Kyle Rittenhouse Blames 'Woke Crowd' After Brewery Scraps Censorship Rally

Kyle Rittenhouse took aim at "the woke crowd" after a Texas brewery dropped out of hosting an anti-censorship event at which he was scheduled to appear.

Rittenhouse, best known for being acquitted of charges in the deadly shooting of two people at a 2020 protest against police brutality and racism in Kenosha, Wisconsin, had been set to be a featured speaker at a right-wing "Rally Against Censorship" event in Conroe, Texas, this month.

However, Southern Star Brewing Company on Friday abruptly pulled out of hosting the event, explaining that it was an "apolitical organization" that doesn't "do rallies." Rittenhouse, who was added to the event's lineup on Wednesday, argued on social media that the venue's decision was an attempt to "censor" him.

"It's really disappointing to see that places continue to censor me and not allow my voice and many other voices to be heard because they bend to the woke crowd," Rittenhouse tweeted. "I'll keep you guys updated on the event on the 26th that I was supposed to speak at."

Rittenhouse, 20, later claimed that the brewery was "censoring a censorship rally," while sharing the popular conservative hashtag #gowokegobroke.

He also tweeted that he does not "support companies who don't support the first amendment," although the amendment does not concern the decisions of private companies.

In a statement shared on Twitter hours earlier, Southern Star said it felt the event "doesn't reflect our own values" and it could no longer "in good faith continue to rent" its venue for the rally.

A calendar on the brewery's website was updated to show that a trivia night is being hosted instead of the rally on January 26.

At the time of publication, an Eventbrite page for the rally still listed the brewery as hosting the event. VIP tickets were available for $275 per person or $500 per couple.

Those who purchase VIP tickets to the event are promised to "get acess [sic] for meet & greet with Kyle Rittenhouse personally and get their pictures with him, drink tickets, swag, etc."

A poster for the event says that Rittenhouse is an inspiration for "countless patriotic and freedom-loving Americans."

The poster also touts Rittenhouse's "Media Accountability Project," which he said last year was established to raise funds for suing media outlets and individuals spreading "lies."

"He is also fighting against left-wing political pundits who are happy to see the country fall apart as well as big tech tyrants whose censoring has destroyed the fiber of America," the poster adds.

The event was organized by Defiance Press & Publishing, which describes itself as "a hybrid publisher of principled fiction and non-fiction with a special emphasis on God, country, liberty, and conservatism."

An Instagram post from the publishing house on Friday urged supporters to "stand by," adding "we will not be cancelled" while promising that a new venue for the event would be "announced tonight."

Newsweek has reached out to Southern Star Brewing Company for comment.