Soho: Woman ‘thrown out of bar’ over Hitler wine complaint

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A woman claims she was ‘violently thrown out’ of a private club in London’s gay district of Soho after complaining about an image of Hitler on a wine bottle behind the bar.

The woman in question, a professional in the city, told PinkNews.co.uk she was ejected from the New Evaristo Club, known informally as Trisha’s, on Greek Street after objecting to a novelty wine bottle with an image of the Nazi leader being displayed in a gay area.

The bar owner told PinkNews.co.uk staff had asked a “loud, drunk and abusive” woman to leave on Friday evening, adding that she would have been the first person in 15 years to complain about the bottle.

The woman told PinkNews.co.uk she had questioned the barman whether the bottle, which stands next to another with Mussolini’s image, was of the Nazi leader.

She said: “After it was confirmed by the barman it was Hitler, the barman told me they display it because they think this is ‘funny’. After I complained I got thrown out very violently.

“Given how violent the barman’s reaction was, I can’t believe this is an innocent mistake or a stupid joke, but rather a deliberate choice.

“I don’t think it is necessary to explain how shocking it is to display a picture of Hitler in a bar, and how stupid it is to do so in the middle of a LGBT bar, given Hitler attempted to exterminate gays just as much as he tried to exterminate Jews.”

The bar’s owner, Trisha Bergonzi, told PinkNews.co.uk this afternoon the wine bottles were a present to her late husband 15 years ago.

She said she was in hospital last week but bar staff confirmed they had “gently” removed a woman.

Ms Bergonzi, who is half-Jewish herself, said all her bar staff were gay and that Sundays were a gay night at the 3,000-member private club. She said there were similar images of the Pope and Al Capone on the walls and questioned how the woman had gained access on a night when they were not open to the public.

She said the doorman was always “gentle” when dealing with patrons and stressed: “We’re not fascists.”