Meet Rahul Dubey, 'absolute legend' who sheltered ~70 protestors inside his home for 8 hours overnight
SCREENGRAB: @ABC7NEWS
After protesters were driven into a D.C. neighborhood, one local hero opened his home to 75 young strangers for a standoff with DC police.
In a story out Tuesday, Esquire has some wild and crazy details from the story of Rahul Dubey, the "absolute legend" of a guy in Washington, DC, who sheltered young protestors and credentialed reporters in his home overnight while police pursued with apparent intent to violently assault.
"I hope that my 13-year-old son grows up to be just as amazing as they are."
Rahul Dubey opened his home to nearly 70 strangers overnight and sheltered them during D.C.'s curfew. He says our country needs people like THEM.
FULL INTERVIEW: https://t.co/hucxiraHk9 pic.twitter.com/BKFMsTsSgk
- ABC 7 News - WJLA (@ABC7News) June 2, 2020
The DC Police tried to trick protestors into coming outside
The cops "hijacked" a pizza man for an hour (Rahul didn't have anything to feed the dozens of guests in his home, he called out for pizza, the cops intercepted the guy!)
And the officers faked a 911 call.
Just, wow.
I looked around and saw kids from age 20 to 50 in the house scattered on all three floors and the backyard, and they were safe. They were active. They were asking questions. They were solving problems in little groups, and they are hunkered down here until 6 am. The police have tried to pull them out through trickery like five or six times. They send decoys to the door, telling them they can't leave out the front, but if they leave out the back alley, they'll be safe. I mean, bullshit stuff. They just hijacked the pizza delivery guy for an hour and wouldn't let us come through. I mean, they faked a 911 call and said yeah, someone called 911," but no one did. There's a lot of emotions.
I have a 13-year-old son, and luckily he's with friends and family up in Delaware; he's coming back tomorrow. He's not there, but at the same time, I wish he was because he could see these amazing souls that are in my house are safe and they had every right to be doing what they were doing, and the police didn't have a right to just beat them down on the street. For now, at least for the next four hours or so, we're going to be safe here. I've never been so excited to get a Ducinni's pizza in my life.
May 30, I was there-that was Saturday, and it was bedlam. I've been here for inaugurations. I've been here for the KKK. I've seen some shit, and it was heavy. There was a fierceness and an evilness that was there that I did not like. It was a heavy evilness, and a nonchalant calm on the authoritative side. Like, yep, we got you. It almost seemed staged, it was so surreal. And this. This was an out of body experience. Kids were screaming when they were running into the house. I mean, they were lining them off one by one and zip tying them. They're baiting them and saying they won't arrest them if they use my alley? Why? Because there's no lights? So you can attack them? I had never seen anything this evil in my life.
Read the whole article:
A 2 a.m. Talk With Rahul Dubey, the 'Absolute Legend' Sheltering Black Lives Matter Protesters
[Justin Kirkland, Jun 2, 2020]
Rahul Dubey, the man who welcomed protesters into his home, gets a round of appause from protesters and supporters @ABC7News @ABC7GMW pic.twitter.com/IDISrnPTcx
- Kristen Powers (@ABC7Kristen) June 2, 2020
On sheltering DC protesters in his house overnight, Rahul Dubey: "I came outside & was on my stoop in 15 seconds & absolute mayhem & horror broke out. I heard big bang, screaming, pepper spray started flying. My eyes were burning. I started yelling get in the house." #AMRstaff
- Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) June 2, 2020
