Andy Shallal, CEO of Busboys and Poets, also called for the abolition prisons
After a failed armed robbery at one of his restaurants late Sunday night, the founder of a progressive Washington, D.C. restaurant chain held firm to his calls to abolish prisons and defund the Police.
Busboys and Poets is a new example of the violence that has gripped the capital. It operates as a bookstore, restaurant, bar and bookstore.
Andy Shallal, founder and CEO of Busboys and Poets, confirmed to Fox News Digital that no money was taken from the business during the robbery and said that he believed it was committed by “terrorists” who are local “kids without a better job.”
Shallal stated that he believes there has been an increase in crime not only in D.C., but across the country. D.C. is no different.” Monday’s phone interview was conducted by Shallal.
On Monday, the founder of the restaurant chain said that he stood by police and his “defund” tweets.
A broken system cannot be fixed. It is necessary to take down the system and rebuild it. “Thank you Minneapolis City Council, for leading the dismantling of the police department,” Shallal tweeted June 2020. “Next is to abolish prisons. #DefundPolice #protests #BlackLivesMatter #keepthemomentum”
“I believe the problem we have is that when the police arrive, the incident has already occurred.” Shallal stated that the problem has already happened. “So, for us to have police — it’s nice that they show up. But what are we doing about the root causes of people doing stuff like this?”
Shallal stated that he calls police when something is happening and that the law enforcement cannot un-terrible.
Shallal stated that “when we talk about defunding police, just to make it clear, it’s to divert some funds that go to police to services that help the police do their job,” adding that he believes that police departments should employ more social workers and counseling officers to “take away” police’s responsibility to “have a deal with all of that and divert them to what they really need.”
Shallal stated that he sees the COVID-19 pandemic and the social network as some of the factors behind the crime surge. However, he did not say how the shifting view of police influenced by the “defund-the-police” movement would impact the crime surge.
“Again, we must look at the root causes,” Shallal said. Shallal stated that while it is one thing to apply a Band-Aid to an injury, it’s quite another to determine the cause of the injury and ensure it stops bleeding. “We continue bleeding, we continue to use Band-Aids, and it doesn’t help.”
Shallal stated that he was not against police and that he talks to them all the time. He also said that police deal with “most ridiculous things” such as homelessness, “mental health” or “social dysfunction.”
Shallal stated that it was very difficult for them to do their jobs. He also said that he had “never called police except if there is a problem.”
Shallal demanded defunding of the police, while claiming that violent protests following the murder George Floyd which led to riots were becoming peaceful as the police “have become more violent.”
According to news, “The demonstrations have become more peaceful.” He wrote that nothing has changed for the protesters. “It’s the police who have become less violent. “Defining police and reauthorizing much-needed social services are the best ways forward. #BlackLivesMattters #protests2020 #DefundPolice”
The founder of the bar chain has a history calling for defunding police.
In recent years, Shallal, who donated thousands to Democrats, including Kamala’s presidential campaign, has been featured in the news. This includes when he laid off hundreds more workers at the start of the pandemic. Also, when “Squad” progressive “Squad” Reps. Ilhan Olmar, D.Minn. and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) defended their antisemitic stances in his restaurant in 2019.
After the restaurant chain cancelled an event at a location owned by prolife Democrats, Busboys and poets were headlines in January.
A spokeswoman for the restaurant told The Washington Free Beacon that while we welcome discussions from people with different views and are proud to be a place for respectful conversations between diverse groups, it is also safe space. “As such we cannot knowingly accept events that are designed to finance an agenda which our community members consider to be a violation of the rights and freedoms of others.
As the bar was closing down, three suspects entered the D.C. bar brandishing guns and a handgun and asking for money.
According to local reports, nothing was taken from the restaurant and the robbers fled in a four-door sedan.
It’s not the first time that one of Busboy’s and Poets’ crime scenes has been featured in the media. A gunman opened fire from outside and struck several buildings including the Hyattsville home of Busboys and Poets.
