Antifa protest MPD free speech violations as alt-right stages dueling "free speech" rallies

On the 25th of June, the so-called "Proud boys," Richard Spencer, and Identity Evropa held a "free speech" protest on the Mall peddling a narrative that anti-fascists (antifa) oppose free speech. Rejecting the bait, anti-fascists descended instead on MPD's headquarters to condemn police violations of free speech rights such as the efforts to imprison Inauguration protesters for up to 80 years. A second counterprotest held the high ground over the fascists on the Lincoln Memorial steps, and a second fascist rally took place at the White House

The main fascist rally at the Lincoln Memorial included Richard Spencer, and it was splits between him and the rapey/"alt-light" set that drove some of the fascists to stage a splinter rally at the White House. There were a fair amount of "dueling chants" between the ISO and DC United Against Hate counterprotest on the high ground (Lincoln Memorial steps) and the fascists on the low ground(by the reflecting pool), but neither side tried to breach the lightly-manned double wall of bike-rack fence to attack the other. When Richard Spencer wrapped up his long-winded racist speech, fascists set off green smoke flares around their banner. The smoke was thick and irritating to the lungs, and a mainstream journalist was reported as joking "they're releasing the Zyklon." This was in reponse to journalists having to move after being gassed out of their previous position by the smoke. After all, gassing people is one of the acts the Nazis are best known for-over 6 million Jews and countless others died in their gas chambers during WWII.

While the Nazis mixed demands for a whites-only US with demands for not being counterprotested, protesters at MPD demanded an end to the prosecutions seeking to imprison activists for daring to speak against the Trumpenfuhrer on Jan 20. In essence, MPD itself and Richard Spencer are making the same demand, and anti-Fascists deemed MPD the more dangerous party. This being so, demands of the protest outside included nothing less than the end of MPD as an institution.Referring to the 80 year prison terms MPD is seeking against Inauguration protesters, one activist said shortly before the protest "The real #freespeech threat isn't "snowflakes" on college campuses —it's draconian charges meant to discourage and silence dissent."

The splinter group off of the main far-right rally featured Jack Posobiec,Mike Cernovich and the rest of the rapey "alt-lite" set who were unconfortable sharing the stage with the famously punched Richard Spencer. They whined that anyone who is not one of them is "violent," with one of them holding a sign reading "Democrats are a riot." The Democrats did NOT participate in the direct action against Trump on January 20, they marched on Jan 21 in the Women's March only. One of the speakers at MPD condemned those who marched in pussy hats but ignored or worse criticized those who were held hostage over that weekend by MPD. Democrats not only do not riot, they co-opt protest movements into "get out the vote" campaigns for existing candidates and usually lead the origjnal movements in question to defeat. It was not be getting in harness as a Democratic Tea Party that the anti-globalization movement forced both candidates in the 2016 election to oppose the TPP, thus sinking that trade deal.

The "alt-light" group was expected to show up at MPD with cameras in efforts to first photograph and then dox participants in the protest at the Metropolitan Police Department(MPD). One of the two Portland-style spiders brought by the protesters even said "Dox me Posobiec" in reference to this. A well-planned security response kept suspicious photgraphers at a distance and there was no mass invasion by facists from either rally at any time. Such an invasion was entirely expected but never arrived. Due to the announced plans for Kyle Chapman ("Based Stickman") to be at the Lincoln Memorial rally, the possibilty of armored fascists armed with melee weapons wading into the crowd had to be considered This time around, however, the only fascists who showed up at MPD were the cops and a few far-right photographers. When the expected fascist assault didn't show up, the free speech protest eventually marched away to a nearby Metro station to get people out of a still-dangerous area.

Video from both the MPD protest and the fascist rally & counterprotest at the Lincoln Memorial