini-surge”’ in COVID-19 cases, the city of Fort Worth warned at the end of June. In his emergency order announcement, Abbott said the rise in cases statewide is largely driven by “certain types of activities, including Texans congregating in bars.”
Polone said he’s received growing support for his decision to have the gathering, especially from other small business owners.
“This isn’t over by a long shot,” he said.
This story was originally published July 5, 2020 at 5:01 PM.
