Woman Arrested For Opening Restaurant Amid COVID-19 Restrictions Complains Of 'Communist Regime'

A Michigan restaurant owner has found herself under arrest after repeatedly defying COVID-19 safety restrictions. A judge has ordered that Marlena Pavlos-Hackney remain jailed until she pays a $7,500 fine and her restaurant shuts down, ABC reports.

Marlena’s Bistro and Pizzeria has been the center of growing tension for months when Pavlos-Hackney insisted on continuing indoor dining and refused to enforce mask-wearing or capacity limits.

“She has put the community at risk. We are in the middle of a pandemic,” Judge Rosemarie Aquilina said.

Her refusal to follow guidelines got her license revoked on Jan. 20, but she refused to close down her business. A different judge put out an arrest warrant on March 4.

“You have selfishly not followed the orders. ... This is the wrong way to get publicity," Aquilina said. “It's the wrong way to be a good citizen.”

While her lawyer now says Pavlos-Hackney will pay the fine and comply with the closure order, her previous statements dismissed the gravity of ignoring the courts. Reporters caught up with her pouring coffee for customers.

“We don’t want this country to be a communist regime that’s going to dictate what we can do and what we cannot do,” the Polish native told WOOD-TV Thursday.

Some customers interviewed indicated support for her resistance. Restaurants across Michigan that refuse to comply with restrictions have found their licenses revoked.

The drama continued in a recent court appearance: Pavlos-Hackney’s lawyer was arrested for contempt after he admitted he wasn’t licensed and tried to submit documents for his client. When Judge Aquilina asked Pavlos-Hackney to swear to tell the truth, the woman stayed silent.

“I know you want to control this room but this isn't Burger King,” Aquilina said. “When the sign changes to Burger King you can have it your way. Right now this is my courtroom, and you will answer my questions.”