Black Lives Matter activists descended on Carmine’s restaurant in New York City and slammed its management as 'racist' after t...
Black Lives Matter activists descended on Carmine’s restaurant in New York City and slammed its management as 'racist' after three black women visiting from Texas claimed they were called the N-word before they allegedly assaulted an Asian hostess who asked for proof of vaccination.
BLM protesters chanted ‘F*** you, Carmine’s’ and ‘Carmine’s are racist’ outside the popular Italian restaurant on the Upper West Side of Manhattan on Monday night - four days after an altercation that highlighted the perils faced by restaurant workers pushed into enforcing the city's vaccine passport mandate.
Kaeita Rankin, 44, her niece Tyonnie Keshay Rankin and Sally Rechelle Lewis, 49, - all of whom are from the Houston area - say they were provoked into the brawl after the racial slur was hurled.
The restaurant initially claimed the women did not show proof of vaccination, leading to the feud, but walked back that assertion Monday and admitted the three did present their cards, according to Trident DMG, a public relations firm representing the trendy trattoria.
However, the trio soon stormed out when three men who were part of their group arrived several minutes later and two of them could not produce proof of vaccination, Trident DMG told Gothamist.
The three women then launched 'an entirely unprovoked, brutal attack on our hosts,' Emma Novak, a spokesperson for the PR firm, told Gothamist.
Rankin, her niece, and Lewis were arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault and criminal mischief. They were given desk appearance tickets and ordered to appear in court on October 5.
Black Lives Matter protesters gather outside Carmine's, an Italian restaurant on Manhattan's Upper West Side, on Monday
Protesters with bullhorns chanted and denounced the restaurant's management as 'racist'
The protesters were angry over an incident on Thursday in which three black women visiting from Texas were arrested after they were filmed in a violent altercation with a hostess who is said to have asked them to show proof of vaccination
A Black Lives Matter protester holds a sign near the entrance to Carmine's restaurant on Manhattan's Upper West Side on Monday
BLM protesters chanted ‘F*** you, Carmine’s’ and ‘Carmine’s are racist’ outside the Italian restaurant on the Upper West Side of Manhattan on Monday night
Hawk Newsome (left), a co-founder of BLM's New York chapter, speaks during the protest
'After she (the hostess) dropped the N-bomb, the three women did a double take and followed her out the restaurant,' Newsome said. 'And that’s the melee you saw.'
Justin Moore, a lawyer who represents Kaeita Nkeenge Rankin, alleged that the hostess used a racial slur and was rude to the women. Moore said the hostess also accused the women of producing fake vaccination cards.
'The hostess begins spouting out derogatory comments, and speaking with two of the women; they claim that the N-word is being spewed out,' Moore told The New York Times.
'They also heard the hostess say, "Yeah, you guys can leave my restaurant," or something very aggressive like that.
'When Dr. Rankin hears that, she turns around and addresses the hostess. She tells her: "This isn't your restaurant. You're just a staff member here. Please address us with respect"'.
He said the incident amounted to 'mutual combat.'
Moore's allegations were rejected by Carolyn Richmond, an attorney for the restaurant.
'Nothing about this incident suggests race was an issue,' Richmond told The Times.
'The pandemic has added a key responsibility to the host position - insuring the safety and health of all employees and guests by checking for proof of vaccination in compliance with New York City law.
'The idea that anyone would become violent as an employee performs this necessary function is anathema to New York, the hospitality industry and New Yorkers in general,' she added.
'As all of the women showed proof of vaccination they were all permitted to enter and were in fact seated inside.'
BLM protesters on Monday demanded that the restaurant release closed-circuit surveillance footage of the incident. Carmine's management was accused of 'trying to cover up their employee's actions by using the vaccination passport as an excuse.'
The restaurant responded by releasing the footage, which shows the three women seemingly accost the hostess even though it did not appear that she provoked them. The footage was first obtained by NY1.
BLM protesters supporting the women claim the hostess 'lunged' at the three Texas tourists and that she was disrespectful.
The trio have claimed the unnamed 24 year-old hostess was actually the aggressor, and have called for her to be fired.
During the fracas, restaurant staff jumped in to defend their co-worker, who was left with bruises and scratches, with footage of the brawl making headlines across the United States.
Hawk Newsome, a co-founder of BLM's New York chapter who planned Monday's protest, said the duking tourists were reacting to being called the racial slur.
'After she (the hostess) dropped the N-bomb, the three women did a double take and followed her out the restaurant,' Newsome said.
'And that’s the melee you saw.'
Three women from Texas punched and beat a hostess at Carmine's Restaurant on the Upper West Side of Manhattan on Thursday after she asked for their proof of vaccination to dine indoors
Carmine's staff, right, assisted by another person, jumped in to separate one of the attackers from the 24-year-old host
One of Carmine's managers, left, confronted the women who attacked her employee. The women complained that they were not being allowed inside
BLM organizers also blasted the city's strict vaccine passport rules and invoked the names of recent black women killed by police.
'This vaccination card mandate to create more Sandra Blands, and more Breonna Taylors, it ends here,' said BLM organizer Kimberly Bernard.
