Man yelling 'Make America great again' arrested for throwing dung at restaurant over Sarah Sanders snub
The Virginia restaurant where White House press secretary Sarah Sanders and her dining companions were asked to leave last weekend has been targeted by protesters angry at the snub — including a man who reportedly shouted “Make America great again” as he hurled chicken dung at its building.
Police officials told local news affiliate ABC 13 WSET that they arrested the unidentified protester for disorderly conduct as others carrying American flags and signs with pro-Trump and anti-LGBTQ messages demonstrated outside the Red Hen in Lexington, Va., on Tuesday. The restaurant has been in the news since Sanders confirmed in a tweet that the owner refused to serve her party Friday night “because I work for @POTUS.”
People outside the #RedHen are holding signs now that say 'Trump=Love', 'Trump is Love', and 'Red Hen needs to learn love and tolerance' pic.twitter.com/cs7KJSUtT7
— ABC 13 News – WSET (@ABC13News) June 26, 2018
This is a look at what the man threw: pic.twitter.com/nEMXUPyNjV
— ABC 13 News – WSET (@ABC13News) June 26, 2018
The local fire department was called in to clean the mess.
The fire department was tasked with cleaning the poop that a man threw at the #RedHen earlier. Police said he yelled "Make America Great Again" when he threw it. pic.twitter.com/Bla3gXgX4K
— ABC 13 News – WSET (@ABC13News) June 26, 2018
The Red Hen — and other businesses using the same name — has been hit with negative reviews since Friday’s incident. President Trump also slammed the restaurant on Twitter, though owner Stephanie Wilkinson has defended her decision to ask Sanders to leave.
“I’m not a huge fan of confrontation,” Wilkinson told the Washington Post. “I have a business, and I want the business to thrive. This feels like the moment in our democracy when people have to make uncomfortable actions and decisions to uphold their morals.”
Wilkinson cited her staff’s discomfort at serving Sanders, and alluded to Trump policies that have hurt LGBTQ employees.
.@PressSec got kicked out of the Red Hen restaurant in Lexington, Va tonight. Apparently the owner didn’t want to serve her and her party out of moral conviction. pic.twitter.com/jr3bfiY3XY
— Brennan Gilmore (@brennanmgilmore) June 23, 2018
The incident has raised questions about civility — and, no doubt, protests involving chicken dung and homophobic signs will too.
Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:
‘Sarah Sanders welcome any time’ reads sign in front of restaurant in western New York State
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