Dozens of activists gathered outside the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia yesterday, June 29, to protest his decision to host A private event for the far-right group Moms for Liberty (M4L). Members of Local advocacy groups Act Up Philly and the Communist Youth League staged a four-hour “dance party protest” in opposition to this weekend’s so-called “Merry Warriors Summit”.
The conference, which begins today, June 30, and runs through July 2, will feature many conservative speakers, including former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Last night’s protests, led by LGBTQ+ and BIPOC organizers, kicked off what will be a full weekend of protests against the extremist group’s summit, held this year at the Philadelphia Downtown Marriott Hotel. In recent days, historians and scholarly organizations have also issued statements denouncing the use of the museum as an event venue for the conference.
In the weeks leading up to the conference, the Museum of the American Revolution came under pressure not only from local advocacy groups but also from its own staff to cancel the private M4L reservation. Trish Norman, the museum’s assistant curator, said Hyperallergic in an email stating that ahead of last night’s opening reception, ‘the majority of staff had pleaded with management to cancel the event hire’.
“As a queer museum professional who has been outspoken about leasing the museum to Moms for Liberty, I believe the leasing agreement goes against the mission and values of the museum,” Norman said. Hyperallergic. They explained that they felt it was necessary to join the protests last night when the private event went as planned.
In the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) 2022 report on hate and extremism, the watchdog flagged M4L for the group’s attacks on “the inclusive curriculum, LGBTQ+ rights and what they consider to be inappropriate reading material in classrooms and libraries” . The group is also classified as a 501(c)4 organization, a nonprofit tax-exempt status that has been critical for the political activity of the group.
Historians have also criticized the Museum of the American Revolution for booking the event private. Earlier this week, the American Historical Association released a letter urging the museum to “reconsider its decision” to host the private M4L event. The Organization of American Historians also published a statement denouncing the museum’s decision, citing “damage to the accurate and inclusive history of M4L, harm to the work undertaken daily by our community of historians, and harm to individual historians – particularly in the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities.” Other scholarly organizations, including the National Council of Public HistoryTHE Berkshire Conference of Women Historiansand the LGBT History Committee also all released statements.
Organizer Jazmyn Henderson, who was also at yesterday’s protest and is currently at another ‘dance event’ planned at the Marriott, said Hyperallergic on the phone that while she felt that yesterday’s demonstration had gone well, she was also “disheartened” by the “hypervigilance” of the local authorities during the event.
“They were literally encroaching on our right to protest,” Henderson said. “Most of us [demonstrators] are people who live in Philadelphia, and [the authorities] protected foreigners.
She said authorities erected barricades on South Third Street in front of the building to keep protesters away from the M4L opening reception, but failed to act when M4L members apparently “poured beer right outside the cops”.
“Otherwise, I think [our demonstrations] are doing pretty well,” Henderson said Hyperallergic. “Our goal is to ensure that [M4L] know that we don’t want them here, and I think they understood that.
In response to Henderson’s claims, a Philadelphia Police Department spokesperson said Hyperallergic that authorities were on the scene in response to reports of vandalism and are currently investigating the matter.
Hyperallergic contacted the Museum of the American Revolution for comment. Earlier, a museum spokesperson said that because “fostering understanding within a democratic society is so essential to [the museum’s] mission, rejecting visitors on the basis of ideology would actually be contrary to [the institution’s] aim.”
But many of his employees disagree with this characterization. “Moms for Liberty is the antithesis of what my colleagues and I do on a daily basis,” Norman said, adding that they and their colleagues are “committed to telling a more inclusive and therefore more accurate story” of the United States.
