Arizona - They will protest businesses with ?no colors? policy
KINGMAN - More than 1,500 motorcyclists from around Arizona are expected to roll into Kingman this weekend.
The riders will be in town for the bimonthly meeting of the Arizona Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs (ACMC). The riders also plan on stopping by several bars that have recently instituted a "no colors" policy.
The riders will be equipped with forms that will allow them to document any incidents in which they are turned away because of what they are wearing, said ACMC Chairman Still Ray of Prescott.
Ray said members of the Arizona State Gang Task Force have been threatening to pull liquor licenses from bars and restaurants unless they institute a "no colors" policy.
"The problem is that the gang task force is using the state liquor board as a weapon and that's not right," Ray said.
Ray added that the riders aren't out to cause a riot but rather exercise their right to lawful assembly.
Bars and restaurants on the planned protest route include Mad Dog's, Chuy's, Cerbat Lanes and the Sportsman's bar. When contacted, some said they were aware of Saturday's activities.
Deborah Barry, owner of Mad Dog's, said she instituted a "no colors" policy more than a month ago because of the surveillance being conducted by police in her parking lot. Because the bikers were being watched and photographed, they were less likely to drink, which led to a drop in revenue, and ultimately, the ban on colors, she said.
Barry said she was never threatened to have her liquor license revoked if she didn't ban colors.
"Colors" are considered any patch or insignia on a vest that would identify an affiliation with a particular motorcycle club.
Ray said that riders are being tagged as criminals or gang members because of their association with motorcycles.
"It's a way of life," he said. "I resent it when I am considered a criminal because I'm in a motorcycle club."
Ray said up to 2,000 riders could roll into Kingman by Saturday. He said he was aware of a couple of groups of more than 400 riders coming from Phoenix.
Ray said the riders have been invited to take part in the Veteran's Day parade in North Kingman Saturday morning. The parade will begin at 11 a.m. at the corner of North Bond Street and Northern Avenue.
The ACMC meeting will be held at the American Legion Post on Oak Street at noon.
Disclaimer: The opinions in this article are solely those of the writer, and may not reflect the beliefs of anyone at Outlaw Biker World.
This site may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of political, human rights, economic, democracy, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
Home
