by JOSH MILTON
An LGBT+ bar in Des Moines, Iowa, was “violently raided” by police after club organisers gave medical assistance to Black Lives Matter protesters. The protesters limply wandered into the bar, their bodies bruised, their voices hoarse, strained from chanting.
On Monday night (June 1) Des Moines police violently raided a queer bar on the first day of Pride Month, arresting three people, in what LGBT+ people have wearily dubbed “Stonewall Two”.
Law enforcement claimed it was because club-goers had broken the 9pm curfew enforced by city leaders to hush unrest, but surveillance footage release by Blazing Saddle sets a different scene. It showed powdered-up showgirls tending to Black Lives Matter demonstrators’ wounds who were, a witness said, in “agonising pain”, as clashes happened just blocks away.
According to local media, nearly three hours into the city’s curfew and several dispersal orders, police advanced on protesters packing the grounds of the Iowa State Capitol at around 11:45pm and used tear gas canisters and flash bangs to decamp them. Footage shows two police cruisers rolling in, “packed with police officers in full armour with big f***ing guns” and storming the front of the bar.
The devastating symbolism of a scene seemingly pulled straight out of the history books – police raiding a gay bar some 51 years after doing the same to Stonewall – was not lost on the queer community. Read more via Pink News
Just prior to midnight on Monday, June 1, 2020, we had been watching the protest at the Capital building (only blocks away from our location) on the news when it was starting to break up and the protestors were asked to disperse. We then saw on tv that the crowd was getting tear gassed, three of our people were prepared with a backpack full of first aide supplies and went outside in case anyone would be in need of assistance post-protest. We also had bottles of water and towels available for use if needed.
Foot and vehicle traffic started to pick up in our area with protestors marching and running as well as police presence following them down Locust and E 5th St. An unmarked white pick-up containing numerous officers in riot gear turned onto our street. Many of the people on foot started running and our people with first aide supplies were heading back to the Saddle from the alley. At this point the police disembarked from the pick-up bed, guns pointed, and proceeded to put the 3 on the ground. The rest of us (4 others) entered the building and locked the door as the police came at us. We were told to unlock the door and 3 of us were told to come outside while 1 had run to hide. As they held us at the front door with guns, 2 officers went into the bar to make sure it was “clear”. They found our 4th person and thoroughly frisked them before bringing them outside, then the officers continued to sweep the bar looking for others.
The 3 on the ground were then cuffed face down on the sidewalk and asked what was in the backpack. As 1 of them listed the contents of the bag, the officer went through the bag then removed the spray bottles of diluted MOM and baking soda (to combat tear gas effects) and a pair of safety scissors for removing clothing. They then were sat on the bench out in front of the bar as the rest of us were told to return inside and lock the door. They were asked questions and then taken away to jail by the police – all the while other actual protestors were allowed to leave without incident. The 3 who went to jail waited approximately 2+ hours for processing, were bailed out and still had to remain in the jail and were also denied medical attention/care as 1 was one maintenance meds that were in their confiscated backpack.
After the arrest was made and the 4 of us were sequestered into the bar, we attempted to contact City Councilmen Joe Gatto and Carl Voss by email and texting respectively and County Supervisor Chairman Matt McCoy by email and messenger. At this point (5:30pm Tuesday) we have yet to hear anything from them. We have, however spoken with DMPD spokesman Sgt Paul Parizek concerning the incident.