'Muslims Get Out' Sign Emerges After Minnesota Mall Stabbing

A sign outside a Minnesota restaurant telling Muslims to "get out" has already required police involvement.

On Monday, residents of Lonsdale, Minnesota woke up to find a new message on the sign outside of Treat's Family Restaurant:

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MUSLIMS GET OUT

Later, another statement was added to the sign:

IN SUPPORT OF ST CLOUD

The Lonsdale News Review reported that police stepped in after a woman who didn’t agree with the sign stopped at the restaurant and began pulling off letters from the sign.

Police said a small altercation took place after the owner of the restaurant, Dan Ruedinger, told her to stop.

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Ruedinger said after attacks in New York, New Jersey and St. Cloud, he couldn’t take it any longer and decided to use his restaurant's sign to voice his opinion.

“I’ve had enough and I’m standing up,” he said.

“With all the bombs and shootings we’ve had, we’re supposed to welcome refugees here who want to kill us?This has nothing to do with race, it has to do with a religion of hatred that preaches violence."

CBS Minnesota reported that a group of demonstrators gathered outside the restaurant Monday night to protest the sign.

“I get it, it’s his right to say what he wants to say,” said Payten Estepp, who was a part of the protests Monday.

“But that’s giving Lonsdale a bad rap to everyone that drives by on 19, which is a very busy road, so people are going to see that and they’re going to think Lonsdale as a whole, as a community, is as crass as that sign.”

Despite protests, Ruedinger says he does not plan on changing the sign.

Image: Brandon O'Connor via Flickr /Creative Commons