Yoga Studio Erupts in Chaos Over Anti-ICE Sign Removal
A Minneapolis yoga studio became the scene of a heated confrontation on Sunday when customers erupted in anger over the removal of an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement sign. The incident unfolded at CorePower Yoga in the Twin Cities, an area that has recently been at the centre of the Trump administration's intensified immigration enforcement actions.
Sign Removal Sparks Immediate Backlash
The clash was triggered by management's decision to take down a sign that an instructor had displayed earlier that day, which reportedly read 'ICE Out.' This instructor was teaching a class attended by dozens of patrons at the time. Following the class, numerous students filtered into the lobby to confront two female employees stationed behind the reception desk.
Longtime customer Heather Anderson, who was present during the Sunday session, recorded the tense encounter and took a leading role in questioning the staff. According to Anderson, the instructor who had posted the anti-ICE sign announced she was resigning because her 'values no longer align with the studio.'
Confrontation Captured on Camera
In the video footage, Anderson can be heard aggressively demanding answers from the visibly shaken employees. 'Give us answers, let’s go. Say it out loud for the camera for all my viewers,' Anderson declared to one blonde staff member. 'Why are you being silent?'
When the employee identified as Delaney attempted to respond, Anderson repeatedly interrupted, shouting: 'Loud and proud, baby. You want to say it, let’s say it. Why?' The two employees appeared taken aback by the intensity of the crowd's anger and were frequently cut off when they tried to speak.
Anderson continued her tirade: 'Let's go, it's an "um" and a "well". You should have well-rehearsed corporate action and words ready to go. Let's hear a god damn answer.' Supportive snaps echoed through the crowd before a man commented: 'The silence is deafening.'
Corporate Response and Aftermath
A CorePower spokesperson later explained to the Daily Mail that the anti-ICE sign had been removed because it had not been reviewed by management or corporate leaders. It was 'quickly' replaced with a notice stating that federal law enforcement could only enter the studio with a valid judicial warrant.
The company issued a statement clarifying its position: 'We do not condone the violent ICE raids, and we have distributed signage across our studios. We know that the events unfolding weigh heavily on those who enter our spaces, and we respect peaceful activism and individuals’ rights to expression.' CorePower added that it is broadly opposed to ICE's actions in Minneapolis and has implemented safety measures including studio closures during heightened tensions.
Membership Suspensions and Bans
Following the incident, CorePower took disciplinary action against those involved. Heather Anderson was permanently banned from all of the company's more than 200 studios nationwide, identified as the 'lead instigator' of the confrontation. Anderson did not respond to requests for comment regarding her ban.
The entire class initially had their memberships temporarily suspended 'out of an abundance of caution' while CorePower investigated who participated in berating the staff. The two employees involved were licensed yoga instructors filling in at the studio that day.
CorePower subsequently reinstated approximately thirty members who demonstrated they had not harassed the staffers. However, the remaining class members who have been contacted face a ninety-day suspension. Not all individuals present during the incident have been reached by the company at this time.
The customers unanimously agreed that an anti-ICE sign should be restored to the studio's front window, reflecting a practice that has become common throughout Minneapolis businesses. This trend intensified particularly after the fatal shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in January, which galvanised local opposition to immigration enforcement activities.
