Local group to protest Bakersfield Business Conference

The Bakersfield Business Conference is just two days away. 

It will bring many well-known politicians and celebrities to our community but not everyone is excited.

The Young Progressive Coalition Community of Central California plans on protesting the conference because they say the event is more about politics than it is about business.

Napa Sannappa, spokesperson for the Coalition, says that they believe that some of this year’s guest speakers don’t reflect inclusive ideas and are only here to spread a political message.

“I just don’t think that something that’s going to be titled the ‘Bakersfield Business Conference’ necessarily needs those kinds of people. And I don’t like that were inviting people that spout that kind of bigotry and rhetoric in Bakersfield itself,” said Sannappa.

One of the guests that the Coalition is strongly opposed to speaking at the conference is conservative social and political commentator, Ann Coulter.

In a statement released to 23ABC, the Bakersfield Business Conference said, “We're proud to bring some of the best political speakers in the nation to Bakersfield for a special ‘election year presentation’ of the Bakersfield Business Conference.  Many of those speakers are political conservatives, but we also offer a very compelling lineup of speakers with opposing viewpoints.”

While the coalition wants their voices to be heard they say they plan on working with the Bakersfield Police Department to keep things peaceful.