LISTEN: Rahul Dubey opened his house to protesters in DC last night. 70 strangers. He talked to @ABC7Kristen this morning: pic.twitter.com/bpEDl5dE1P
- Adrianna Hopkins (@AdriannaHopkins) June 2, 2020
They started spraying pepper spray in through the window," says Washington DC resident, Rahul Dubey, who gave dozens of protesters shelter from police inside of his home. pic.twitter.com/TTCXLW0Ukm
- MSNBC (@MSNBC) June 2, 2020
I wrote a little something about Rahul Dubey, the man who sheltered 70 protesters in his DC home. He says the cops tried to spray pepper spray through his windows https://t.co/HdqUklGRjy
- Ashley Reese (@offbeatorbit) June 2, 2020
View this post on InstagramThe WH suggested I wash my hands. I kindly asked if washing a finger would do the job. :)
A post shared by The Alvarez Dubey Trading Co. (@alvarezdubey) on Mar 30, 2020 at 5:58pm PDT
update: pic.twitter.com/2qZ3edSIdk
- Meka (@MekaFromThe703) June 2, 2020
THE POLICE BOXED IN A GROUP OF PEACEFUL PROTESTERS AND THEN STARTED HITTING AND MACING PEOPLE. A MAN TOOK SOME OF US INTO HIS HOUSE AND THE POLICE HAVE US TRAPPED. THERE ARE PEOPLE STILL TRAPPED IN THE STREET ON 15th AND SWANN pic.twitter.com/H2B2QCup1o
- Meka (@MekaFromThe703) June 2, 2020
Not only did Rahul try to broker a "hostage"-like situation between the DC police and ~75 protestors he was sheltering in his home, he also ran a successful "covert mission" to get a Duccini's pizza delivery man past the police "brigade," Esquire reports: https://t.co/NDMJLssEIy
- Hamza Shaban (@hshaban) June 2, 2020
This incredible Esquire interview details outrageous police behavior (Rahul says they lied about a 911 call) and a righteous pizza delivery (a personal plea to the owner, delivered to the back of the house)
Rahul tells Esquire: https://t.co/NDMJLssEIy pic.twitter.com/H51WM1icXM
- Hamza Shaban (@hshaban) June 2, 2020
Rahul Dubey is hereby declared an official spokesperson for the Indian American community.
- Kumar Rao (@KumarRaoNYC) June 2, 2020
Last night, DC resident Rahul Dubey housed 75 strangers escaping tear gas. They hunkered down together determined (with a little pizza) to avoid arrest. He shared his story with me. The line that keeps echoing in my ear?
"I fucking love this country." https://t.co/00YpKsORwy
- Justin Kirkland (@justinkirkland4) June 2, 2020
"the first question people are asking me is Why did you let strangers into your home?'" Rahul Dubey tells @MarisaKashino. "I know in my heart of hearts that you would open the door, too." https://t.co/eqNxEfbAt4
- Andrew Beaujon (@abeaujon) June 2, 2020
"They were talking to each other, consoling each other, rinsing each other's eyes out while the police sprayed tear gas in through the windows.": Rahul Dubey, who sheltered 100 protesters at his Logan Circle home, tells his story to @MarisaKashino https://t.co/DaAE3KWKK7
- Ann Limpert (@AnnLimpert) June 2, 2020
An amazing thing happened in DC last night. Protestors fleeing police were welcomed into the home of Rahul Dubey, who fed them pizza and waited out teh police-FOR SIX HOURS-determined to arrest those inside. By @Matt_D_Cohen https://t.co/0wUgjf1UkX
- Clara Jeffery (@ClaraJeffery) June 2, 2020
I opened a door. You would have done the same thing."
"They were doing nothing wrong other than to build a future that they want and that I want."
Rahul Dubey is a Swann Street hero.
Grateful for this piece by @D_Hawk and @postmetrogirl:https://t.co/CymQFBNEFd
- Rachel Leah Siegel (@rachsieg) June 2, 2020
I found this very inspiring, Rahul Dubey of DC who sheltered ~50 protestors on #SwannStreet last night, after emerging, gave this interview to @WUSA9 and @slazo88
Our flag is hanging by a string"#2020Protests #savejenny #1stAmendment #compassion pic.twitter.com/S5uVzgrrQe
- Ian Glenn (@IanBGlenn) June 2, 2020