In VFW Granite Post learns about Brantsner's agenda, event goes on with different speaker, Bluestem looked at Tuesday's substitution by organizers of an anti-refugee event when California Minuteman Ron Brantsner's history and agenda was discovered.
Organizers of an action to protest the Minuteman's talk were told by St. Cloud Police Department that the event was cancelled, only to find that the event was held anyway, with a substitute speaker. An attendee of Tuesday's event confirmed that the speaker was Willmar's Bob Enos.
We examined Enos's views in Rejected by Willmar voters but shared by Draz & Bennett: Bob Enos continues anti-refugee rants.
In response to this incident, a coalition has organized The Freedom Rally on Saturday, August 1 at 12 noon at the St Cloud Courthouse 725 Courthouse Square.
The place has been changed from the VFW, according to organizer Jane Conrad, a staffer for the East Central Minnesota Labor Council.
The Facebook event notes:
A rally was planned to counter a racist speaker Ron Branstner who was speaking at the VFW Post 428 at 9 18th Ave N in St Cloud on July 28th. Two hours after we notified the Saint Cloud police of our event the VFW announced that they were unaware of the topic Ron Branstner was speaking and said they would cancel the event because they do not support this or want the controversy. So we canceled our rally. However, once our action was canceled the VFW went ahead with theirs. Although the VFW did not allow Ron Branstner to speak they allowed Willmar resident Bob Enos a prominent racist speaker and supporter of Branstner to spew his racist propaganda. It's a sad day when the VFW, whose members are people who fought and died for our Constitution, support a speaker who advocates taking away those liberties from minorities in our community. We are sending a message to the VFW that freedom is for everyone. So join us on Saturday August 1st at 12:00pm
in front of the VFW. We are all in this together.
Photo: Ron Brantsner.
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