On Saturday, scores of customers came to Backstreet Grill in Albuquerque’s Old Town to support it as it refused to close down following Yelp reviews and a KRQE 13 report alleging that employees were not wearing masks while working outside.
The massive support for Backstreet Grill came as embattled Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s State Police delivered a cease and desist order to the business, which was supposed to shut it down. But the restaurant owner refused to stay shuttered.
Along with multiple State Police officers came Lujan Grisham’s well-paid Environment Department Secretary James Kenney, who spoke with some supporters of Backstreet Grill, including Audrey Trujillo, a conservative activist in New Mexico. Kenny said, “We oversee the OSHA program. Just to make sure the employees are safe. And the lack of employees wearing masks as they’re performing their duties puts them at risk.”
Another health official, Christopher Hutchinson of the City of Albuquerque Environmental Health Department, was short with Trujillo and others, refusing to give them his name despite being present in an official capacity and merely telling them he was there because of a “lack of compliance” from the business.
“When is this going to end? When are you going to let these people run their businesses?” asked Trujillo to Kenney. “New Mexico is staying in this because they’re getting money. They are getting federal money,” she added.
“Look, I appreciate the conversation we’re having…. We’re so close. We’re getting very close to being over that edge” of being out of the pandemic, Kenney said. He did not elaborate on when or how that would happen. Shortly afterward, Kenney, Hutchinson, and the Stae Police officers left.
Chris, the owner of the business, said, “We were looking at a potential arrest. We were asked to shut it down even though it’s unconstitutional. The judge has issued a temporary order to shut us down pending even talking to her, which is very unacceptable considering the damage that would do to an already damaged business. On top of that, I just never saw that this would be something that would be an outcome.”
He added, “I tried to be polite and professional with the sergeant I realized was in command. He was waiting for orders. He was just following orders. They let him use his own decision-making in the field and he said that upon my request to leave, that he would honor that request and he would let us continue doing business.”
When asked if the massive public turnout to support the grill helped, he said, “Absolutely. Everything helps. Everything matters. Everything helps, and the support that I’ve gotten today is something I never even dreamed of. I feel like I’ve been fighting this fight alone for the longest time. And finally, now, I’m seeing the people come out and step up to the plate and actually stand on-scene and make their presence known.
Woot! Wish I was there when it happened too.
Where are they (the police and MLGs crew) for the 40 plus murders, multiple property crimes, and 100,000 facing evictions? It’s obviously politically motivated at this point. They like the show of force. Why care so much now ? But it just goes to show, if everyone stands up at once and defends their livelihoods, they can’t stop us all. Follow the science. Look at the many states open and free, yet we’re top 3 in unemployment. All this for top 15 in deaths per capita. But let’s believe MLG when she says we’re doing great.
Our southern border is being overrun by illegals. MLG looks the other way, instead tying up our state police with busting business owners.
It is time that MLG ends her rein of terror and frees up the NM citizens to make their own choices and to let the state police conduct beneficial tasks.
This POS gov will be out soon…..we all need to make sure when we elect the person for this state it needs to be someone who will be for the people not against it…..we do not need to be closed down at all….she kept saying for 3 weeks then it turned into 3 months then a year and we are still closed down….it was all a political ploy for her to get more fed money….she will be gone soon….
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Good for Backstreet. We need more businesses to stand up for their rights like that. This is the attitude that will save our state, not the self-serving actions of an incompetent governor.
Thank you Democratic voters!!!
Remember this and vote her out!
When will State Police return to their actual full time job and stop being the MLG Goon Squad. When they finally tell the governor no, the public will begin to respect and support them, rather that suspect and fear them. I think it’s clear from all the national attention, one way or the other that politics has absolutely no place in policing. We have a lot of really good guys out there that are being misused and abused by politics, starting at the roundhouse 4th floor.
The problem with the state police is following orders. If they were not following orders the public would be pushing for an investigation by Biden’s goon squad the FBI. This state needs to wake up and stop voting in Democrats. For the last fifty years Dem’s show up and give you a few penny’s just before an election to get your vote. Then they screw the citizens for four years until it is time for elections again. They tell you what you want to hear and then do nothing they promised. We vote in a President that was not a politician and your feelings got hurt because he did not act Presidential with his tweets. Obama was Presidential telling everyone around the world how sorry he was and then settle problems by drinking alcohol. Dem’s in Congress/Senate can say and promote hate, lies and steal. Stop the BS and just vote for anyone that has worked for a living and not ran for office just so they toot their own horn. All lives matter not just 13 percent of the population.