Minnesota GOP Chair Condemns KKK-Themed Sign at Party Dinner
Alex Plechash calls the demonstration a form of racial intimidation targeting a Black female speaker.
Minnesota Republican Party Chair Alex Plechash has strongly condemned a protest that disrupted a GOP dinner event, accusing demonstrators of racial intimidation. The incident occurred Friday night at the Lincoln Reagan Dinner in Eagan, where protesters displayed a sign with the letters "KKK" while Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, the state's first Black female House speaker, was addressing the crowd.
Plechash stated that "radical protesters" stormed the stage and held up a symbol of racial terror directed at Demuth. He emphasized that the disruption occurred during a dinner named for the president who ended slavery, calling the act a stark contrast to the values of the Republican Party.
Sunrise Movement Twin Cities, a progressive activist organization, claimed responsibility for the protest. The group stated their demonstration was aimed at protesting Republican policies they believe harm immigrants and marginalized communities. They also clarified that they are not affiliated with the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL).
Video footage from the event shows protesters advancing toward the stage with banners, including one prominently featuring "KKK" in red. One protester was heard shouting, "You love Trump and you will not stand up for Minnesotans," as Demuth spoke. Following the disruption, attendees began chanting "Lisa" and "USA" as security escorted the demonstrators out.
Plechash reported that protesters gained entry to the dinner by purchasing tickets and passing through security checkpoints. He noted that the event experienced two disruptions, with the first occurring during remarks by Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michele Tafoya. The second, more prominent disruption involved Demuth's speech, lasting approximately 30 seconds. Eagan police have issued trespass orders, and charges are under investigation.
The state GOP chair also called out Minnesota Democrats, including the DFL, Senator Amy Klobuchar, and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, for their silence on the matter. "Intimidation, criminal behavior, and racist rhetoric have no place in Minnesota politics," Plechash said, urging the DFL to engage in debates over ideas rather than resorting to such tactics.
Lisa Demuth, who secured the Republican nomination for governor, is set to face the Democratic nominee, Senator Amy Klobuchar, in the upcoming election to succeed Governor Tim Walz.