A Minneapolis music venue cancelled a performance by comedian Dave Chappelle just hours before he was set to take the stage.
The venue, First Avenue, had received a petition signed by just 125 people and threats from Antifa.
We hear you. Tonight’s show has been cancelled at First Avenue and is moving to the Varsity Theater. See our full statement for more. pic.twitter.com/tkf7rz0cc7
— First Avenue (@FirstAvenue) July 20, 2022
“The Dave Chappelle show tonight at First Avenue has been cancelled and is moving to the Varsity Theater,” the venue said in an announcement posted to Twitter.
The venue apologized for failing to be a proper “safe place” as the comedian has made jokes about transgender people.
“To staff, artists and our community, we hear you, and we are sorry. We know we must hold ourselves to the highest standards, and we know we let you down. We are not just a black box with people in it, and we understand that First Ave is not just a room, but meaningful beyond our walls,” the statement continued.
An Antifa-aligned group called MnUprising had made several threats related to the performance.
According to a report from the Daily Mail, “they launched a Change.org petition and attracted 125 signatures – a 12th of the crowd expected at the show on Wednesday night. It was enough to persuade First Avenue to ditch the event, despite having sold 1,500 tickets at $129.50-a-pop, a total of nearly $200,000 which they would have taken a handsome slice of.”
After the show was moved, the group posted the new venue and told people to “stay dangerous.”
No way we’re letting transphobia get swept under the rug. See you in dinkytown @VarsityTheater. Stay safe and stay dangerous 🖤 pic.twitter.com/6xsADzGzHw
— MNUPRISING (@MnUrising) July 20, 2022
First Avenue was mocked for their decision to cave to a mob.
Blaze CEO Tyler Carditis likely put it best by mocking their statement saying, “We believe in diverse voices and the freedom of artistic expression, but in honoring that, we overlooked how fragile, humorless, and unhinged so many of you had become. We’re scared now. Please leave us alone.”
“We believe in diverse voices and the freedom of artistic expression, but in honoring that, we overlooked how fragile, humorless, and unhinged so many of you had become. We’re scared now. Please leave us alone.”
— Tyler Carditis (@TyCardon) July 21, 2022
