On Monday, the town’s mayor dined at Miller’s Cafe on North Shepherd Drive, supporting the restaurant where officials said they were only following the rules set by the state of Texas.
The restaurant was targeted by protesters over the weekend after customers were upset about having to wear a face mask while inside the company.
An eyewitness who recorded the demonstration in front of the establishment recalled songs made by the group.
“They sang: ‘My body, my choice’. Something similar. ‘No mask,’ “said Douglas Lopez, who recorded the video of the protest.
WATCH: Raw video of the protest in front of the Houston cafe
While inside the restaurant to lend his business, Turner called the protesters a different term than protesters.
“The people who were protesting and demonstrating Café Miller’s because they were asked to put on a mask – they are bullies,” said Turner. “This nonsense has to stop. Put on your mask, the pandemic is still very much present.”
According to Miller manager Jessica Beer, the customers in question received facial masks.
“We asked them to put on a mask and they tried to say that they had health problems and they didn’t need to wear masks. We said yes. We tried to give them masks and that’s when they started shouting ‘Boycott Miller'”, remembered Beer.
She added, “We don’t understand. Why us? You know that everyone has a sign. It doesn’t even depend on us. It depends on the state.”
Restaurant customers across the state are forced to cover their faces in an attempt to prevent the spread of COVID-19, a mandate that drew similar protests elsewhere in the past year.
RELATED: Masks off! Protesters claim facial mask request unconstitutional
In September, a video circulated online of a protest at a Florida Target store, where participants demanded that customers remove their masks.
Although the masking mandates remain in place, inspection in Houston did not come with widespread fines or documented warnings, according to a check in the records in November.
“I don’t think it will be our number one priority,” explained Houston police chief Art Acevedo at the time. “As you can imagine, we are trying to impact violent crime, but it is something that you are subject to a $ 250 fine for.”
SEE ALSO: Nobody is getting fines for violating the mask’s mandate in Houston
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