'Consider yourself served. Cancel Carmine's!'
Newsome also blasted the vaccination edict.
'Listen, vaccine is a choice, it's a choice,' Newsome told Fox News Channel.
'You shouldn't exclude people from everyday activities because they choose not to engage in something they have every reason to doubt.'
Jeffrey Bank, the owner of the restaurant, released a statement saying that the surveillance footage shows the assailants started the brawl without justification and were 'entirely unprovoked.'
'This video footage makes clear that the women's Texan criminal defense attorney is heaving falsehoods to try to get his clients off the hook for their attack,' Bank said.
'It also makes clear Carmine's staff acted appropriately and professionally.'
Moore told Daily News: 'This hostess clearly has some anger management issues and unfortunately her aggression and her violence led to something that three black women are being punished for.'
Richmond denied the Texas women's accusation.
'Any claim that they were racially profiled is a complete fabrication, disingenuous, and outright irresponsible,' the lawyer for the restaurant told the Daily News.
The hostess 'refused service to these women and got hostile with them,' Moore said in a statement on Friday.
'The injuries that she received were incurred by her being physically restrained by other staff at Carmine’s after she was called out for racial discrimination, which she took offense to.'
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro (pictured third from left) had to eat pizza outside on the street in New York City on Sunday because he is unvaccinated
The photo of Bolsonaro and his inner circle of advisers eating pizza on the sidewalk went viral on social media
Bolsonaro, who claims he is unvaccinated against coronavirus , and his ministers had pizza slices and sodas in the middle of the street on Sunday as they arrived in-person for the United Nations General Assembly meeting
Carmine's, which has two locations in New York City as well as outposts in cities including Las Vegas, is known for large servings of pasta and other Italian dishes.
The restaurant has been following the city's rule requiring proof of vaccination for indoor restaurant dining, which has been in effect since August 17 but was only being enforced as of this week.
'Last week’s violence against our staff had nothing to do with race, despite a Texas criminal defense lawyer’s false assertions to the contrary,' the restaurant said in a statement.
'Three of our hosts who are respectively black, Latinx, and Asian American women did their best to welcome a large party while enforcing New York's vaccination requirement for indoor dining.
'We require that every guest show evidence of vaccination to eat inside.
'Unfortunately, some male members of the party were unable to provide vaccination proof and so could not enter the restaurant.
'Three female guests in the party who had shown proof of vaccination and been welcomed into the restaurant without issue then launched an entirely unprovoked, brutal attack on our hosts, one of whom continues to suffer from a concussion.'
The statement added: 'None of the attackers offered any reason for their attack. None of the hosts – all of whom are people of color – uttered a racial slur.
'None of the attackers mentioned anything about race to our managers, staff, or the police who arrested them, and the Texas criminal defense lawyer's false assertion otherwise is a deeply cynical ploy to try to excuse wanton violence.'
New York City has some of the most restrictive COVID-19 rules.
Last month, Mayor Bill de Blasio imposed a mandate requiring patrons to show proof of vaccination to enjoy indoor activities like dining, concerts, movies and conventions.
Businesses had a grace period, which ended on September 13, to begin implementing vaccine checkpoints before facing $1,000 fines.
Mask rules have remained largely relaxed, although New Yorkers must still wear them on public transport and in health settings, with individual businesses also permitted to impose a mandatory face-covering rule if they wish.
A drunken woman, branded as 'Karen,' in California attacked a restaurant worker for not wearing a mask. Karen herself was maskless when she attacked a restaurant supervisor. When no one responded to her commands, she grabbed a bottle of cleaning spray off the counter and sprayed it in the worker's face before finally leaving the restaurant
Last month de Blasio said every Department of Education employee must receive at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine by September 27 in efforts to stop the hyper-contagious Delta variant spread through the city.
He did not offer the option of a weekly test instead.
City data showed that only 28 percent of black city residents between the ages of 18 and 44 are fully vaccinated, compared to 49 percent of Hispanics, 52 percent of whites, and 82 percent of Asians in the same age group.
Since New York announced its vaccine mandate, New Orleans and San Francisco have issued similar orders for patrons and staff of indoor businesses.
The US currently has about 149,000 weekly average of new cases and the death toll has reached 673,000.
The mandate applies even to world leaders, including Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
The leader of the world's sixth most populous country was forced to eat pizza on a Manhattan sidewalk on Sunday after he was refused indoor dining service due to his refusal to get vaccinated.
Bolsonaro and several of his key government ministers arrived in-person for the United Nations General Assembly meeting.
The photo of Bolsonaro and his inner circle of advisers eating pizza on the sidewalk went viral on social media.
New York City's health commissioner informed the General Assembly president-elect Abdulla Shahid that UNGA would be covered by a local law requiring proof of vaccination for indoor venues.
Already indicative of clashes is Bolsonaro, who says he is not vaccinated but has antibodies from a COVID-19 infection last year.
His in-person attendance at UNGA defies the New York City vaccine requirement and the honor system it implemented for attendees.
Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called the requirement 'discriminatory' and said he was 'surprised and disappointed' by the idea of requiring proof of vaccination to enter the General Assembly Hall.
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