MADISON — On July 16, the Republican Women of Madison announced U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Monrovia) as its featured speaker for an August 28 "Quarterly Meet Up."
Despite reports that this was a town hall, it was never advertised as such, having originally been promoted as an open-to-the-public event.
However, Indivisible Alabama disrupted an August 27 town hall hosted by U.S. Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) by heckling and chanting, preventing Moore from speaking and preventing those with legitimate questions from being able to ask them. That was when Madison Republican Women's president Sheila Banister chose to collaborate with the host venue, Movement Church, and the Madison City Police Department on alternative solutions to preserve the educational aspect of the evening, encourage dialogue, and promote safety.
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Approximately 30 attendees were in line, waiting to be checked in for entry, about 30 minutes before the start of the Thursday event. From the overheard conversation, some of them said they were representing the Madison County Democrats. Around 6:10 p.m., a member of Movement Church came outside and announced that only attendees who had registered for the event and received an email confirmation would be allowed to enter.
One local news crew showed up expecting entry, but they were also denied.
This last-minute change produced quite the stir among the group of protesters, who immediately pulled out signs of "Liar" and "Stop MAGA Dale NOT Strong, Hurting Redstone Everyday."
When the church member tried to explain that the Republican Women of Madison hosted the event and they established the parameters, two people demanded to speak with the head of the Republican group, or better yet, to have Strong come out to "speak with his constituents."
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The church member exited, and a Madison Police officer took his place to stand post at the door and ensure that only registered attendees gained entrance. The officer reviewed the Madison Democrats on private property rights and civics, much to their chagrin.
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One woman still insisted that she was calling her lawyer because her rights were being violated, although it was unclear which specific rights were violated.
The protesters went on to protest in front of the local news camera outside of the meeting hall, shouting "Dale Strong ain't Strong enough" while waving their signs.
Jennifer Oliver O'Connell, As the Girl Turns, is an investigative journalist, author, opinion analyst, and contributor to 1819 News, Redstate, and other publications. Jennifer writes on Politics and Pop Culture, with occasional detours into Reinvention, Yoga, and Food. You can read more about Jennifer's world at her As the Girl Turns website. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Telegram.
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