Dozens of protesters confronted fans of rocker Ted Nugent outside Toad's Place in New Haven on Tuesday.
The demonstrators wanted Toad's to cancel Nugent's 7:30 p.m. show at the legendary nightclub.
More than 2,700 community members signed a Change.org petition asking Toad’s Place to pull the plug on Nugent's show in the wake of several controversial remarks he has allegedly made about Trayvon Martin.
The petition reads:
“We, the undersigned, ask that out of respect of the New Haven community, which is experiencing a great deal of grief as a result of the Trayvon Martin verdict, you cancel the Ted Nugent show scheduled for August 6th… We understand that you may consider this a First Amendment issue, and while Mr. Nugent has a right to his speech that right does not require that he do so here.”
The owners of Toad’s Place have decided the show must go on, but that hasn’t stopped opponents from voicing their opinions.
Organizers set up a Facebook page urging people to show up outside the venue on York Street to protest the concert.
According to the Facebook page:
“Some New Haven area residents, including the local NAACP chapter, have come together and politely asked the owners of Toad's Place to cancel the show in solidarity for some in the community who are in mourning over this travesty of justice. The owners have refused to cancel the show, wrongly citing Nugent's First Amendment right to free speech. Legally, they, as private business owners, can choose to utilize their personal discretion as to whose speech to permit on their premises. Therefore they are choosing to promote Nugent's hate.”
Nugent is known for being vocal about his political views. His website labels Nugent “the nation’s most outspoken proponent of our first and second Amendment rights.”
He tweeted about Tuesday's concert and the planned protest at Toad's Place.
see all you ultra music lovers for the ultimate blackpower soulmusic ROCKOUT in New Haven CT tonite. subhuman punks will provide ultracomedy
— Ted Nugent (@TedNugent) August 6, 2013
According to his site, the rocker has sold more than 40 million albums and performed more than 6,400 concerts.
He is also an avid hunter and has been inducted to the National Bowhunters Hall of Fame.
Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com