CADILLAC —Comments made by one of the owners of a Northern Michigan farmers market have a community split in two, and people calling on city leaders to take action.
Mary Galvanek is one of three owners of the Cadillac Farmers Market and comments she made online after the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk ruffled some people’s feathers online.
Galvanek said since then, she and her family have been threatened with violence. There are also people that have been calling on the city to have her removed from the farmer’s market.
Galvanek said it equates to a game of telephone.
“I have never and would never celebrate anyone ever being harmed. Ever. My entire message is that everyone deserves love and acceptance. I do not support the angry, violent words online in our community right now. I do not support violence at all, but I will always stand up for people in our community who have been marginalized,” said Galvanek.
She said she was sharing a post online that commented on the killing of Charlie Kirk, assassinated last week on a Utah college campus.
“The post that I shared was a post from a Native American woman saying that we get to choose who we grieve, and if we do not believe that a person was a very good person, we do not have to grieve them and that we can stand up for minorities even in hard times,” said Galvanek.
She said since then she’s been accused of celebrating his death
“I was not and would not ever celebrate harm on anyone,” said Galvanek.
Her comments sparked a petition, a protest at the farmer’s market on Friday, and calls to the city to have her removed from the farmers market.
Mayor Tiya Schippers addressed the controversy at the start of the city council meeting, clarifying that Galvanek is not affiliated with the city in any way and that the Cadillac Farmers Market is a private business that has rented public space under the city’s standard use policies.
“The marketed Cadillac Commons is a public facility. The city must administer access to it in a content neutral manner. That principle applies equally to speech. We may find offensive or to speech we may favor,” said Schippers.
Even after the mayor’s remarks, some were still calling on the city to take further action, shutting Galvanek out of the farmer’s market.
“This is not about silencing her right to free speech. It’s about whether our community is being represented in a way that reflects our values as respect, dignity and inclusivity,” said one man who spoke during public comments.
Galvanek also spoke and had about an equal amount of supporters speak on her behalf.
“What’s happening this week is a small-town version of cancel culture. People are reacting to somebody else’s personal opinion as if it’s a ruse, a reason to destroy their entire lives. We should focus on whether she can run the market professionally. In my experience, absolutely. Hands down. She’s done a phenomenal job,” said one supporter.