The City of Bloomington is suspending the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market for the next two Saturdays, according to a press release.
According to the release, the city has identified increasing threats to public safety since a letter alleging the owners of Schooner Creek Farm, a market vendor, were white supremacists sparked public outrage and protests.
“In light of recommendations from our local public safety officials, advice from national experts and awareness of recent tragic incidents of violence at similar public gatherings, we are hitting the pause button to protect public safety in Bloomington,” Mayor John Hamilton said in the release.
Bloomington police arrested protester Cara Caddoo, 40, on Saturday after she refused to leave the market area, where protesting is not allowed. The trespassing charges against her were dropped Monday according to the Bloomington Herald-Times.
Members of the Indiana branch of the Three Percenters also stood in front of the Schooner Creek Farm booth Saturday to provide protection for the vendor. The organization claims to protect civil liberties and resist government overreach, according to the group’s website.
While the city has taken steps to address the situation, including hosting community-wide forums and increasing market security, it decided to suspend the market due to escalating tensions as well as threats from individuals with connections to past white nationalist violence, according to the release.
Hamilton will hold a press conference Wednesday morning to address the situation. The time and place of the conference have yet to be announced.
