Dave Chappelle Joins A Save The Punch Line Rally In San Fran

SAN FRANCISCO (CelebrityAccess) — Comedian Dave Chappelle joined a rally on the steps of San Francisco City Hall on Tuesday morning in a bid to help save the Punch Line comedy club.

The Emmy Award-winning comic joined a roster of local comedians that included Nato Green, W. Kamau Bell, and others, who were urging the city to help take steps to save the club, which was facing closure.

According to the San Franciso Chronicle’s Datebook, the club, which is operated by Live Nation is facing closure due to “being unable to renew its lease with the current property owners.” The property’s owner, investment bank Morgan Stanley, is reportedly in negotiations to lease the space to tech giant Google.

On Tuesday, City Supervisor Aaron Peskin nominated the Punch Line for expedited Legacy Business status, which is designed to protect “longstanding, community-serving businesses” the Chronicle reported.

Peskin also announced on Tuesday that he plans to seek a provision that would bar the use of the club’s current location for any non-nightclub purpose.

The Punch Line first opened in 1978 under Bill Graham and has operated since in San Francisco’s Embarcadero Center on Battery Street.