New Black Panthers Protest Chinese Restaurant, Only Prove They Desperately Need a Map
A protest by members of the New Black Panther Party might have sought to address injustices overseas and at home, but the move failed miserably once the details of whom they were protesting emerged.
The activists’ Washington, D.C., picket was reported by Stephanie Mencimer, a staff writer for Mother Jones, on Tuesday.
“The New Black Panthers are out on 14th St trying to shut down Yum Yums,” she wrote on Twitter.
The New Black Panthers are out on 14th St trying to shut down Yum Yums pic.twitter.com/fUrSivrnd9
— Stephanie Mencimer (@smencimer) May 19, 2020
What could have inspired these members to protest a popular local Chinese take-out restaurant? Was a waiter rude to a black patron? Perhaps the eatery posted a sign perceived as racist, provoking a brutal backlash?
Thankfully, Mencimer investigated a little further and found something truly bewildering.
“The panthers are here at Yum’s,” she wrote, “to protest the Chinese government’s expulsion of Africans from their homes and hospitals, a woman explained to me.”
The panthers are here at Yum’s to protest the Chinese government’s expulsion of Africans from their homes and hospitals, a woman explained to me. @PoPville
— Stephanie Mencimer (@smencimer) May 19, 2020
Yum’s is not owned or operated by China or by anyone linked to the communist nation.
According to Washington City Paper, the Yum’s restaurants (of which there are seven) were started by Jerry Chen and his brother. The industrious Chen immigrated to the United States in 1979 from Hong Kong.
When Chen left that city for opportunities overseas, it was firmly under British control, where it would remain until 1997.
Considering this very relevant information, the Panthers’ protest could be likened to petitioning Taco Bell for a redress of grievances from the government of Guatemala.
The activists’ choice of target was so mind-boggling that it left Mencimer questioning what the restaurant did to attract the outrage.
It’s not clear what Yum’s has done to require justice except for being an Asian business.
— Stephanie Mencimer (@smencimer) May 19, 2020
It seems these Panthers should have allocated some of their protest sign money for a map of Washington, because a better target for their outrage is only a short jaunt from the restaurant.
The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China is less than a 15-minute drive from Yum’s 14th Street location, meaning the activists could have easily confronted representatives of the repressive communist state instead of an unrelated restaurant.
The party could have easily avoided this humiliation by dipping into its coffers to spring for a map of the city. Instead, diners inside Yum’s got both dinner and a show.
UPDATE, May 26, 2020: This article headline has been updated to clarify that members of the New Black Panther Party were protesting at Yum’s.
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