Cincinnati sports arena TQL Stadium, where pro soccer team FC Cincinnati plays, has taken action and banned a food vendor who posted social media messages expressing his glee that conservative activist Charlie Kirk had been assassinated.
On Wednesday, Cincinnatians were outraged when local restaurant owner Aaron Sharpe posted a message saying “Good riddance. What a piece of shit,” in the wake of Kirk’s murder.
In another post, Sharpe warned that he would not apologize and was proud of his opinions on Kirk’s murder.
“If you think that threats of social media attacks on me or my business will in any way keep me silent about what I believe, you are sorely mistaken. I know exactly who I am and on what side of history I stand,” he wrote, according to WCPO-TV.
Sharpe co-owns the Lucius Q restaurant chain in Cincinnati with three locations across the area. The restaurant is also a vendor for TQL Stadium. Or was, in any account.
On Thursday, the stadium noted that it had cut ties with Lucius Q in the wake of Sharpe’s social media posts, and told soccer fans that they expect their vendors and partners “to uphold the values of respect and tolerance that are core to our club’s identity.”
“We were founded on the idea that soccer unites, and we remain committed to ensuring that FCC is for all and that we provide a safe and welcoming environment for our patrons,” the statement continued. “Toward that end, we have terminated our relationship with Lucius Q.”
That was apparently not the only repercussion Sharpe suffered. Mall owner Factory 52 also noted that it was reevaluating its hosting of one of the Lucius Q locations.
Further, the Lucius Q chain itself cast Sharpe out and reported to patrons that he had been eliminated from his ownership position.
“Aaron Sharpe is no longer associated with Lucius Q. We found the comments he made on his personal social media pages offensive and, as a result, have severed ties with him,” he restaurant chain said in a Facebook post.
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