First Avenue, the theater billed as the “epicenter of live music and entertainment in Minneapolis,” caved to the woke mob on Wednesday, hours before Dave Chappelle’s scheduled appearance.
The comedian’s performance would take place at Varsity Theater, also in Minneapolis, First Avenue said on its Instagram account, apologizing to the mob for agreeing to host Chappelle in the first place.
“The Dave Chappelle show tonight at First Avenue has been cancelled and is moving to the Varsity Theater,” the message said. “To staff, artists and our community, we hear you and we are sorry. We know we must hold ourselves to the highest standards, and we know we let you down. We are not just a black box with people in it, and we understand that First Ave is not just a room, but meaningful beyond our walls.”
The statement continued, “The First Avenue team and you have worked hard to make our venues the safest spaces in the country, and we will continue with that mission. We believe in diverse voices and the freedom of artistic expression, but in honoring that, we lost sight of the impact this would have.”
We hear you. Tonight’s show has been cancelled at First Avenue and is moving to the Varsity Theater. See our full statement for more. pic.twitter.com/tkf7rz0cc7
— First Avenue (@FirstAvenue) July 20, 2022
Chappelle has been a target for the progressive left since the comedian has regularly taken aim at the trans community in his performances, particularly in his 2021 Netflix special “The Closer.”
“We know there are some who will not agree with this decision; you are welcome to send feedback,” First Avenue's statement added.
Breaking: Militant far-left groups in Minneapolis are calling for a violent direct action against Dave Chappelle's show tonight. They led an onslaught against @FirstAvenue & successfully pressured it to cancel. Now show has moved to the @VarsityTheater. https://t.co/7cgkLuclJy pic.twitter.com/rAMMAYaeJX
— Andy Ngô ????? (@MrAndyNgo) July 20, 2022
Dave Chappelle's stand-up comedy routine tonight at First Avenue in Minneapolis was cancelled after the venue faced protests.
— Brigitte Gabriel (@ACTBrigitte) July 21, 2022
What kind of ideology seeks to shut down comedy shows? A tyrannical one.