Hispanic Heritage Month kickoff event at Lansing City Hall postponed

Organizers’ ‘general concern’ about safety prompts decision, official says

FRIDAY, Sept. 12 — Lansing’s Hispanic Heritage Month kickoff event at City Hall has been postponed out of caution over “general concern about what is going on in the world,” city spokesperson Scott Bean confirmed today.

No new date has been selected by the event’s “five or six” organizers, whom Mayor Andy Schor clarified were a separate group distinct from the city. It was originally slated for 11 a.m. Monday.

“They organized it, they asked to use City Hall, and we approved it, and they made the decision to postpone it until later in Hispanic Heritage Month,” Schor said.

This afternoon, the organizers issued a statement.

“Out of an abundance of caution, given everything going on at this time, the Hispanic Heritage Committee has decided to postpone our celebration to a later date,” Lorenzo Lopez told City Pulse. “We are looking forward to coming together with community soon. Stay tuned — we can’t wait to celebrate with you.”

The decision follows the death of prominent conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot while speaking at a public event Wednesday in Utah. Many politicians canceled events following Kirk’s death.

Also, Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist’s home was targeted in a bomb threat yesterday.

A memorial honoring Kirk organized by the Michigan Republican Party will be held Monday on the state Capitol grounds, just across the street from City Hall. It will start at 4 p.m.

The Capitol vigil is likely to draw a very different crowd. Kirk was a firm proponent of anti-immigrant policy and promoted the “great replacement” theory, a conspiracy theory alleging white Americans are being intentionally replaced with other ethnic groups.