Apparently, Downtown Las Vegas bar-hoppers aren’t quite as quick to back abusive bouncers as Chris LaPorte, the owner of Insert Coins, was after a video (embedded below) of a man being beaten out front of his Fremont Street bar became public. Citing “a rapidly changing DTLV business environment” and the tough economy, it was announced July 9th that the previous night would be the last one for Insert Coins.
That was later revised to characterize it as a temporary closing, but don’t hold your breath waiting to play shitty, broken video games and buy overpriced drinks after paying an inflated cover charge in Las Vegas again. What closes in Vegas stays closed.
As was reported here at CopBlock.org as well as other places, such as PhotographyIsNotACrime.com, on February 12th there was an incident involving bouncers from several “Fremont East” bars. Bouncers from Insert Coin(s) initiated a confrontation by demanding a man move from the public sidewalk in front of their location, even though they had no actual authority to do so. When that man refused three of those bouncers knocked him to the ground and punched and choked him for a full minute after he was already down.
While that was going on a passerby began recording it with his cellphone. Another bouncer from the Vanguard, which is located next door tried to prevent him from filming the beating. Finally, yet another bouncer from the Griffin crossed the street, grabbed his phone, smashed it on the ground, and then assaulted him, also.
Even though you can very clearly see the bouncers assaulting the man and not stopping even after he’s down on the ground and defenseless in the video, LaPorte refused to acknowledge they were wrong and even stated that he watched surveillance video of the altercation and that he “backs my guys.” He maintained that stance even after the Griffin actually did the right thing and fired the bouncer that broke the witness’ phone. Instead, LaPorte comically implored everyone to “get the whole story before believing what you see.”
Not surprisingly, some people in the community weren’t so willing to close their eyes during that video and blindly back Chris’ guys. A series of protests organized primarily by Nevada Cop Block and Southern Nevada Watchdogs, a local grassroots organization based in Las Vegas, followed over the next few weeks. Since it was claimed that the “transgression” of the man who was beaten was dancing on the sidewalk in front of their bar, one of the biggest and most publicized of the many held was dubbed the “Dance, Dance Revolution.” That and others, including numerous impromptu protests involved the use of chalk messages and showing potential customers the video as they approached the entrance to Insert Coins to draw attention to the bouncers’ actions.
Hmmm…”financial challenges this year that [Insert Coins] cannot sustain”.
If they were more specific, they would say that their security guard brutally beat a homeless man for no reason and the public stopped going there (after weeks of protests).
Facebook post by Stephen Stubbs on Thursday, July 9, 2015
The economy is still kinda crappy in Vegas and the bloom is just about completely off the Zappos rose in “the #DTLV.” So, I don’t really doubt those factors also played a part in Insert Coins getting unplugged. But you know what doesn’t help that when you’re a customer service based business? A giant PR disaster that’s so badly handled it turns into a month long public denouncement of your business. Even an eleventh hour attempt to donate to a group that gives food to local homeless people wasn’t enough to make that stink go away.
I’m sure those bouncers were glad Chris LaPorte backs “his guys,” even when they violently attack people on video after one of them started a fight with that person (for no good reason). The rest of the former Insert Coins employees might not be so glad that they are all out looking for a job (during that crappy Vegas economy) because of the actions of three individuals, who were pretty clearly wrong regardless of what angle you watch them beat and choke a guy laying on the ground for over a full minute from.
It’s also a bit of an example of what might happen in response to all the police brutality and lack of any accountability at all, if a government mandated monopoly on police services didn’t remove any options people have for law enforcement and protection outside of the one committing all those beatings and murders then covering up for it.
