Strippers Strike Noho Protest Update

We’ve got an update for you on the strippers strike Noho. of North Hollywood club Star Garden. Current and former workers at the North Hollywood club, Star Garden, staged a walkout and protest that started on March 18, 2022, following the firing of two dancers who had raised safety concerns. Protesters have been on the streets with signs reading “no justice no booty” and “everyone deserves safety” consistently over the past month. Right before the protests, the Instagram account of organizers Strippers United (@soldiers_of_pole_) was taken down.

Social media is an important tool for grassroots labor organizing, and as we have said many times, digital platform censorship is a huge issue in the sex worker rights movement. A spokesperson for Meta, the company that owns Instagram, told Buzzfeed that the account had been “mistakenly removed.” The group opened a new account to spread word about their ongoing action @stripperstrikenoho, where they have posted protest pictures, management demands, and nightly costume themes including punks, priests, and clowns.

The strippers strike Noho protesting workers have filed four charges alleging unfair labor practices with the National Labor Relations Board. They have also filed a complaint with the U.S. Small Business Administration, asking for a formal investigation of Paycheck Program Program loan fraud. Star Garden received two PPP loans from the government in 2020 and 2021, which were intended to be spent on payroll. According to Strippers United, not a single dancer received any of this money.