Boston Bar Fights Back Over 'Slander' For Serving Neo-Nazi Group
BOSTON (CBS) -- The owners of Green Dragon Tavern near Fanuiel Hall are making it clear that they do not support Neo-Nazis or any other group that promotes hate.
Noelle and Sean Somers say their restaurant has recently come under attack on social media. Protesters are calling for the restaurant to be boycotted, saying the Green Dragon caters to Nazis and white nationalists.
"We have never and will never tolerate hate, and for it to be portrayed that we do is just disgusting," says Noelle at a press conference on Friday. "It's been a very painful week to me -- getting this onslaught of emails and calling us Nazis."
The Somers says the protesters are spreading misinformation on platforms like Yelp, Facebook, and Google.
One post says: "Stay Away This Bar serves Nazis. I was there and a group of about 20 idiots openly wearing swastikas and other white supremacist symbols walked in. They were purposely intimidating other patrons."
Another reads: "This bar knowingly served Neo-Nazis, which put other customers in danger. I don't know what the management was thinking."
But the owners shared with the media a two-hour surveillance camera video of a group of individuals enjoying a meal.
Noelle says, "If there is any racist propaganda put out or doing a Nazi salute or someone saying something racially, in any way shape or form to another person, they will not be allowed in."
Video also shows the manager of the Green Dragon confronting the three people outside the restaurant.
A tour guide happened to be sitting near the group in question at the time. He told WBZ-TV, there was no disruption or cause for concern. "People came in, sat to my right I believe, and ate their meal and left," he said.
Protesters say they followed the group to the restaurant after coming from a rally in Boston. They have their own rally planned for in front of the Green Dragon Tavern Friday night.
The protest organizer said to WBZ-TV, "a hate group is a hate group, even if that hate group wasn't behaving badly at the time...you are not welcome because your ideology is wanting to harm our community."
The Somers have owned the Green Dragon for the past 25 years and they never had anything like this happen to them as a company or as a family. Now they are dealing with more than 125 negative social media posts and want them taken down.
Sean says, "These bullies are going to come along, slander their businesses and the social media networks and accounts are not held accountable, it's like the wild west."