Lane County Fair Features County Republicans’ Booth Selling ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Shirts
On July 23, this year’s Lane County Fair at the Lane Events Center in Eugene began. Since then, at least three separate posts on social media from astonished fairgoers have been published claiming that the Lane County Republicans’ booth is selling merchandise advertising “Alligator Alcatraz,” the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center concentration camp in Florida’s Big Cypress National Preserve.
“Political booths hawking concentration camp merch at a public, family event? Absolutely not,” one of the social media posts read. “This is how evil becomes normalized to children.”
Another read “The GOP is selling the shirts like it’s some funny theme park.”
None of the social media posts, or the dozens of comments, show an image of the organization’s booth at this year’s event.
DSM independently received photos on July 25, confirmed that the booth was, indeed, selling merchandise advertising the Florida site and, subsequently, reached out to the fair via both their website and phone number with four questions and a request for a statement regarding the booth. Those questions:
- Does LCF have a policy to approve/disapprove items at fair booths?
- Does LCF have a policy surrounding acceptable and unacceptable topics, organizations, etc.?
- Four years ago, the Lane County Republicans’ booth attracted controversy with their display of a Punisher Flag. Did LCF take any action following this?
- Should Lane County residents, especially the immigrant community, still feel safe attending LCF if there is a booth advertising what many are calling a “concentration camp?”
This is not the first time a booth at the fair has attracted controversy nor is it surprising that the Lane County Republicans would present themselves as an explicit far-right organization: their headquarters in Pleasant Hill often displays a Punisher flag. They have even displayed the flag at the fair before. The fair itself attracted controversy in 2022 when one of the carnival games featured racist prizes.
The county’s public information officer, Devon Ashbridge, replied to DSM’s request with the following statement:
“The Lane Events Center, which hosts the Lane County Fair, is a public facility. As a public facility, we must uphold everyone’s free speech rights – even if that speech is unpopular or unwelcome by others.
Our facilities, including the rental of booth spaces during the Fair, can be rented by a variety of organizations. According to the Oregon Constitution, as a public facility, the Lane Events Center is unable to restrict the use of the grounds – including items being sold – as long as the requirements of the standard rental agreement are met. We regularly review our Fair policies and contracts, and will do so following this year’s Fair.
Rental of County property does not reflect endorsement of or opposition to an organization.
Local governments or law enforcement can step in when a hate or bias crime occurs. A hate or bias crime has a very specific legal definition under Oregon law. The vendor’s items do not meet the legal definition of a hate or bias crime.”
Despicable people, buying & selling.
Protest tonight, Saturday, July 26, 6 pm, Lane County Fairgrounds main gate! A booth is selling Alligator Alcatraz merchandise.
Alligator Alcatraz shirts for sale?
No Fair…for me.
Staying away.
Sick sick sick. The Guardians Of Pedophiles (G.O.P.) are pure evil. And likely all claim to be “Christian” and followers of Jesus. Jesus would weep to see what his followers have become.
The thing about the United States and the first amendment is that everybody has the ability to free market their stuff. As long as it’s not child abuse, animal abuse or blatant profanity, no American should have a problem with this, or a Democrat booth, or even a communist booth. If you don’t want a shirt from any of these groups, don’t buy one. It’s certainly a better form of representation than rioters in the streets throwing bricks at policemen.