A Texas-based brewery recently decided to cancel a fundraising event featuring Kyle Rittenhouse, a man who rose to national media attention after he shot and killed two people during a riot in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 2020, and who was found not guilty of murder after he argued he acted in self-defense.
The Southern Star Brewing Company in Conroe, Texas, had previously planned to host a fundraising event on Jan. 26. Rittenhouse was set to be the featured speaker at the planned event, a “Rally Against Censorship.”
Rittenhouse was present at a riot in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August 2020 with an AR-15-style rifle. During the riot, the then-17-year-old Rittenhouse was with a group of other armed individuals protecting business properties in the area. At one point in the evening, Rittenhouse was separated from the rest of the group and was shot at and chased by people in the crowd. In the initial chase, Rittenhouse fled and then turned and fatally shot the man chasing him. As Rittenhouse then ran toward police, additional individuals continued to chase him. During the chase, Rittenhouse fell to the ground and fatally shot a second individual who swung a skateboard at his head and grabbed at his gun. Rittenhouse also shot a man who pointed a handgun at him, striking that individual in the same limb with which the individual held his gun.
Prosecutors charged Rittenhouse with murder but a jury found him not guilty after he testified that he had acted in self-defense.
Defiance Press & Publishing, the organizers of the “Rally Against Censorship,” promoted Rittenhouse’s headline appearance.
“Kyle Rittenhouse was found not guilty on all charges in a trial where he received sharply negative coverage from mainstream media; he was called a white supremacist, and numerous outlets repeated the falsehood that he illegally transported the rifle he used in the fatal shootings across state lines,” the publishing company said. “With the support of countless patriotic and freedom-loving Americans, Kyle beat the odds, won his freedom, and proved to a nation that justice is possible, even in the face of overwhelming political and societal pressures.”
Despite renting out the venue, Southern Star Brewing Company announced its decision to cancel the event in a post on Twitter on Friday.
“No more,” the brewery’s statement began. “Southern Star Brewery is an apolitical organization, but we feel that this event doesn’t reflect our own values and we could not in good faith continue to rent our space for the event on 1/26. We don’t do rallies, we make beer for people who like beer.”
A message from us at Southern Star: pic.twitter.com/v10pHCai2l
— Southern Star Brewing Co. (@SouthernStarBC) January 13, 2023
While the brewery did not directly specify which event it canceled, Defiance Press & Publishing stated directly that the “Rally Against Censorship” was the event the brewery had canceled.
Rittenhouse Responds
Following the brewing company’s decision to pull out of the event, Rittenhouse wrote in a Twitter post: “It’s really disappointing to see that places continue to censor me and not allow my voice and many other voices to be heard because they bend to the woke crowd. I’ll keep you guys updated on the event on the 26th that I was supposed to speak at.”
It’s really disappointing to see that places continue to censor me and not allow my voice and many other voices to be heard because they bend to the woke crowd. I’ll keep you guys updated on the event on the 26th that I was supposed to speak at. https://t.co/bKOyvZQyb2
— Kyle Rittenhouse (@ThisIsKyleR) January 13, 2023
Defiance Press & Publishing said it is working to find a new venue to host its rally with Rittenhouse.
Grocery Store Allegedly Pressured Brewery to Cancel
Defiance Press & Publishing alleged the brewery pulled out of the event under pressure from a Texas grocery store chain, H-E-B.
“This sudden decision is nothing other than an outrageous display of censorship. Up until now, Southern Star Brewery had agreed to host this event with full knowledge that Kyle Rittenhouse would be invited and had no problem whatsoever. It was not until H-E-B threatened to end their business with them that they decided to pull our event. Clearly, money talks and values walk for Southern Star,” Defiance Press founder David Roberts said.
NTD News reached out to Southern Star Brewing Company and H-E-B for comment.
