Yesterday I shared with you the news about a Lake Oswego businessman (Kevin “the Geek” Kerwin) who hates liberals, Bruce Springsteen, and is putting together a pro-Trump march on March 4. Kerwin’s got about 123 people signed up to attend so far, and seems to be inferring that his march will be far superior to other local marches. From the Lake Oswego Review:
“It’s just a friendly walk down the sidewalks,” he says. “We’re not going to block traffic, smash windows or light cars on fire.”
GIVE THIS MAN A COOKIE! Anyway, some of you may be very interested to know that there’s now a counter-protest to the March 4 Trump rally, which will finally bring some excitement to the bored lives of posh Lake O residents. From the Facebook page:
There is a nationwide call for a “March 4 Trump” and the official Oregon event is at George Rogers park in Lake Oswego. We need to show up and protest this nonsense. We will educate the ignorant, fight the Fascism and fight Trump!
Oregon is a state of resistance and we do not welcome these kind of events in our state, we do not welcome misogynists, racists, fascists and xenophobes.
We will outnumber them, they don’t even have a chance.
Sounds like fun! Find out more info, and sign up to participate here. And if you looking for other ways to get involved, check out the Mercury‘s RESISTANCE AND SOLIDARITY calendar here.
Steven, I’ve known and worked with you and you are a stand-up guy and beautiful human, but I strongly disagree that protesting the pro Trump march is a good idea.
For one thing, as far as “optics” go, a bunch of counter protestors will only inflate their numbers in photos. It will be hard, especially in long shots or pano views to differentiate the counter protest from their march.
For another, a counter protest will also inflate their importance.
Then there is the basic fact that even Nazis, have the right to free assembly and the freedom to spout their shitty ideology (they can’t act on it, and they cant exhort violent action on citizens, but they can yammer all they want about it). All us folks proudly posting photos of our ACLU cards would do well to remember that the ACLU defends the rights of Nazis to stage marches and make speeches.
Many of us were at the Women’s March and I don’t remember any heckling from the Trumpites – and their whole damn raison d’etre is trolling. If they had come to heckle or intimidate, they would have looked bad and only strengthened our resolve.
Then there is the fact that engaging with them, as is almost certain to happen, because even a silent counter protest will inevitably be met by someone on their side asking why you are there. Why don’t you let us do our thing? I will tell you, engaging with them will not go well. You cannot argue, in a calm and rational manner with these folk. It will end in liberal shouting and screeching and will be posted to Breitbart and Info Wars making us look like “Westboro” Liberals and not the true patriots and defenders of the real American way we should strive to be.
Leaving them alone will be instructive – intel if you will. If their numbers are small, it will confirm that they are truly in the minority and they will look pathetic. If they pack Lake Oswego (for godssake – Lake Oswego) to overflow, that will be very instructive, also. Knowing the size of your enemy is important.
So, though I’m probably typing into the wind, I would strongly suggest that counter protesting the March 4 Trump rally is bad strategy, really bad strategy.
I hope that this message gets to their Facebook group.
That’s a fairly liberal opinion Jack. It’s too bad that you could’t help but conflate Trumps supporters with a Nazis, exposing yourself as just another small-minded leftist; not a real liberal at all.
OregonJelly, if you read my statement closely, you will see that I was making a point using Nazis as the most extreme case of people who still have the right of free assembly and free expression and that if we are all pro ACLU, THEY uphold the rights of Nazis to march and speak.
There does seem to be an uncomfortable overlap of Nazis and Trump supporters (I don’t remember Nazis supporting Obama), but I was not lumping all Trump supporters in with Nazis.
anybody who supports trump is automatically a facsist homophobic racist xenophobe?? that seems a little bit more than ridiculous if you ask me. i really dont like these facebook activists. they sit on facebook all day in their little echo chamber. what we have developing among these so called activists is a very dangerous groupthink mentality. in their minds, anyone who disagrees with them is a nazi. anybody else see the irony?
Maybe the millions of people who voted to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN should have their own rally. It would be the biggest of them all!
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