SNOHOMISH — To be clear, the bar will hold a food drive, not a protest.
Andrea Fletcher doesn’t know why her First Street location, the Oxford Saloon, was instead listed for about a week on Facebook as the host of a Saturday biker protest. She had no intention of supporting one.
“This is definitely not going to turn out to be a protest, because if it does, I’ll just shut my doors,” she said.
The listing popped up on Facebook as early as Sept. 10, urging bikers to “protest the bigotry of Snohomish against motorcycle riders.”
By Thursday, the listing had been re-categorized from being a protest to a fundraiser. An earlier comment about biker discrimination also had been removed.
“This is NOT A PROTEST. It is a FUNDRAISER,” read a new comment posted by the Sky Valley chapter of the American Bikers Aimed Toward Education.
That group was credited with creating the original listing. Rod Hobelman, spokesman for the group, said the chapter hadn’t approved a protest, however.
“We’re supporting the food drive,” he said.
Fletcher speculated that a disgruntled biker may have mischaracterized the event in the earlier posting.
Tensions rose between the motorcycle community and the city earlier this year.
Snohomish had intended to charge organizers of an annual May motorcycle rally as much as $30,000 to cover police services, six times the cost of past years. After disputing the fee, organizers moved the rally to Sultan.
Fletcher doesn’t expect that past dust-up to affect her food drive, which will go forward on Saturday and Sunday, the same days as the downtown Snohomish Taste of Music festival.
Plans for the festival haven’t changed either, city officials said. Police Chief John Turner said he was aware of the listing and had spoken with Fletcher.
“We aren’t anticipating any problems,” he said.
Donations for the food drive can be left at the Oxford Saloon, 913 First St., from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. To learn more about the festival, go to www.historic downtownsnohomish.org.
Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455, arathbun@heraldnet.com.
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