**Disclaimer** This example of a very successful result to a chalk protest was not intentionally timed to promote the annual “Chalk the Police State” Day protests scheduled for July 18th. The fact that the closing of Insert Coins was announced the same day as the post for Chalk the Police State Day 2015 was published is pure coincidence (or was it).**
Kelly is a lifelong resident of Las Vegas, who’s been very active in local grassroots activism, as well as on a national level during his extensive travels. He’s also the founder/main contributor of Nevada Cop Block, served as editor/contributor at CopBlock.org and designed the Official Cop Block Press Passes.
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Connect with Kelly at these social networks; Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
Fuck Chris LaPorte. Karma is a bitch!
But… but… I thought bouncers always did it right!
mo:
You beat to that comment.
KWP: it was just a couple of months ago that this site…and all of the usual CBer commenters extolled us all with how bouncers are the professional best.
And…can I ask:
How does this fit in with Petes private army of hired security to handle things? This is exactly what that is.
Gotta’ be quick on the draw in the paid shill biz. ;P The early word gets the burn, or something like that.
I still get a chuckle when I think of Deo watching Roadhouse and taking notes on how to be a good bouncer.
That’s funny. To,steal from CS…+4
You obviously missed the part about the availability of competition and the consequences for someone subject to that competition that Pete mentions every single time and that this shithole closing because people decided to go to a bar where they didn’t have to worry about its bouncers assaulting them and then the owner looking the other way and backing “his guys” is a perfect illustration of.
KWP:
No guy…..I get it very well. Your private security vs Billy’s private security. That is exactly how it goes.
This is the perfect example. This guys private army went to far according to you. So who should this guy call? In Pete’s and now your world…his own private army to go enforce his will on theses guys. But what if he can’t afford his own private army?
Maybe he could use the goofy app thing about notifying others to come to your rescue.
Way to,miss the point that yet another CB idea is shit.
The private army thing is clear y bad as proven by this article.
The bouncers are polite and consummate professional,is shot by this article.
Wow dude….you got a two-for.
No, their private army is out of business, because nobody wants to patronize the place where they were getting their paychecks signed after using that YouTube app to see what a threat they were to their own health.
KWP:
Now that is fine. Vote with your checkbook. That I like.
But the rest of it? That is the thinking of someone who is defeated as their ideas have been clearly shown as flawed.
Well they beat a guy up on the sidewalk not even in their jurisdiction. If the guy did something wrong outside why didn’t they just call the Cops? You like that Vigilante justice kinda thing?
So copblockers are going to stage some silly sit in? The bouncers were hired for a reason. If they went past what they were supposed to do then it should be dealt with. I’m sure the guy who got his ass beaten was doing something to provoke the bouncers.
Done is done. Score 1 for the copblocker’s silly protest, game over for insertcoins. The power of the people. Hey, miss every one who helped make the silly protest so successful, Remember that silly protests beat money, power and brutality.
And what did you accomplish? A bunch of burnt out copblockers standing and chanting. There were not that many people there. The business isn’t closed down for good. Just temporarily.
well if by “a bunch” you mean four and a half idiot guys with nothing better to do. the half is because one in every four cop blockers is mentally retarded.
You’re right, if they went past what they were supposed to do then it should be dealt with. The owner of Insert Coins refused to deal with it. So we dealt with it.
Again, what did you do? What did you change? Oh… I know, nothing.
We changed the status of their business from open to out of. Bouncers won’t be beating people at the non-existent Insert Coins bar anymore and other bars might think twice before they “back their guys” when they are clearly in the wrong. Businesses tend to want to stay in business.
They made you waste your time on another useless post JC. What did you do? What did you change?
Nothing like assumptions…
Are you so sure that you’bet your soul JC?
Those bouncers should be in jail for the rest of their lives and the owner should have been buried in a hole a long time ago.
The “Bouncers” should have been arrested on the spot, and charged with assault and battery with intent to commit great bodily harm. If i were that homeless man, I wouldn’t be homeless for long after that incident, i can tell you that.
Fat disgusting low life bouncers whom will never have a real job. Just as dirty as cops.
Many bouncers are moonlighting cops or ex cops.