NOPD video shows theft of Up Stairs Lounge plaque

New Orleans Police released video Tuesday night of a man stealing a memorial plaque from the site of the 1973 Up Stairs Lounge fire in the French Quarter.

The images show a Black man stealing the plaque and carting it off in a garbage bin (see below).

The plaque was taken in the early morning hours of Tuesday.

The city installed the plaque in the 600 block of Iberville St. in 2003, the thirtieth anniversary of the arson fire that killed 32 people at the gay nightclub.

Prior to the Pulse Nightclub attack in Florida in 2015, the Up Stairs Lounge fire was recognized as the deadliest attack on LGBTQ+ individuals in the U.S.

"The act of removing or damaging this memorial is not just a petty theft; it is an assault on the memories of those who perished and an affront to the values we hold dear as a community," said NOPD Chief Ann Kirkpatrick. "The New Orleans Police Department is fully committed to investigating this crime and ensuring that those responsible are held accountable."

Anyone with information is asked to contact the NOPD 8th District at (504) 658-6080.