Conch Republic 35th Anniversary "We Seceded Where Others Failed"
Each April Key West celebrates the Anniversary of the Conch Republic Independence, back in 1982 the US Border Patrol set up a blockage for all vehicles leaving the Florida Keys. This heinous act effectively isolated Keys Citizens from the U.S. mainland. The entire community protested, seeking a court injunction to stop the federal blockade, but to no avail. On the Court house steps then Mayor Wardlow announced to the world, by way of the assembled TV crews and reporters, that ; "Tomorrow at noon the Florida Keys will secede from the Union!"
At noon, on the day of secession, at Mallory Square in Key West Florida, Mayor Wardlow read the proclamation of secession and proclaimed that the Conch Republic was an independent nation separate from the U.S. and then symbolically began the Conch Republic's Civil Rebellion by breaking a loaf of stale Cuban bread over the head of a man dressed in a U.S. Navy uniform. After one minute of rebellion, the now, Prime Minister Wardlow turned to the Admiral in charge of the Navy Base at Key West, and surrendered to the Union Forces, and demanded 1 Billion dollars in foreign aid and War Relief to rebuild our nation after the long Federal siege!
Each year Key West Celebrates with the motto “ We Seceded Where Others Failed”
The annual celebration includes activities like: Conch Cruiser Car Show, Rum Festival, Music Festival, Conch Republic Military Reception & Muster, Pet stroll down Duval, Bed race down Duval street, Drag Queen Races, Conch Republic Naval Parade and re-enactment of the Great Bloody Sea Battle, Craft fair, Duval Crawl, Victory Party and of course a Grand Parade.
The above info was partially pilfered from and s/b credited to the Official Conch Republic website: http://www.conchrepublic.com

See the Great Sea Battle Time Lapse video at: http://youtu.be/3jbh4RpRRhk
Conch Republic Blog: http://billklipp.zenfolio.com/blog/2015/4/conch-republic-independence-celebration


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