Source: Fox News
Summary
Minnesota GOP Chairman Alex Plechash accused protesters of racial intimidation after demonstrators disrupted a GOP dinner and displayed a sign invoking the Ku Klux Klan while House Speaker Lisa Demuth spoke. The protesters, from Sunrise Movement Twin Cities, claimed responsibility and said the demonstration aimed to protest Republican policies they believe harm immigrants and marginalized communities. Plechash said the protesters gained access by purchasing tickets and passing through security. He called out Minnesota Democrats, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, for their silence.
Our Reading
As expected, the matter has reached another stage.
Protesters hold a sign with “KKK” during a GOP event.
Speaker Lisa Demuth speaks as the sign is displayed.
Security removes the demonstrators while attendees chant her name.
The event becomes another moment of performance, where symbols and slogans take center stage.
Author: Evan Null
Minnesota GOP Chair Accuses Protesters of Racial Intimidation
Minnesota’s Republican Party chairman, Alex Plechash, accused protesters of racial intimidation after they disrupted a GOP dinner. The incident occurred during remarks by House Speaker Lisa Demuth, the state’s first Black female House speaker. Protesters displayed a sign with the letters “KKK” highlighted in red, which Plechash called a symbol of racial terror.
The protesters, affiliated with the Sunrise Movement Twin Cities, claimed responsibility for the disruption. They said the demonstration was intended to protest Republican policies they believe harm immigrants and marginalized communities. The group also stated it was not affiliated with Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL).
Video footage of the event shows demonstrators moving toward the front of the room with signs, including one with the KKK symbol. One protester could be heard shouting, “You love Trump and you will not stand up for Minnesotans,” as Demuth stood on stage with a microphone.
Plechash said the protesters gained access to the dinner by purchasing tickets and passing through security checkpoints. He described the disruption as an attempt to intimidate a Black woman leader at a dinner named after the president who ended slavery. He also called out Minnesota Democrats, specifically naming Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan.
The GOP chairman said the event experienced two disruptions, one during remarks by Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michele Tafoya and another while Demuth was speaking. He estimated the disruption lasted about 30 seconds and said he did not believe the demonstrators posed a physical threat.
