UPDATED: Third venue cancels event featuring six pardoned Jan. 6 insurrectionists.

For the Association of Monterey Bay Conservatives, it turns out that the third time is not a charm. 

The group is scheduled to host six speakers—all sentenced to prison time for their role in the Jan. 6 insurrection attempt at the U.S. Capitol, then pardoned by President Donald Trump, and now residing in various parts of California—at 6pm on Thursday, April 3. Three times, the Association has booked a venue for the event. And three times, after public pressure on venue organizers, they have canceled. 

The latest venue, announced to paid attendees on Wednesday, April 2, the day before the event, was the Santa Lucia Parlor of the Native Sons of the Golden West, located in downtown Salinas. 

Ed Pearce, presiding president of the Santa Lucia Parlor number 97, says leadership discussed hosting the event when they met on Tuesday night, April 1, and one member pitched it; the space is usually utilized on Thursday night by the Ramblers Club, but they are not convening this week. 

Pearce says the group quickly shot it down. "We told him, we only rent to members, not outside groups and definitely not a political group," Pearce says. 

He only learned the next day, April 2, from a story published in Monterey County Now that the member had proceeded to book the event anyway. 

The event has been canceled by Native Sons of the Golden West, and will not be held at the West Alisal Street location.

Pearce notes that the nonprofit group does not participate in partisan political events, and takes pride in its efforts to preserve California historic sites and educate the public about history. "We don't need to bring that—we are about friendship, love and charity, and we support our armed services that protect our country," Pearce says. "Why these guys brought their issues in Washington down to California is beyond me."

Pearce says the Grand Parlor leadership in San Francisco also expressed concern about the event, which is inconsistent with the Native Sons of the Golden West's rules and values. The member who booked the event despite being advised it could not proceed on the premises will be reprimanded, he adds. 

Representatives from the Association of Monterey Bay Conservatives did not immediately respond to questions on Thursday morning, April 3, about an alternate venue and whether the speakers will still present as scheduled. 

It's the third time a venue has canceled this event. First was Bayonet and Black Horse in Seaside, followed by the U.S. Army's General Stilwell Community Center where officials said they discovered the event was erroneously booked and out of compliance with Army regulations prohibiting partisan political events. 

"We are determined to create a platform for these men to share their stories," event organizers said in a previously released statement.

UPDATE as of 4pm: Attendees received an update indicating the event will still proceed at 6pm on Thursday, April 3. "We are proceeding with the event and moving forward," an announcement reads. "For confidential purposes, we are meeting at 5:30pm at the parking lot at Smalley's, 1190 S. Main St., Salinas, to reveal the event location."