Oregon coast brewery says gun comments made it target of open carry rally

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    SEASIDE, OR (KPTV) — A brewery in Seaside says it is receiving national attention after a Facebook post in response to an open carry rally went viral.

The post was directed at organizers of the rally, which listed the brewery as the destination for a rally this weekend.

Owner Jimmy Griffin said he crafted the social media post when he realized people thought he was promoting the open carry rally. He said his business was listed as the location because of comments he made a city council meeting.

Griffin said it started on Aug. 8, when an open carry rally was held across the street from his business. He said he didn’t feel safe with people carrying AR-15-style rifles through the street, and many of his customers didn’t either.

So, he went to city council to see if they could do something about armed marches in the streets of Seaside. He says after that, the organizers made plans for another open carry rally, this time at Seaside Brewery. The rally is scheduled to occur this Sunday.

Griffin said he did not want people thinking his business promoted the rally, so he posted to Facebook, writing:

We brew beer, we smoke BBQ, we promote our amazing community, we love the beach, and we are excellent to each other. We don’t know what this rally will look like on Sunday. We ask that everyone do everything they can to stay safe, and to avoid any confrontation with these groups who are clearly looking for a fight. We refuse to buy into the anger.

As of Thursday, Griffin’s post had been shared more than 16,000 times. He says since then, he’s received an outpouring of support.

The city says it is aware of the rally. It says it will have a presence and will protect people’s rights and protect property and people’s lives.

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