From my inbox (For those who are en route or considering attending):

“We will not be associated with political terrorism in any manner.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Michigan United For Liberty, a grassroots organization of over 9,000 members in Michigan, has canceled its Michiganders’ Marketplace “Sunday Funday” freedom celebration at the Michigan Capitol, which had been scheduled for 1pm on Sunday the 31^st.

The decision was immediately made when the group was informed that another group of demonstrators plans to descend on the Capitol that same day, ostensibly to protest the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.

Despite Chauvin’s immediate firing, subsequent arrest, and the President announcing a Justice Department investigation into the incident, rioters in Minneapolis robbed and burned innocent businesses to the ground, overran a police precinct, assaulted officers, and committed other acts of senseless violence.

Riots have broken out in numerous other major U.S. cities.

“We will not allow our message of peaceful, law-abiding, positive resistance to be conflated with the violent and unlawful actions of unrelated groups, and we cannot ask our members and supporters to put themselves in harm’s way,” said MUFL spokesman Adam de Angeli. “We will not be associated with political terrorism in any manner.”

While Michigan United For Liberty acknowledges the seriousness of the issue of police brutality, the group is committed to – and must remain focused on – ending Governor Whitmer’s unconstitutional lockdown orders that are destroying the lives and livelihoods of Michiganders with every passing day. Regrettably, the organization sees no possibility of its positive message being clearly conveyed with another protest happening at the same place and time.

Instead, Michigan United For Liberty encourages its members carry out the spirit of the scheduled event – opposing and defying the governor’s unconstitutional lockdown orders – on Sunday by going to church, getting together with friends, and being productive members of society.

“Our movement honors the tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who understood that only through non-violence can we achieve justice,” de Angeli continued. “We had hoped to send that message once again with an upbeat freedom celebration on Sunday afternoon, but given the circumstances, it’s clearly better that we simply move forward, roll out our legislative program and grassroots leadership program, and steer clear of this danger.

“Our movement is of creators – workers, builders, artists, doctors, entrepreneurs – united against the governor’s destructive orders. The risk of getting mixed up with potentially violent protesters over a separate issue is just not worth it.”

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