Staten Island Bar and Restaurant Closure Sparks Giant Protest

A restaurant and bar called Mac’s Public House in Staten Island was recently closed because the owner openly defied coronavirus restrictions imposed by New York governor Andrew Cuomo. The general manager was taken away in handcuffs Tuesday night.

The establishment is located in one of New York’s so-called orange zones where COVID-19 cases have spiked. The closing, however, was not taken lightly by the many customers and friends of Mac’s.

Hundreds gathered, unmasked, carrying American flags, standing shoulder to shoulder in front to protest the closing. They confronted local sheriffs who were trying to enforce the closing and the mood grew ugly.

As the restaurant COVID restrictions continue across the country, I suspect there will be more scenes like the one at Mac’s. Call the crowd’s behavior careless and risky but it was also highly emotional: emotion that has escalated over 10 months of personal lockdowns and a continued inability to enjoy their favorite restaurant and bars.

This leads to the giant conundrum of COVID slicing apart the fabric of life in America. Even amidst the deaths and resultant chaos, frustration has grown to a boiling point in many cities where restaurant and bar customers feel their ability to choose has been stripped away.

Thus, the incident in Staten Island could be a harbinger of things to come. Irrational and reckless, yes, but in a strange way, somewhat understandable. I just hope we don’t have a replication of Staten Island in Austin.