Anti-Muslim protester disrupts press conference over canceled Epic Eid event
A man interrupted a press conference Tuesday held by organizers of the Epic Eid event that was canceled, screaming anti-Muslim phrases.
The Epic Eid event, originally scheduled for June 1, would have been the third year it was celebrated at Epic Waters waterpark in Grand Prairie. But the event was canceled following threats from Gov. Greg Abbott to pull funding from the city.
Thirty-seven seconds into the hour-long press conference, Christopher Svochak, a Christian supremacist, walked in front of the speaker, Muhammad Abdullah calling Muslims a “terrorist organization.”
Svochak spoke concurrently to the press conference for the hour that it occurred. He repeatedly said that “God despises Muslims” and that “Islam is a pedophile religion.”
“This isn’t Mecca, this is America,” Svochak said.
Abdullah and the rest of the speakers continued to speak over Svochak.
While Svochak was speaking, a group of about a dozen Grand Prairie police officers and community members gathered around him to keep him separated from the speakers.
Speakers included Muslim Imams, Christian ministers, and members of Jewish advocacy groups.
“I serve a Jesus that is of love. I serve a Jesus that is of peace. I serve a Jesus that is of joy,” said Dominique Alexander, founder of the Next Generation Action network, adding that Svochak was the “hate we must drive out of America.”
The conference was held right before the Grand Prairie City Council meeting. During the meeting, 12 people spoke in support of the Muslim community. Svochak was the only one who spoke in support of the event’s cancellation.
Zeeshan Hafeez, a community organizer who ran for Texas House of Representatives in February, began his speech by offering to buy Svochak a cup of coffee over dialogue.
“A threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. First they came for the Muslims, who will be next?” Hafeez asked.
Speakers at the council meeting all requested answers from the council regarding why the event was canceled. Angela Lucky, a lifelong Grand Prairie resident, expressed concerns over how the decision to cancel the event was made and said that the residents of Grand Prairie deserve transparency and clear explanation.
“Decisions affecting the community should be made locally and guided by the needs and values of the people who live here. From my lived experience in this city, I know Grand Prairie is at its best when it embraces fairness, inclusion, and respect for all. We should be careful not to allow outside political influences to determine which communities are welcome and supported,” Lucky said.
Because the commentary occurred during the public comment portion of the council meeting, and since the incident was not on the agenda, council members did not respond to any of the residents comments or questions.
Noor Wadi, an attorney based in Dallas-Fort Worth told the council her family was planning to attend the Epic Eid event, as it had been a “beautiful celebration” in previous years. She called recent anti-Muslim rhetoric from Texas politicians a political strategy.
Wadi called on the council to reschedule a celebration for Eid this month.
“When history looks back on this moment, unfortunately, it will not look kindly on the Grand Prairie City Council. But it’s not too late to change that. It’s not too late to write a better history, one where Grand Prairie is part of a chapter of standing up to bigotry and hate,” Wadi said.
This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 10:07 PM.
