BOYCOTT #3

#3:  South Dakota Central States Fair 

On Wednesday, August 20, 2025, members of the U.S. Military Vets MC, Libertarians MC, and several other club members, many proud U.S. veterans, attempted to attend the South Dakota Central States Fair, located at 800 San Francisco Street, Rapid City, SD 57701.

As we approached the gate wearing our leather vests with unit patches and veterans' insignia, law enforcement stopped us. They told us that we could not enter the fairgrounds while wearing our “gang colors.” Let’s be clear: we are not a gang. We are U.S. veterans who served our country, and we wear our patches to honor our service and fallen brothers. To be denied entry because of our attire is nothing short of discrimination and unconstitutional profiling.

This incident is made even more outrageous by what happened just four days earlier, on Saturday, August 16, 2025. At around 10:05 p.m., in the parking lot west of the same fairgrounds, a juvenile male was shot and seriously injured. Rapid City Police detained another juvenile suspect and recovered the handgun. Authorities confirmed it stemmed from a confrontation between individuals who knew each other. In other words, an actual act of violence happened here, unrelated to bikers or veterans.

Meanwhile, we law-abiding veterans, fathers, and patriots, were shut out of the fair simply for wearing our patches. Ironically, if we had been allowed through those gates, our presence might have deterred or helped mitigate the shooting. Veterans and bikers are often the most situationally aware people in the crowd, and we don’t stand by when innocents are in danger.

The Central States Fair and law enforcement have every right to enforce policies. But when those policies target veterans and motorcyclists based solely on appearance, while failing to prevent real violence, something is very wrong.

We are asking all freedom-loving Americans to boycott the South Dakota Central States Fair in Rapid City until this discriminatory practice ends. Take your families, your money, and your support elsewhere, to events and businesses that honor veterans rather than exclude them.