The Church St bar owner who claims that police harassed him and destroyed his business during Pride weekend filed a complaint against the police on Jul 12.
After a Jun 25 police visit to Bar Babylon ended in a confrontation, owner Amir Ebrahimnia was charged with obstructing a police officer, resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer. Ebrahimnia says police entered the bar without cause and started to shut him down for being over capacity, which he does not deny. As patrons left, Ebrahimnia says he threw a martini shaker and says the police responded by punching and kicking him.
His first court appearance is scheduled for Fri, Aug 5. The bar likely also faces charges under the Liquor Licence Act, though Ebrahimnia says they haven’t been laid yet.
“They called me [Jul 14] to tell me to pick up the alcohol they confiscated and I think they will also lay the liquor charges when I go in,” says Ebrahimnia.
He says he won’t be reopening the bar and that the outstanding liquor charges make it impossible to sell the business.
“They completely destroyed me,” he says.
What are the police saying about how they came to be at the bar and how the incident unfolded?
“Not a thing,” says 51 Division Supt Randal Munroe. “While there are criminal charges and him talking about filing a complaint, I can’t talk about it.
“What I will say is that [Ebrahimnia] is using the media very well. He’s pleaded his case without any cross-examination or commitment to the truth. This is a campaign of self-service.”
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