A teen was arrested after he allegedly smashed the front window and neon sign of New York City’s inconic Stonewall Inn with a baseball bat, according to police.
The police busted teenager William Gomez around 4 am after being called by someone inside the establishment. The damage is estimated to cost around $6,800. Gomez is charged with reckless endangerment, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal mischief. No one was injured.
Police report that attack occurred after the teen was kicked out of the bar. He had previously been arrested in October for an assault in Brooklyn. This incident is not being investigated as a hate crime. The news comes nearly one week after the teen who threw a brick at Pantibar was released without charge.
In 2016, Stonewall was designated as a National Monument by Former US President Barack Obama.
The iconic Uprising at the Inn is regarded as a milestone in the fight for LGBT+ rights in the United States with activists Marsha P. Johnson and Slyvia Rivera playing a large role. The riots occurred in June 1969 and are the reason Pride month is recognised in June.
Some LGBT+ activists were concerned that Stonewall Inn would lose its status as a national monument after President Donald Trump said he would “review” those designated by Obama, but it was never affected by revisions.
In mid-June, New York unveiled another LGBT+ monument in Hudson River Park. The memorial was established to honour “the LGBT community, those lost in the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting in June 2016, and all victims of hate, intolerance and violence,” according to a city council spokesman.
The memorial features six stones that appear to be split and hollowed out but are actually connected by sections of glass. The largest stone features a quote from LGBT+ activist Audre Lorde reading, “Difference is that raw and powerful connection from which our personal power is forged…”
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