A California pizzeria that apologized for an employee’s refusal to serve police is now facing an online backlash over the employee’s firing.

On Jan. 29, the San Francisco Police Officers Association tweeted that police officers who visited Pizza Squared were denied food and told that “they were not welcomed in the restaurant.” The trade union called these actions “disgraceful and disgraceful”.

Pizza Squared responded on Twitter with apologiessaying the worker involved was a third-day intern at the restaurant.

“We told him directly that we do not share his views and that he is not OK,” the restaurant said. “At the end of the day, he was fired.”

The police union said on Twitter that it was grateful for the apology. But Twitter responses to Pizza Squared’s post called the restaurant owners “cowards” and “scumbags” for their actions.

“Disappointing how you handled it. I like pizza, but not pizza made by bootleggers,” read one comment.

“So you’re okay with armed thugs in your facility? Then no thanks,” another post said.

“Just popping in to say that I will never eat at your restaurant if you treat your employees like this. Enjoy your cops-only clientele,” another comment read.

The dispute comes amid national protests over the release of video of Memphis police beating 29-year-old Tyr Nichols after a Jan. 7 traffic stop. He died three days later.

Five former officers were accused in the case of murder, reports the National Public Radio. Three emergency medical technicians were fired, two more police officers were brought to disciplinary action.

The San Francisco Police Union and other police unions in California and Hawaii released a joint statement on Twitter on January 27 causing the death of Tyro Nichols “terrible”.

“The killing of Tyre Nichols at the hands of five cowardly former Memphis police officers is abhorrent and the complete antithesis of how respected law enforcement professionals conduct themselves every day,” the statement said.