A nationwide speaking tour featuring prominent white Christian nationalists has rescheduled a stop in New York state after pro-democracy advocates succeeded in urging a venue in Rochester, N.Y., to cancel a mid-August event.
Main Street Armory a former military facility that hosts sporting contests, live music concerts, rallies and other large events, canceled a stop by the ReAwaken America Tour, as BNG reported last week.
But Clay Clark, founder of the tour and co-host of the “Thrive Time Radio Show,” distributed an email that said: “Our event has not been cancelled and I will NEVER cancel an event. Venue number one chose to give into the pressure and cancel our reservation with them. To accommodate a larger crowd, we have decided to work with Cornerstone Batavia, New York.”
“The violence and misinformation spread by right-wing Christian nationalism is the greatest current threat to democracy, public health and equal rights alike.” — Nathan Empsall, Faithful America executive director
The replacement event will be held at Cornerstone Church in Batavia, N.Y., about 35 miles from the original site in downtown Rochester. Clark’s email did not state the date of the Batavia event, but the tour was scheduled to appear in Rochester Aug. 12 and 13.
In his email, Clark said “false allegations of racism” caused the event to be relocated, and he linked to articles from several national news organizations. However, the original BNG article did not mention race, racism or supremacists.
The BNG article reported: “Former Gen. Michael Flynn, Trump confidant Roger Stone and other speakers connected to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and COVID disinformation headline the tour.” Clark’s email confirmed Flynn’s central role in the tour. It also mentioned five speakers whose inaccurate assertions about COVID and its treatment have been disproved by medical authorities nationwide.
The BNG article also quoted Nathan Empsall, executive director of Faithful America, which was involved in helping organize the pro-democracy resistance to the Rochester event.
“The violence and misinformation spread by right-wing Christian nationalism is the greatest current threat to democracy, public health and equal rights alike,” Empsall said. “The ReAwaken America Tour in particular — comprised of grifters and extremists who helped plan and carry out the Jan. 6 insurrection — threatens to incite more political violence everywhere it goes. Christians across the country will continue to resist this unholy and dangerous event, which distorts the gospel and is neither Christian nor patriotic.”
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