Charlottesville Restaurant Owner Threatened After Turning Away ‘Unite the Right’ Marchers

A restaurateur in Charlottesville, Virginia, was threatened by a group of “Unite the Right” rally participants after asking them to leave his business on Sunday, CNN reports. Brian Ashworth, proprietor of Ace Biscuits & Barbecue, closed his restaurant on Saturday to avoid any interaction with the marchers. But the day after the violent rally — which resulted in the death of a counter protestor — a group of participants came into his restaurant.

Ashworth initially allowed the group of one woman and four or five men, who were wearing t-shirts in support of white nationalist causes, to sit inside and order. "We served them against my personal taste,” he told CNN. But after finishing the meal, while loitering in the parking lot, one of the men threw up the Nazi salute. The others reciprocated, and Ashworth ordered them to leave.

Twitter user @AlexiGarrett chronicled the events as they happened, tweeting, “Chef Brian Ashworth also said, right after he witnessed their Nazi salute: "Was that worth that girl's life?", then asked them to leave.” The line of waiting customers erupted into applause.

The group complained that they had rights to be there, but Ashworth cited his right to refuse service as he turned them away. After lobbing insults at Ashworth, the woman told him, “This isn’t over. We’ll be back.”

Ashworth closed for the day out of concern for his safety and that of his customers, and told CNN that when he reopens, he will be carrying his guns with him.

• Charlottesville restaurateur threatened after he boots patrons for Nazi salute [CNN]
• @AlexiGarrett [Twitter]