NEWS

BREAKING: Islamic org’s Arlington banquet cancelled after threats against hotel

ARLnow.com October 19, 2023 at 8:55pm

A Muslim group’s planned banquet in Arlington has been cancelled after it says the hotel received “multiple terror threats.” ... The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) was scheduled to hold its 29th annual banquet Saturday night at the Crystal Gateway Marriott at 1700 Richmond Highway.

“CAIR has hosted banquets there annually for over ten years,” the group said tonight (Thursday) in a press release. “In recent days, according to the Marriott, anonymous callers have threatened to plant bombs in the hotel’s parking garage, kill specific hotel staff in their homes, and storm the hotel in a repeat of the Jan. 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol if the events moved forward.”

“Law enforcement authorities and the FBI have been notified of the terror threats. The FBI has confirmed to CAIR that it is investigating the reported threats,” the press release continued. “The terror threats came after CAIR updated its original banquet programming to focus on the work needed to support basic Palestinian human rights.”

CAIR says it “plans to proceed with [the] banquet at an alternate secure location with heightened security.” A separate banquet planned for Oct. 28 in Maryland “will also be cancelled as a precaution and merged into the Oct. 21st event.” ... The banquets were billed as “a night of solidarity with Palestine,” amid the Israel-Hamas war.

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