DC Council members join eat-in at Comet Ping Pong

Sometimes, support from our elected officials comes in the form of an epic ping pong battle.

Update: I’ll be taking on @ChmnMendelson in an epic ping pong match @cometpingpong later today!#defendcometfromrightwinghaters#smallbizsat

— Elissa Silverman (@tweetelissa) November 26, 2016

Everybody wins! (But technically I won both matches) Thank you @JackEvansWard2 for your 25-year ping pong leadership! https://t.co/QFJ6gUGGSM

— Elissa Silverman (@tweetelissa) November 27, 2016

It also involves eating pizza.

DC Council members and officials with DC’s small business development agency and members of the community came out Saturday in a show of support for Comet Ping Pong and nearby businesses. These businesses and their employees have been subjected to vicious online and verbal attacks by people who have bought into fake reports of a child trafficking ring.

Hi folks: we will temporarily not be taking any phone calls from “private” numbers, as we are receiving a lot of harassing calls. Thank you.

— Little Red Fox (@littleredfoxdc) November 27, 2016

And Terasol took to Facebook Sunday to write:

We are all small businesses, locally owned. We all work hard and have enabled opportunities for local artisans, musicians and staff members. This community has been tremendous in its support and we must ask you to stand tall with us and show these hate groups we will not stay silent and allow them to spread hate. ENOUGH! These lies must cease. Death threats must cease. Insults must cease. Hatemongers must be apprehended and prosecuted.

At @cometpingpong with colleagues, the manager & @DSLBD. Comet has been a victim of fake news. Local business is our community #shopsmalldc pic.twitter.com/r2RkZ5UyXK

— Phil Mendelson (@ChmnMendelson) November 26, 2016

Ward 3 Council member Mary Cheh, Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, and Council colleagues Elissa Silverman, Jack Evans and Robert White were joined Saturday by Ana Harvey and Lauren Adkins of the Department of Small and Local Business Development, Van Ness Main Street Executive Director Theresa Cameron, VNMS board members, and current and past officers of the Forest Hills Citizens Association.

And it was a bustling Small Business Saturday for businesses along the block. Politics and Prose and Terasol across the street were also doing a brisk business.

L-R: DSLBD’s Lauren Adkins and Ana Harvey, Politics and Prose co-owner Lissa Muscatine, CM Mary Cheh, Council Chair Phil Mendelson