updated
Saturday night, on the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in NYC, police reportedly entered Fort Worth's Rainbow Lounge gay bar and began arresting people with unnecessary force for public intoxication. Multiple first-hand accounts suggest that the arrests were random and unwarranted.
In all, seven were arrested and one remains hospitalized with a brain injury that occurred during the incident: "About 18 hours after officers with the Fort Worth Police Department andagents with the Texas Alcoholic Beverages Commission raided a FortWorth gay bar, about 150 to 200 people gathered on the steps of theTarrant County Courthouse in downtown Fort Worth Sunday night, June 28,to protest the raid."
Video of protest, AFTER THE JUMP…
The individual with the brain injury has been identified as Chad Gibson, the Dallas Voice reports: "The statement said that while some officers were outside dealing withthe vomiting suspect, another officer inside requested assistance inhandling an intoxicated patron who was resisting arrest, and that thisperson was 'placed on the ground to control and apprehend him.' This person was apparently Chad Gibson (pictured above??), who was knocked unconscious and is now hospitalized with a brain injury. Eyewitnesses to that incident said Gibson, who is 'maybe 160 poundssoaking wet,' did not resist arrest but that he did stumble after thefirst officer grabbed his arm. Rainbow Lounge owner J.R. Schrock said claims that patrons made sexualadvances to the officers and that one patron groped an officer werelies.
The Houston Chronicle, the Star-Telegram, and Dallas Morning News have all filed reports.
Todd Camp, a former critic for the Star-Telegram, gave a first-hand account to the Dallas Voice: "From what he said, it appears police were there arresting people whoappeared to have had too much to drink. Todd said that although he sawno one resisting the police, the officers were quite rough in the waythey handled people, and that he saw several people shoved ratherviolently to the ground and handcuffed (with the plastic zip-tiehandcuffs)."
The Dallas Observer writes: "This morning, Michael Piazza, dean of Dallas's Cathedral of Hope, released a statementcondemning the event, which has led to two protests planned for tonight– one at 5 p.m. in front of the bar, and another at 7 p.m. in front ofthe Tarrant County Courthouse.Said Piazza, "After more than a generation of progress, this actionshows that there is still much work to be done to ensure that allAmericans enjoy 'equal protection under the law.' It is tragic thatlesbian and gay taxpayers are still abused by the very people who arepaid by our taxes."
Daily Kos notes, there's now a Facebook page: Rainbow Lounge Raid.
Video of protest, AFTER THE JUMP…
