ReAwaken America tour stop moved to Batavia church
A two-day ReAwaken America tour stop reawaken-america-tour-rochester-ny-canceled-main-street-armory-concern-community/65376530007/” data-ylk=”slk:canceled Monday by Rochester’s Main Street Armory” class=”link “canceled Monday by Rochester’s Main Street Armory following public outcry is moving about 35 miles west to Batavia, Genesee County.
Non-denominational Cornerstone Church, 8020 Bank Street Road, will host ReAwaken America from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 12 and 13, according to the event’s website, thrivetimeshow.com.
Cornerstone Church Pastor Paul Doyle confirmed the booking, which he said resulted from a phone call he received late Tuesday from the office of tour organizer Clay Clark.
ReAwaken America has made at least a dozen stops nationwide. It features Michael Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with the Russian ambassador and encouraged President Donald Trump to declare martial law to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, and Roger Stone, who was found guilty of obstructing a congressional investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Both men received pardons from Trump.
Other speakers include vaccine-disputing doctors and QAnon adherents.
Almost immediately after it was booked at the Armory, a number of community members and politicians began calling for its cancellation. Among them was Monroe County Legislature President Sabrina Lamar, who issued a statement reading, in part: “At every stop along the way, this nationalist tour has left in its wake a trail of dangerous disinformation that can lead to increased bigotry, hate, and, at its most extreme, violence.”
Two music acts also weighed in. Grammy-nominated Japanese Breakfast canceled a Sept. 27 concert at the Armory in protest, and Rochester-based touring band Joywave threatened to boycott the venue if the event went forward. (Following