Indivisible Bemidji plans Flag Day rally at Paul Bunyan statues

Indivisible Bemidji will bring its Flag Day rally back to one of Bemidji’s most visible public spaces, with organizers calling on supporters to meet near the Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox statues downtown. The group says attendees should bring flags and signs for the 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. rally on Sunday, June 14, at 300 Bemidji Ave. N.

The event is being framed as a direct response to a separate “UFC Freedom 250 Rally at the White House” scheduled for the same day. By placing its rally at the waterfront by the Paul and Babe statues, Indivisible Bemidji is choosing a site that regularly draws attention from residents, visitors and local media, turning a familiar landmark into a stage for political messaging.

The rally also fits into the group’s broader mission. Indivisible Bemidji says it is working to promote a progressive agenda and build grassroots power in support of democracy, a message that gives the Flag Day gathering a sharper political edge than a typical holiday observance. The timing on Flag Day adds another layer, since the demonstration is meant to connect local symbolism with national politics.

Bemidji has already seen this location used for repeated demonstrations. Lakeland News reported last year that Indivisible Bemidji had held several protests, including one in April next to the Paul and Babe statues, and that the group had planned another nationwide protest on June 14, 2025, in response to President Trump’s planned military parade in Washington, D.C. That history suggests the downtown site has become a dependable rally point for organizers trying to reach a broad local audience.

Turnout in Bemidji has also shown that rallies at the statues can draw a crowd. KAXE reported an estimated 1,000 people gathered along Paul Bunyan Drive for a “No Kings” protest on June 14, 2025, even as warnings circulated about large gatherings after the killing of Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman earlier that day. That same report said there were more than 2,000 rallies nationwide that day, underscoring how local demonstrations in Bemidji can connect to a much larger national movement.

For Beltrami County residents, the June 14 rally will be another test of how much political energy remains visible in downtown Bemidji as summer begins and the election season draws closer. The Paul and Babe statues, usually a symbol of civic identity and tourism, are again set to become a barometer of local tension, turnout and the messages organizers want carried beyond the waterfront.