PORTLAND, Oregon - June 7, 2010 - John Langley wanted to clarify his role as proprietor in asking a Portland police officer to leave the Red and Black Cafe last week. However, when his clarification was done, the bottom line appeared to be the same: police, on or off duty, are not welcome there.

"I don't think my role is to heal any rift in the community. My role as a proprietor of this business is to keep this space safe," he said at a Tuesday press conference.

Langley admits to kicking out Portland police officer John Crooker out after he'd bought a cup of coffee, solely because he was an officer.

"Anarchy is accountability to yourself and towards your fellow people in your community. It's fostering and supporting real change and fostering real love and care," Ari Perez Diez, a co-owner said. Several cafe operators, sporting "No Police" shirts, say anarchists can take care of themselves without police.

Days after the controversy started, the Facebook page asking people to boycott the cafe has ballooned to more than 14,000 fans.

Langley said he has been wrongly accused of discrimination.

"Police officers choose to be police officers. They can put their uniforms on and they can take (them) off. People of color are always people of color," Langley said.

It's illegal to refuse service to people because of their race, age, beliefs or other factors. But the law apparently does not protect people according to who employs them.

Langley added that any officer who tries to come to his cafe in the future is not welcome and will be kicked out. But he and his supporters emphasized that anarchists are welcome there.