S.F. bakery won't serve cops, police union claims. Store says it's about the guns, not the cops

https://lemmy.world/post/4051215

S.F. bakery won't serve cops, police union claims. Store says it's about the guns, not the cops - Lemmy.world

San Francisco’s police union says a city bakery chain has a “bigoted” policy of not serving uniformed cops. The San Francisco Police Officers Assn. wrote in a social media post last week that Reem’s California “will not serve anyone armed and in uniform” and that includes “members of the U.S. Military.” The union is demanding that the chain “own” its policy. Reem’s says, however, its policy isn’t against serving armed police officers. It’s against allowing guns inside its businesses.

It’s wholly within their rights to refuse service to anyone for any reason. I hope they stick to their… well, I guess “stick to their guns” doesn’t really work here but whatever.
If they are a public facing business, they are not within their rights to refuse service to anyone for any reason. There are protected classes, like age/race/sexuality. So if you own a business like a coffee shop, you can’t say “no black people.” However, police and guns are not protected classes, so I think they should be in the clear legally.

Also the distinction is “no uniforms, no guns” off duty police are still served. It’s actually a little closer to “no shoes, no shirt, no service”.

As listed in the article some of the employees and regular customers come from war-torn places or have histories of traumatic interactions with police. Hence the ban comes from a place of limiting PTSD reactions.