An Alabama library has canceled a faith-filled story hour event hosted by Moms for Liberty days before it was scheduled to take place thanks to a massive increase in attendee registration and threats from protestors.
The Madison County Public Library in Alabama will no longer host a “See You at the Library” story hour event scheduled for August 5, saying that the building is incapable of hosting the expected number of attendees. The event is part of a nationwide campaign by the publishing company BRAVE Books designed “to promote free speech in our libraries and schools,” according to the company’s website.
In a press release Thursday, the library said that it had originally anticipated approximately 20 people, but the number skyrocketed to over 300 people after it was announced that actor Kirk Cameron and former NCAA champion swimmer Riley Gaines would be in attendance. Due to the large number of expected participants, as well as safety concerns after threats from protesters, the library said it could no longer host the event. On top of that, the City of Madison said that because Moms for Liberty “failed to apply for an event permit in advance” for such a large gathering, “City resources cannot support an event of this size on such short notice.”
Moms for Liberty organizers Emily Jones and Elizabeth Stewart told The Daily Wire they don’t believe the official story of why the library backed out just a few days before the event, which had been planned months in advance.
“It was a directive on how to manage our group and not the protesters,” Jones, the organization’s Madison County chapter chair, said. “To me, that just indicates that [the police chief] is not interested in making this event go well. He wants it to go away.”
“My personal opinion is they really don’t want this event to happen,” added Stewart, the communications lead for the organization’s first and largest chapter in North Alabama.
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The “See You at the Library” national tour is taking place in almost 300 libraries across 45 states. Two months ago, BRAVE Books reached out to the Alabama chapter of Moms for Liberty about holding an event in the state, according to Jones. Cameron and Gaines were not originally scheduled to attend, but Jones received an email earlier this week saying they planned to attend the Madison County stop. After the announcement was shared on social media, public response to the event grew.
At first, the library reached out to Moms for Liberty and asked if they would need more space, which the group declined in favor of holding the event outside. They remained committed after threats of protests from a group outside Birmingham, though law enforcement suggested moving the event to a private location.
“This is intended to be at a library and put traditional values back into the library, so we’re sticking there,” Jones said.
The cancellation comes after BRAVE Books uncovered evidence that the taxpayer-funded American Library Association (ALA) is allegedly providing advice to librarians nationwide on how to prevent conservative or Christian parent groups from hosting gatherings at public libraries. Republican Senators Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Mike Braun (R-Ind.) wrote a letter to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) demanding that they investigate the alleged religious discrimination against BRAVE Books by the ALA.
“This does not go away with one story hour,” Jones said. “This is a generational fight for the safety and welfare of our children, and we’ve got to start taking action.”