Protest interrupts Minnesota GOP event

Protesters interrupted the Minnesota Republican Party’s Lincoln Reagan Dinner on Friday night.

“We had some people that infiltrated in by purchasing tickets and getting seats, knowing full well that they were going to do something rather crass during the event,” said Minnesota GOP Chair Alex Plechash.

Plechash said the event had multiple security measures in place before the protest began, including private security, Eagan police officers and attendee check-ins.

“I think we did exactly what we needed to do and handled exactly the way you would expect it to be handled if something like that came up,” Plechash said.

Plechash described the dinner as the party’s premier event of the year.

According to Plechash, one disruption occurred while U.S. Senate candidate Michele Tafoya was speaking.

“That was pretty far back, handled pretty quickly,” he said.

Plechash said a second disruption occurred while gubernatorial candidate Lisa Demuth was speaking.

“There were probably three or four people, maybe, maybe just three, who forced their way to the front with banners that they were trying to force in front of people and just get attention,” he said.

Plechash said the interruption did not last long.

“It was a bit of a disruption for maybe 30 seconds. So that was about it,” he said.

Video from the event shows protesters moving toward the front of the room holding signs, including one that read “RepubliKKKan Party,” with the letters “KKK” written in red.

One protester can be heard shouting, “You love Trump and you will not stand up for Minnesotans.”

Demuth can be seen on stage holding a microphone while another person speaks behind a podium.

As security escorted protesters from the area, attendees began chanting “Lisa,” followed by chants of “USA.”

When asked whether Plechash feared the protesters posed a physical threat, he said he did not.

“I didn’t have that fear. I didn’t. They didn’t look like the kind of protesters that would be capable of doing that,” he said.

He later added, “I didn’t think there was any physical fear. I think it was just a matter of crass behavior.”

Plechash said attendees checked in upon arrival and that the event location was only provided to ticket holders.

While he said the protest itself did not raise concerns about violence, he said political leaders continue to think differently about security.

“We are being vigilant about those things. We didn’t need to be more vigilant than we already were at this event,” he said.

“We’re living in a new world right now, and it’s sad, but we’re all remaining vigilant about that.”

Plechash said he does not anticipate significant changes to future event security.

“I don’t think so because I think we did what we needed to do,” he said.

Despite the interruption, Plechash said the party remains focused on the November election.

“We’re focused on the election right now,” he said. “We don’t need to be distracted, no pun intended, with these kinds of things.”

Sunrise Movement Twin Cities claimed responsibility for the protest.

The group said it is not affiliated with the DFL Party.

It also said the demonstration was intended to protest what it describes as policies that harm immigrants and marginalized communities.

“We disrupted this fundraiser because we refuse to give a moment’s peace to the people bankrolling racial violence,” the group said in a statement.

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