Arizona bar compared an underage drinking bust to the September 11 attacks — and advertised a ‘disgusting’ 9/11 tee shirt

The Tempe Tavern in Arizona is facing backlash after making a tasteless comparison between a recent underage drinking bust and the September 11 terror attacks. The bar posted a now-deleted Facebook post joking about the raid, calling it “our 9/11” and offering tee shirts with the slogan “#TavernStrong” and an American flag with “our 911” printed on them.

The underage drinking bust took place on April 24, with Tempe Police Department detaining 173 people and issuing 163 misdemeanor citations. It was one of the largest underage drinking busts the city had ever seen, with officials emphasizing that they are cracking down on underage drinking.

Despite some Arizona State University students defending the bar, many locals condemned the underage drinking and found the comparison to 9/11 offensive. One commenter on the ASU Reddit page pointed out that many students may not fully grasp the significance of 9/11, given that they were not born or old enough to remember the tragic event.

Cops confirmed that many of the detained individuals used fake IDs to gain entry into the bar. The Tempe Tavern is currently under investigation but remains open. The bar later issued a statement blaming the Facebook post on a younger staff member who did not understand the gravity of 9/11, clarifying that the post was originally created and shared by a student unaffiliated with the business.

The bar acknowledged that referencing 9/11 in such a manner was inappropriate and offensive, stating that “911 is nothing to joke about.” They also mentioned that the tee shirts with the controversial slogan are not for sale. The Tempe Tavern received a citation for being over maximum capacity on the night of the raid and may face additional penalties from the Arizona Department of Liquor & License Control.

While the bar declined to comment on the raid, it is clear that the inappropriate comparison to 9/11 has sparked outrage and raised concerns about the handling of underage drinking in the community. It serves as a reminder that certain events should never be trivialized or used for promotional purposes.