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Miguel Marchese told reporters he was fired because he was deemed an ‘insurance risk’
Graig Graziosi in Washington, D.C. Friday 09 January 2026 22:39 GMT- Bookmark
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CloseRelated video: Angry woman attacks San Francisco restaurant staff after they refuse to serve her drinks
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A bartender in San Francisco who tripped an angry woman who had been attacking his coworkers in a video that went viral has been fired.
Miguel Marchese, 25, was fired on Saturday just weeks after video of the altercation between him and the belligerent customer went viral on social media, according to the New York Post.
The incident that led to his termination occurred at Hazie's on December 13. Video from the incident shows an angry, intoxicated woman — identified by police as Shireen Afkari, a Strava fitness app employee — yelling at staff for cutting off her drinks. A man accompanying her follows her around the bar as she records the incident on her phone.
The video shows Afkari slapping people who are recording her in the restaurant, which leads a Hazie's worker to slam her to the ground.
At that point Afkari becomes enraged, and her male companion tries to intervene. More staff and customers become involved in the altercation, which results in two men grabbing and dragging the man out of the restaurant. Marchese carries Afkari out as well.
A woman, identified by police as Shireen Afkari, films former Hazie’s bartender Miguel Marchese, left, before allegedly assaulting members of the staff after they refused to serve her drinks (Tiktok/Miss_little_ranter)The incident continued outside. Video shows Afkari grabbing Marchese's hair and refusing to let go. Marchese throws her phone into the street and tries to retreat back into the restaurant.
After that, Afkari tries to run after him, but Marchese sticks his foot out and trips her, sending her crashing to the pavement.
In an Instagram post Marchese made after the fight, he says Afkari tripped over him while she was running.
"I initially was patient with her hoping she'd let go but in the end I had to kick her in the vagina, chuck her phone across the street, to which she chases after and accidentally trips over my leg," he wrote.
According to NBC Bay Area, Afkari was arrested and detained for public intoxication after the incident. She was also fired from her job at Strava.
Strava issued a post after the incident, saying in part that "we don't condone violence of any kind and this does not reflect the standards we expect of our team."
According to the Gazetteer SF, Marchese was fired via email on Saturday because he was ruled an "insurance risk." He was reportedly offered a $5,000 severance package on the condition that he sign a non-disclosure agreement and promise not to sue the restaurant.
The Independent has requested comment from Hazie's and Afkari.
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