Updated: "Open Alaska" Facebook group reportedly de-platformed. "Save Anchorage" panics
October 8, 2021: The original "Open Alaska" Facebook group has suddenly and quite miraculously come back to life! Administrators of "Save Anchorage's" sister group claim they do not know why the group disappeared and reappeared.
The "Open Alaska" Facebook group, which has been championed as the sister group of "Save Anchorage," is reportedly "gone," according to a post made by "Save Anchorage" moderator Julie Brophy.
Wasilla resident Elizabeth Welsh, an "Open Alaska" administrator, confirmed the details in a comment made to the "Save Anchorage" group, writing that she was "so sad" about the group's de-platforming and that she had recreated the group on Telegram. Interestingly, Welsh has also recreated "Open Alaska" on Facebook.
Ousted gubernatorial chief of staff, former Republican Tea Party Chair, and behind-the-scenes operative Tuckerman Babcock made an appearance today in the comment section of a post made by Welsh in the new "Open Alaska" Facebook group. Babcock asked Welsh if she knew why the group had disappeared. Welsh responded that she did not know and that the group was "just GONE!"
The "Open Alaska" Facebook group drew unwanted attention to itself last year when members of the group were encouraged to take part in mask-free flash mobs at local businesses.
Welsh is also a listed administrator of "Alaskans for Children’s Right to Breathe," where Anchorage Assembly person Jamie Allard is also a listed administrator.
"Save Anchorage" leadership appears concerned about the deletion of the original "Open Alaska" Facebook group and has told members that should "Save Anchorage" get shut down, to look for the group on the ultra-conservative platform Gettr.
Until this summer, both "Open Alaska" and "Save Anchorage" were listed members of an affiliated network of social media groups on the Free Alaska website.
The Anchorage-based "Save Anchorage" group has adorned Alaska's social media with numerous posts comparing former Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz to Hitler, has threatened violence against city officials, and according to the FBI, a group member stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, and posted videos from inside the building to the Facebook group.
Earlier this year, "Save Anchorage" was said to have come under scrutiny by Facebook employees themselves, which you can read about here.
Naturally, The Blue Alaskan will keep you updated about this curious development.
On October 8, 2021, Open Alaska Administrator Elizabeth Welsh hid the new "Open Alaska" Facebook group. A notice on the Facebook group says that "Open Alaska" has been archived.
