A protest briefly derailed the Minnesota State Fair on Saturday, forcing organizers to close a main entrance as demonstrators disrupted traffic.
According to a notice on the fair’s website, Gate 5 was temporarily closed at around 1 p.m. local time, with buses paused and pedestrians directed to another entrance. Traffic resumed when the gate was reopened following the demonstration at 2:32 p.m., the notice stated.
Why It Matters
The Minnesota State Fair is an annual event which this year runs from August 21 through September 1. Also known as the “Great Minnesota Get-Together,” the fair is one of the largest of its kind in the U.S. by attendance, attracting nearly 2 million visitors last year, and around 1.4 million as of Friday, per its own official estimates.
What To Know
The website did not list the motivation for the protest, though CBS News reported that the dozens of participants were holding signs, including one which read, “Boycott Target.”
The company, which is headquartered in Minneapolis, has been battling protests and boycott calls this year, in response to the company’s decision to roll many of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) commitments in early 2025.
Many of these protests have already been based in Minnesota, including a demonstration outside the company’s headquarter earlier this month. Jaylani Hussein, one of the organizers, pointed to the company’s recent financial struggles as evidence of the movement’s success, the Associated Press reported.
On August 20, Target revealed that sales had fallen year-over-year for a third consecutive quarter, although it added that “traffic and sales trends improved meaningfully compared with the first quarter.” Operating income, meanwhile, plummeted 19 percent in the second quarter compared to a year prior.
Newsweek has contacted Target via email for comment on these protests and their impact on its operations in 2025.
Saturday’s protest coincided with a planned demonstration by Black Lives Matter Twin Cities Metro in St. Paul and others, close to where the state fair is being held. According to the event page on Facebook, this protest was focused on police brutality and a number of separate international and domestic political issues including civil rights and DEI. On Thursday, the group posted an image which read: “Boycott Target. DEI Matters.”
Some individuals on the Reddit forum r/Minnesota who said they were in attendance reported that Saturday’s protest appeared to be organized by BLM. Police were closely monitoring the demonstration, which began at Hamline Park, a short walk from the fairground, according to ABC News affiliate KSTP 5.
What People Are Saying
Jaylani Hussein, organizer of the recent demonstration outside Target’s Minneapolis headquarters, told the AP: “It’s been now nearly 200 days and what all the statistics and economics are showing that since that boycott was announced on that Monday—every single week since then—Target foot traffic in nearly 2,000 stores has declined sharply and continues to decline.”
What Happens Next?
Target announced earlier this month that its CEO Brian Cornell would be stepping down in February and being replaced by Chief Operating Officer Michael Fiddelke.
“I am eager to refocus our strategy and build on the assets and capabilities that have made Target a beloved destination for incredible products and a one-of-a-kind shopping experience,” Fiddelke said in a statement. “And to be clear, we have work to do to reach our full potential. Now’s the time to take full advantage of our strengths, embrace change with pace and purpose, and regain our momentum.”
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