Protesters lined University Boulevard for a second day in front of the restaurant, Illegal Pete’s, during its official grand opening today.
In the second day of protests, a crowd gathered on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant shortly after 5 p.m. with more people and represented cultural groups.
In addition to the demand that the restaurant change its name, the protesters also formally announced – via megaphone – more demands, including that “[UA president] Ann Weaver Hart acknowledge that [the university] will not be doing business with Illegal Pete’s in any matter … that Pete Turner [the owner of the establishment] publicly acknowledge that the name is offensive … [and] that all racist words in Arizona end, and that this restaurant is not an exception.”
Protesters formed a human chain, linking arms and holding a steel chain, stretching it and themselves across the entrance to the restaurant and sporadically blocking it.
Potential patrons of the restaurant had to work their way through the line of protesters, who were chanting “change the name” and “people united will never be divided.” As they approached the entrance, they were photographed by protesters who told them, “smile racists.”
Police and Illegal Pete’s employees worked to keep foot traffic moving on the side walk and to the entrance of the restaurant.
While confrontation between protesters and restaurant employees was relatively quiet for the second day — limited to mostly requests to un-crowd the entrance — opposition to the protesters primarily came from passerby’s filtering through the crowd. The vast majority moved through the throng without comment, quietly passing through the crowd and moving on. But occasionally a racial slur was shouted, resulting in a shouting match between pedestrians and protesters.
According to Guadalupe Barrios, a participant in the protests, four groups were represented in the crowd – Derechos Hermanos, No More Deaths, United Non-Discriminatory Individuals Demanding Our Studies and Movimiento Estudiantil Chicana/o de Aztlan.
The view of protestors from the Illegal Pete’s balcony pic.twitter.com/VMw6OB2ueK
— Daily Wildcat (@dailywildcat) December 11, 2015
The restaurant is at full capacity but the top floor is not open – Chelsea Marx, Training Manager at Illegal Pete’s pic.twitter.com/i9DAD4g5JN
— Daily Wildcat (@dailywildcat) December 11, 2015
Protesters are clashing with members of the Tucson community who do not support the protest pic.twitter.com/ymS6Lp6E87
— Daily Wildcat (@dailywildcat) December 11, 2015
Protesters announce their demands. They previously stated they demand that the restaurant change their name. pic.twitter.com/D4EMQyatQk
— Daily Wildcat (@dailywildcat) December 11, 2015
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