Demonstrators charged in June bar protest held for trial

Demonstrators charged in connection with a June protest at a Downtown bar are preparing for trial after most of the charges against them were held for court at a preliminary hearing Friday.

Magisterial District Judge Robert Dzvonick heard testimony from an employee from the 941 Saloon and police Detective Francesco Rosato, who is involved with the Damage Accountability and Assessment Taskforce, the agency investigating illegal activity during protests.

Protesters Monique Craft, 35; Christian Carter, 20; and Dena

Stanley, 36, were at the hearing.

Lavier Pounds Jr., 24, and Lorenzo Rulli, 24, were also charged in the incident. Mr. Pounds did not appear for the hearing, and Mr. Rulli has another preliminary hearing in the case scheduled for Oct. 16.

The case stems from a protest at which activists alleged the 941 Saloon on Liberty Avenue instituted a racist dress code, after two men on June 20 were denied entry to the bar for wearing hats.

The incident occurred months before another incident on Sept. 5 at Sienna Mercato, Downtown, in which protesters were accused

of smashing a patron’s glass and drinking a patron’s beer. Craft and Mr. Rulli were also charged in that protest.

The 941 Saloon bartender, Erica Spanovich, testified that after the men were ejected from the bar, Ms. Stanley arrived at the bar and said she “owns this city,” that the bar was going to shut down and that she would “burn this [ expletive] to the ground.”

On June 24, Ms. Stanley and about 100 other protesters arrived outside the bar around 4 p.m. to protest the dress code, which also included policies banning tank tops, hoodies, athletic jerseys and bandannas.

According to Ms. Spanovich’s testimony, a bar security guard locked the door as protesters tried to enter the bar. Then, Carter and another activist placed duct tape and zip ties on the door, which the prosecution alleged was done to prevent the 10 employees working at the bar from leaving.

The defense took issue with that assessment; upon cross- examination, Ms. Spanovich said she did exit the back door to have a cigarette as the protest was ongoing.

As the protest continued, it got more aggressive, Ms. Spanovich said. Protesters yelled that they were going to “shut down” and “burn down” the establishment. The group also entered the bar’s back alley as two protesters jumped on a security vehicle.

As the defense attorneys repeatedly questioned Ms. Spanovich about the specific details of what she did and did not see during the protest, the judge became heated at the line of questioning.

“You’re gonna take my 48 years [ of experience], gentlemen, and not play these stupid games,” he said.

Defense attorney Paul Jubas replied, “It’s civil rights, not a game.”

Detective Rosato identif i e d t h e p e o p l e w h o jumped on the car as Mr. Pounds and Mr. Rulli, w h o s e l e g a l n a m e i s Shawn Lateff Green. Detective Rosato detailed alleged activity he had seen on security cameras and social media videos, but t h a t f o o t a g e w a s n o t shown at the hearing, despite passionate objection from the defense.

When Detective Rosato described the video, he also said it showed Craft pushing a security guard as protesters tried to enter the bar. Mr. Jubas, who represents Craft, asked if it seemed like the guard was the one who pushed the defendant, but Detective Rosato reiterated that Craft was the one who engaged the man. The statement elicited a gasp from Craft.

Craft faces two felony charges, riot and terroristic threats, and a misdem e a n o r h a r a s s m e n t charge.

Ms. Stanley is charged with terroristic threats, riot and conspiracy, all of which are felonies; a second terroristic threats charge was withdrawn at the hearing.

A felony riot charge against Carter was withdrawn, leaving the activist now charged with misdemeanors including false imprisonment and harassment.

A l l o f t h e c h a r g e s against Mr. Pounds were also held for trial. He faces charges of harassment, two counts of criminal mischief and riot.

Supporters of the protesters gathered outside the municipal courthouse.

“This is [ a] real scary time,” Craft said, telling the crowd to follow orders or else the activists would end up in jail. “This is serious.” Craft also said that Detective Rosato’s testimony was a lie.

“[ Expletive] the system,” Ms. Stanley yelled to the crowd, adding that these hearings were “why we’re out here on these streets.”

Giuseppe Rosselli, who represents Carter, said he was happy that the felony charge was dismissed. He also took issue that the prosecutors relied upon a video that was not shown at the hearing.

Mr. Rosselli and the other defense attorneys were permitted to view “portions” of the video, he said. Asked whether Detective Rosato’s testimony that Carter taped the doors of the bar was accurate to what was shown in the video, he said, “What I saw was [ Carter] exercising ... First Amendment right. That’s what I saw.”

The formal arraignment for the defendants is set for Nov. 13.