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Another protest outside the Continental tonight

EV Grieve reader AWKWORD notes that protestors — organized by the Answer Coalition — have returned to the Continental on Third Avenue this evening to protest what they consider to be discriminatory acts by the bar’s bouncers....

You can read more about this ongoing story here. Bob Arihood has more at Neither More Nor Less here.

Protest outside the Continental Saturday night

On Saturday night, a group organized by The ANSWER Coalition demonstrated outside the Continental on Third Avenue for what they say are discriminatory acts by the bar’s bouncers.

Bar owner Trigger Smith has denied the allegations, telling the Local East Village on Jan. 21 that patrons were not being turned away because of the color of their skin but because the bar has a policy against admitting patrons who do not adhere to its unwritten dress code. “There’s not a prejudiced bone in my body,” he said.

According to the Facebook group called Boycott Continental Bar in NYC, "the ANSWER Coalition has collected testimony from more than 30 people who claim to have been met with racism or bigotry at the Continental Bar. When the Continental managers were asked by ANSWER Coalition organizers to address these complaints, they refused. Now the New York City Commission on Human Rights is investigating the charges." (Read more on that investigation here.)

While Smith told the Local EV that he would not speak with members of the Answer Coalition, he is cooperating with the Commission's investigation. Smith said that he expected more demonstrations and more investigations because he plans to continue his unwritten dress code of “no baggy, saggy jeans.”

Photo from Saturday night by Vivienne Gucwa via her Flickr page. Reprinted with permission.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Another picket planned outside the Continental

Patrons accuse the Continental of discrimination

Another picket planned outside the Continental

On Dec. 10, a group organized by The ANSWER Coalition demonstrated outside the Continental on Third Avenue for what they say are acts of bias by the bar’s bouncers against African-American patrons ... there is a flyer taped to a streetlight near the bar with details of another picket ... on Jan. 29 from 8-10 p.m.




Bar owner Trigger Smith denied the allegations, telling the Local East Village that patrons were not being turned away because of the color of their skin but because the bar has a policy against admitting patrons who do not adhere to its unwritten dress code.

“It just so happens that more people of a certain minority wear these things than others. But I don’t want white trash either, or Jersey Shore boys.”

Previously on EV Grieve:
Patrons accuse the Continental of discrimination

Patrons accuse the Continental of discrimination

Neighborhoodr reports on a demonstration that occurred Friday evening outside the Continental on Third Avenue near St. Mark's Place. According to Neighborhood, "Those present were protesting against what they claimed is discrimination on the part of the bar’s bouncers. One woman, an African-American, claimed she was allegedly told 'Your kind don’t know how to act' by a bouncer when she tried to enter the bar."

The group was organized by The ANSWER Coalition. There is also a Facebook group called Boycott Continental Bar in NYC.

The Local East Village interviews Trigger Smith, the Continental's owner, who said his club isn't doing anything improper. Per the Local EV:

Mr. Smith, who is white, said that patrons were not being turned away because of the color of their skin but because the bar has a policy against admitting patrons who do not adhere to its unwritten dress code.

“It just so happens that more people of a certain minority wear these things than others,” Mr. Smith said. “But I don’t want white trash either, or Jersey Shore boys.”

He went on to say that he doesn't want to admit "frat boy" patrons either.

[Photo via Neighborhoodr]