A business owner has spoken out about alleged harassment and claimed Black Lives Matter activists sent him a blackmail letter in which they threatened with repercussions should he not comply with their demands.
As Fernando Martinez, the owner of a Cuban restaurant called La Bodeguita de Mima, insisted, he and other business owners in Louisville’s East Market District, also known as NuLu, were given blackmail letters during a BLM protest in late July.
Among other demands, the activists allegedly insisted that businesses in the area must consist of at least 23% Black employees and that they purchase at least 23% of their inventory from Black retailers or make a recurring donation to a Black charity.
Besides the list of demands, the letter also came along with potential repercussions of non-compliance which included “invasive reclamation” and “social media blast” among other ‘punishments’.
“You better put the letter on the door so your business is not f***ed with,” one of the protesters allegedly told Martinez.
Following the BLM protest, Martinez closed his restaurant for two days due to fears of repercussions and slammed the “mafia tactics” on social media.
“There comes a time in life that you have to make a stand and you have to really prove your convictions and what you believe in,” Martinez expressed.
“All good people need to denounce this. How can you justified [justify] injustice with more injustice?”
On Sunday, Martinez, along with other Cuban members of the local community, held a counter-protest during which he suggested they shouldn’t allow themselves to be bullied into anything.
“La Bodeguita is open to everybody. If you’re gay, this is your home. If you’re Black, this is your home. If you’re White, this is your home. If you’re human, this is your home,” Martinez allegedly said.
Following the controversial letter making rounds on the internet, Louisville’s BLM activists insisted their letter wasn’t a set of demands but a gateway to establish discussions with local businesses.
According to the reports, protesters in the area confirmed that some businesses have already signed the agreement to comply with the demands.
Replaced!