In the wake of the massive counter-protest at Boston’s “Free Speech” rally this weekend, the pro-Trump and anti-Muslim ACT for America has canceled rallies planned for 37 locations across America and will instead hold them “online,” according to a report from Gizmodo.
In a statement published at Breitbart, the group claimed the cancellations were due to the “recent violence in America and Europe,” and scheduled the online demonstrations for September 9.
“In recent weeks, extremist and radical organizations in the United States and abroad have overrun peaceful events in order to advance their own agendas, and in many cases, violence has been the result,” the statement read.
But according to Gizmodo’s Matt Novak, the reason for the cancellations likely goes deeper than that.
…there’s some speculation online that the pro-Trump crowd had other motives for canceling the events. Pro-Trump demonstrators were vastly outnumbered in Boston over the weekend, making it clear that Americans are ready to stand up against hate and bigotry in large public settings. Roughly 40,000 anti-fascist demonstrators rallied in Boston compared to just 100 or so fascists who huddled in a safe space.
Additionally, ACT for America’s attempts to galvanize a good showing through social media didn’t get the response they were looking for. According to the group’s Facebook events for Baton Rouge, Boston, Cape Cod, Mays Landing (New Jersey), Sebring (Florida), and D.C., an underwhelming total of 30 people confirmed their planned attendance. [Update: the event pages for these gatherings have now been taken down.]
As Novak points out, “A rally of fewer than half a dozen people isn’t very intimidating, and neo-fascists depend on that dynamic to instill fear. That’s kind of their thing.”
Seems like we’re making racists afraid again.
Featured image: Tim Carter
