On August 9, the Memphis “SAFE” task force, a local police/state/Federal combined unit that basically replaced the Scorpion unit assaulted a nightclub. They blocked all exists and demanded to see ID in order to leave.
This was probably an attempt to round up migrants for ICE and/or to randomly check a crowd for anyone with a warrant. The countermeasure would basically have been to riot and force an exit from the club. Both out the windows and force on force at the door are valid options.
The narrator indicated this “started with ICE.”
The target of the raid was Legends Lounge, supposedly over exceeding fire capacity limits. This however would legally call for cops to evacuate the club, not trap everyone inside demanding they line up single file with fucking ID. Criminal defense attorney Michael R. Working called the police conduct “Blatantly illegal. Blatantly unconstitutional. Total violation of the Fourth Amendment,” after reviewing video of the raid.
Some historical background on such club raids
Remember: this was how Stonewall started when a Gay bar in NYC was treated this way in 1969.
Another example that I can describe from firsthand experience is far more recent. In 1998 in DC, a police raid on nonalcoholic Club Soda targetted an Oct 22 anti police brutality concert. Again the demand was to check IDs, but the crowd refused to comply and instead prepared to fight.
The second in command for the DC cops in 1998 was Terrence Gainer, he was there with his fucking bullhorn trying to get people to submit to ID checks. He was shouted down as the clamor and fury rose. People were able to force an exit en masse, and then gathered on the street, presumably not done fighting. Cops brought up a fire truck, but the Fire Department did not turn the hoses on people. Eventually the confrontation deescalated and fizzled out, with ID’s never getting checked so this was a defeat for the cops.
I did not see any serious attempt by cops to punch or club people into submission that night in 1998. We were indoors and they did not have gas masks, meaning they could not fire mace. My guess is they didn’t want their asses kicked, so they accepted that people were leaving without showing ID. Also remember that no law requires having ID at a club that does not have or want a liquor license.
There were a few arrests, but we won and the cops lost. I was there and remember it well. It did NOT happen again on my watch in DC. Now we see it happening in Memphis, and a year or two ago (I think it was in Seattle) cops even had the nerve to attack a Gay bar. This happened again in Pittsburgh in May 2025 targetting a drag show. Fascist thugs are getting bold, it’s time to remember what Stonewall stands for. ACAB…