Liberal Author Describes Escape from Minneapolis' Toxic Political Climate
Ann Bauer, a once-liberal novelist, has revealed how what she describes as "woke mobs" destroyed the fabric of Minneapolis and ultimately drove her to flee the city she once adored. In a candid essay for The Free Press, Bauer detailed her painful observation of her hometown descending into politically-driven chaos, where shaming people for their opinions became the distressing norm.
The Yoga Studio Incident That Symbolised a Broader Problem
Bauer stated she was not surprised by the viral video from February 1 that showed agitated customers confronting employees at a CorePower Yoga studio in Northeast Minneapolis. The clash erupted after the studio removed a sign an instructor had placed in the window condemning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). When customers learned the instructor had quit over the sign's removal, they stormed the lobby to berate the women behind the front desk for several intense minutes.
Following the verbal attack, everyone in the class received a 90-day suspension, while the mob's ringleader, Heather Anderson, was banned from the studio for life. Bauer, who used to attend that very CorePower location, described the scene as emblematic of a much larger cultural shift. "Oh, yeah, I've seen this," Bauer wrote regarding her friends' messages about the video. "Not this particular scene but several like it, and all the ones that led up to it."
A City's Descent from Promise to Performative Activism
Bauer and her husband, John Gateley, moved from Boston to Minneapolis in 2014, initially overjoyed to return to where she grew up. She confessed the city presented paradoxes, with mostly white communities talking incessantly about social justice while the Twin Cities exhibited some of the worst racial disparities in the nation regarding education, income, homeownership, and crime.
The 2016 fatal shooting of Philando Castile by a police officer served as a significant tipping point. While Bauer was outraged by the killing, the aftermath made her deeply uncomfortable. She felt those around her were engaging in overly performative wokeness without contributing to genuine systemic change, and she faced chastisement for her perceived silence.
Escalating Tensions and Personal Consequences
The city's atmosphere spiraled further during Donald Trump's first term and the COVID-19 pandemic. Bauer, who was not a Trump supporter, found the constant political discourse suffocating. During the pandemic, she spoke out against Governor Tim Walz's handling of school shutdowns and vaccine mandates, which cost her all her clients as a brand consultant due to her beliefs.
The murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in May 2020 brought even more unrest, with Bauer recalling the subsequent riots and looting as watching "the city burn." She asserted that "those who crowed loudest about justice went home to private security teams," highlighting a disconnect between rhetoric and reality.
Final Straw and Relocation to a More Moderate Environment
When Bauer returned to CorePower after COVID restrictions eased, she found instructors bringing politics into classes that were supposed to offer a peaceful break. After voicing her concerns to leadership, she claimed they were used against her, with instructors giving her the cold shoulder and staffers shooting her dirty looks.
This environment became the final straw. In late 2025, Bauer and her husband moved to Covington, Kentucky, which she describes as politically "purple, leaning on the moderate side of blue." The charming area, located directly on the Kentucky-Ohio border with stunning views of the Cincinnati skyline, offered the respite they sought.
Launching a New Chapter with Storyalíz
In Covington, the 59-year-old writer and her husband have launched a new publishing platform called Storyalíz, marking a fresh start away from the political drama that dominated their Minneapolis experience. The Daily Mail has reached out to CorePower for comment on Bauer's claims regarding her treatment at their studio.
