There might have been several factors that led to the Human Village Brewery Company closing after five years, but taking money from a bunch of neo-fascists so they can have a party damn sure didn’t help!

PITMAN, NJ – A brewery that played host to an afterparty for a far right conference that had neo-fascist commentator Tim Pool as one of his sponsors and featured neo-fascist propagandist Andy Ngo is closing its doors two years after the event.

“It is with deep regret and surprise that I have to announce that I will be closing the Human Village,” Richard Myers, owner of the Human Village Brewery Company posted on its Facebook page last week. “The building was sold,  I will be working with the new owner through the transition process.  I am excited to see what is to come and I wish him well in his endeavor, and owe more to Vic, our landlord and friend, than I can ever express.”

The brewery opened in 2016 and had a popular open mic night that will continue through Dec. 30. It however became widely known as the place attendees of the misnamed “Ending Racism, Violence and Authoritarianism” conference went for their afterparty. The conference, organized by Pool and the social media platform Minds IRL was in truth an event whose presenters, in addition to Ngo, included reputed misogynistic and anti Semitic YouTube personalities such as  Carl “Sargon of Akkad” Benjamin and Aydin Paladin. Originally planned for the Broadway Theatre just down the road from the brewery, the conference lost that venue. when owners learned of its true nature. Pool, who lived in New Jersey at the time, promoted a story on his podcast that there was a threat to burn down the theater and while there was nothing save for a random tweet from an unknown person that even he said later that he had to question that suggested anyone actually threatened the theater, it was still used for propaganda against those opposing the conference. Within days, Daryl Davis, a Black man who has been known for helping Klan members transition from those beliefs and that life, was booked as the keynote speaker and featured in all advertisements in the final week leading up to the conference when he was never announced in the six months or organizing prior.

The afterparty generated a lot of negative attention to the Human Village Brewery, who were besieged with bad reviews online and complaints to their Facebook page. Myers dismissed the concerns to the right wing American Spectator magazine, saying “When we host events we don’t ask many questions. They’d tell us if it’s a wedding or christening or baby shower. As far as details about guests, we don’t care.” Eventually he would defend the afterparty outright on Facebook.

The controversy continued to cast a cloud over the brewery two years later. On September 29, South Jersey Comedy produced “Drag on Broadway” there a new group of local LGTQIA+ residents, business owners and allies, continued to publicly support the drag event’s venue even after concerned activists and queer community members reminded them of the controversy and unequivocally communicated that Human Village did not feel like a safe or welcoming environment. In the weeks leading up to September 29, a group of activists proposed a change of venue or postponement of the event. “Several queer community members and allies would not support Drag on Broadway at Human Village because of the venue’s history and refusal to accept accountability,” a local activist who wished to remain anonymous said. “There was no certainty that all queer community members would feel or be safe and welcome at the venue.” That new group offered to have a conversation about these concerns through a professional community mediator but activists said they moved forward with the drag show at Human Village and then “failed to follow through on their promise to have a conversation with the community.”

Myers says he has made no plans to relocate.