Bowling Green Locals, New Yorkers Hold Fake Vigils For ‘Massacre’ Victims

Bowling Green, Ky., inhabitants were joined by a gathering in New York City by holding a fake vigil to mock Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway’s “massacre” comment from an interview the night before.

The ceremony was a humorous response to the Bowling Green massacre, something many locals reveled in throughout Friday. Bowling Green Convention and Visitors Bureau representative Telia Butler had seen interest in the city spike after the comments, including requests for information coming from as far away as Germany according to the Bowling Green Daily News.

Protesters Mock Kellyanne Conway With Vigil for the 'Bowling Green Massacre' Victims https://t.co/Ea3eG3Kr5o (VIDEO) pic.twitter.com/bN7NWjSIgl

— Mediaite (@Mediaite) February 4, 2017

The Bowling Green “massacre” comments were made during Kellyanne Conway’s appearance on MSNBC’s Hardball, according to The Hill. In attempting to show support of President Donald Trump’s travel ban for seven countries, Kellyanne Conway misspoke about an incident in Bowling Green during 2011.

“I bet it’s brand-new information to people that President Obama had a six-month ban on the Iraqi refugee program after two Iraqis came here to this country, were radicalized and they were the masterminds behind the Bowling Green massacre. Most people don’t know that because it didn’t get covered.”

While President Barack Obama did not order a ban, the 2011 incident in Bowling Green led to a re-vetting project for nearly 60,000 Iraqis who lived within the United States at the time. Kellyanne Conway took to Twitter on Friday to clarify her words, calling comments like her misspoken words part of an abundance of “honest mistakes” happening in media right now.

Bowling Green seemingly had fun being in the spotlight after Kellyanne Conway’s erroneous comments. The official city website tweeted a picture of flowers in bloom while encouraging visitors to their city.

Check out beautiful Fountain Square Park in BG. All is well. Come visit us in our fine city. #BowlingGreenMassacre pic.twitter.com/8qZLJQH9Uw

— Bowling Green KY (@CityofBGKY) February 3, 2017

The city of Bowling Green and its mayor Bruce Wilkerson issued a statement Friday to clarify the remarks about the alleged massacre, according to a local media outlet.

“It was recently cited in a national interview that a massacre occurred in Bowling Green, KY in 2011. That statement has now been corrected. While in 2011, two Iraqi nationals living in Bowling Green were arrested for attempting to provide money and weapons to terrorists in Iraq, there was no massacre in Bowling Green. ‘I understand during a live interview how one can misspeak and we appreciate the clarification,’ Bowling Green Mayor Bruce Wilkerson said.”

A group of New Yorkers also held an impromptu ceremony for the Bowling Green massacre “victims,” according to the New York Daily News. One of the participants of the New York City ceremony provided a tongue-in-cheek analysis of the event, according to the article.

“We’re commemorating the victims of Bowling Green. It never happened so they were never commemorated… We actually don’t know what the [expletive] we’re doing, but neither does Trump or anyone else so. In this alt-fact world this is something that needs to be commemorated.”

The group gathered outside the Bowling Green subway station inside New York City, according to an article on the Huffington Post. A popular crowd chant also was at Kellyanne Conway’s expense as it mocked her “alternative facts” statement from the previous week.

“What do we want? Alternative facts. When do we want them? Right now.”

Bowling Green — the home to Western Kentucky University — is a town that embraces diversity as the city is home to the International Center of Kentucky, according to The Denver Post. The agency is known for its refugee resettlement program, having helped more than 2,000 international refugees relocate to Bowling Green over the last decade.

The two events mocking the Bowling Green “massacre” comments may not be the only ones. A Facebook group is attempting to create a similar event in front of Trump Tower for Saturday night, potentially organizing a third event to poke fun at Kellyanne Conway’s misspoken words.

What do you think about the Bowling Green ceremony mocking Kellyanne Conway’s “massacre” comments? Follow the Inquisitr‘s news Twitter feed (@theinquisitr) to join in on the conversation.

[Featured Image by Ethan Miller/Getty Images]