Taking Back Anchorage group slated to close

According to a social media post made last week, the Facebook group "Taking Back Anchorage" will soon close. The group was a listed member of the Free Alaska Team, a network of affiliated social media groups that consisted of more prominent politically active groups such as Save Anchorage, Open Alaska, and Alaskans for Constitutional Rights that sprung up to oppose COVID-related mandates and business restrictions enacted by the Berkowitz Administration.

Many social media groups created last year to oppose mandates would later become hubs for COVID-related misinformation, as well as online spaces for organizing efforts to oppose the mandates.

According to a social media post that announced the group's imminent closure, Taking Back Anchorage was created in July 2020 as a place for individuals to be able to "talk crap" about Anchorage politics. The group's Facebook description states that Taking Back Anchorage was created so that people could stay informed about proposed ordinances & decisions made by the "non-elected mayor and Assembly," a reference to Austin Quinn-Davidson who became Acting Anchorage Mayor after former Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz resigned.

The group's founder and administrator cited personal reasons for closing down the group and also stated that the "Assembly, politics, and the underbelly of the local & state Republican party" was not for them and that they were surrendering.

"Open Alaska is a great group for fighting COVID-related restrictions and Save Anchorage is still available as well," wrote the group's administrator in their statement.

Taking Back Anchorage will cease operations (close down) on October 31, 2021.

Good riddance.