BG Freedom Walkers protest Anna’s Greek Restaurant
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) - It was Jan. 17, when the BG Freedom Walkers protested the invitation for former sergeant Jonathan Mattingly to speak at an event hosted by the Republican Women’s Club of South Central Kentucky.
Reports circulated that the event had been rescheduled, but the NAACP says the event took place at Anna’s Greek Restaurant, where they claim body cam footage of the raid of Breonna Taylor’s home was played in plain view.
“That’s just wrong. It’s just absolutely wrong. It’s not okay,” said former Anna’s employee, Aaron Preuett, “That’s intimate information, and that should not have happened.”
Preuett said even after everything he’d seen working at Anna’s, he was still surprised.
“To take it to that level, that’s detestable, there’s no other word for it,” Preuett said.
The Freedom Walkers say Anna’s isn’t the only party to blame though, and that the Republican Women’s Club must take responsibility for inviting Mattingly.
“He probably didn’t think he was going to get this big of a response by allowing that to happen, because they thought it was hush hush,” said BG Freedom Walkers Founder, Karika Nelson. “There’s always somebody watching, it’s always going to come to light.”
Nelson says, while the customers of Anna’s deserve an apology from both the restaurant and Republican Women’s Club, the Freedom Walkers are past that point.
“The event should have never taken place. They should have never brought Jonathan Mattingly into Bowling Green, so we’re passed an apology,” Nelson said. “But for the customers that went through all of that last Tuesday, they deserve an apology from the owner. That’s the least that he could do.”
WBKO has made several attempts to contact Anna’s Greek Restaurant, as well as the Republican Women’s Club, but has not gotten a reply at this time.
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