Seattle Ice Cream Chain Molly Moon’s Posts Sign That Alerts Cops to ‘Gun Free Zone’ | Eater Seattle

"I found that on Capitol Hill, Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream recently put a “gun free zone” sign in the shop window that explicitly calls attention to police; the chain has had a no‑gun policy for seven years, but the police‑specific wording is new to this location. Owner Molly Moon‑Neitzel says she added the sign after a California businessman ordered $500 worth of ice cream for local officers and then alerted them to pick it up, which produced a sudden influx of police into the store that made staff—particularly BIPoC employees—uncomfortable and, she alleges, led to some officers harassing employees; social media then incorrectly suggested the shop had given free ice cream to cops. Moon‑Neitzel says the sign is intended to alert officers that the store is a gun‑free zone, not to ban law enforcement; none of the six other open Molly Moon’s locations have the sign. The company’s Instagram post emphasized support for Black Lives Matter and divesting funding from the police, and it published the June 3 company newsletter online—which doesn’t prohibit employees from attending BLM protests but provides health and safety guidelines and alternative ways to take action—and said it supports employees who protest and wants open, honest dialogue." - Gabe Guarente