shel
@shel

Moms for Liberty is a far right activist group which primarily fucks up schools and libraries to try and ban books with LGBT content and which discuss racism. They're having their national summit at the Downtown Marriott in Philadelphia June 29th – July 2nd. They've announced that they intend to protest the Free Library of Philadelphia and its Pride events.

We already knew Ron DeSantis and Dennis Prager would be guest speakers among other ghouls but they just announced Donald Trump will be present as well. They are looking at a sold out event of at least 600 attendees. Philadelphia is the only county in Southeast Pennsylvania to not have a local chapter.

The most likely to be targeted libraries are the ones in Center City:

  • Parkway Central Library at 19th and Vine Street, especially the Children's Department and Teen Center
  • Philadelphia City Institute Library at 19th and Locust Street
  • Independence Library at 7th and Market Street

They're most likely going to protest specific Pride events, which can all be found on the Free Library website.

The biggest event likely to be targeted is the Ants on a Log Family Pride Concert on June 29th at the Philadelphia City Institute Library in Rittenhouse Square.

If you are in or around Philadelphia please pay attention to these events and make plans to lend your support. There is a protest tonight at 6pm outside of the Downtown Marriott on 11th Street organized by ACT UP. There will be future protests leading up to the conference and definitely counter protests during the conference.

Additionally if you're around please just go hang out at these Pride events and libraries and be colorful and gay and loving. The more supporters present having a good time as a community the stronger and safer the events will be. Even just reading a book all day at the library will be useful if you're ready to stand up if protestors suddenly arrive.

This is becoming a major national stage for the Republican presidential campaign it seems and we won't let Philadelphia be under attack or let our friends at the Free Library be thrown under the bus.

This is the time and place to stand up for transgender rights and the rights of our youth and the rights of everyone to be themselves.

Contrary to popular belief Philadelphia is not a zoo of violent animals who are just going to throw down with violence and scare these people off without incident. It takes actual organizing and collective action to beat a crowd of 600+ fascists who have spent hundreds of dollars to spend the weekend in the city. So please tune in and show up.


hootOS
@hootOS
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in reply to @shel's post:

A lot of people who are not from/in Philly have been talking online about how much they want to see their stereotype of Philly physically beat up the protestors and it's honestly kinda racist given that Philly is a plurality Black city and majority people of color and also the poorest city in the country. It's not really helpful to us to have spectators online talking like this and it plays into the "bad things happen in Philadelphia" crime-ridden inner city narrative that Trump and his supporters promote and use as part of their conspiracy theories against the voting results of Philly which had been pivotal in the 2020 presidential election.

Like I literally said in my post that it is a bad thing that people see Philly like a zoo of violent animals and are so focused on their imagination of us busting people up. Philly does pride itself in a willingness to throw down but honestly right now everyone is really stressed and scared and it's not helpful to be like "yeah can't wait to see philly people be violent like people from philly are known for" like one must ask why is Philly known for being violent? What are the stereotypes and systemic factors going on here?

The M4L narrative is that trans people are violent and dangerous, the Trump narrative is that Philly is violent and dangerous. They want to disrupt Pride and turn it into a street brawl that "proves their point" that trans people are violent and dangerous and not safe to have in public space.

I'm not saying that violence should be off the table for what ACT UP and YCL and whoever else considers as a tactic for actions outside of the conference hotel but spectators should not be talking this way about Philly.

in full agreement here on this! i should clarify that by 'busted up properly' i do mean 'as professionally and safely as possible within circumstance' and not 'just riot about it', but i still have the big angry to direct towards right wing oppressors in general, and it feels about equivalent to a whole zoo of angry
edit, im not so good at the writing things, an it really didn't come across that way on my initial comment, my bad! should sleep about it and check my social graces :')