March 16, 2017
File Art/for PhillyVoice
Independence Hall at Fourth & Walnut streets in Philadelphia.
Supporters of President Donald Trump are scheduled to hold a rally in Philadelphia on Saturday, March 25, while counterprotesters are planning to "disrupt" the event.
Those participating in the Trump rally will be marching for the "President, Vice President, Military, and First Responders." Based on the event pages for the rally, it is unclear what route the participants will be marching, but the event is set to begin at Independence Hall at 11:30 a.m.
The event page reads: "This is the chance where you can stand up to all the lies and corruption we face in this very much love nation to be proud to have our freedom and to thank all the men and women who have served and lost their lives in the line of duty to show you care who is coming into this nation with love and care and not terrorism and hate."
Organizers are asking for donations to fund the march and have already received more than $9,000 of an $11,000 goal on GoFundMe.com.
Set for the same time and place as the "MAGA" rally, the counterprotest aims to send "these boot-licker f***s home totally defeated," according to the event page.
The event description says those participating in the MAGA rally will be cheering for the "loss of life-saving medical coverage" and "deportations," references to the planned repeal of the Affordable Care Act and Trump's proposed increase of immigration enforcement.
The description also references Trump’s rollback of protections for transgender students. A separate “March for Trans Rights” is also scheduled in Philly for the same time and date as the MAGA rally.
One paragraph in the description of the counterprotest seems to discourage collaboration with law enforcement but also warns against "civil disobedience":
#DisruptMAGA welcomes and encourages a diversity of tactics. However, “peace police,” people who collaborate with law enforcement, and people who seek to restrict the actions of other demonstrators are not welcome. Be smart; this is not a civil disobedience where everyone tries to get arrested or injured. Come with a buddy, protect your identity and watch your back.
In a statement, the Philadelphia Police Department said it "protects the safety, security and constitutional rights of all persons," but would not comment on whether it had discussed either event with the organizers.
The department also declined to discuss the "disrupt" event description's statement about not welcoming those who collaborate with law enforcement.
Organizers of each event could not immediately be reached for comment via Facebook messenger. As of Thursday morning, 347 had RSVP'd to the MAGA rally, while 129 said they were going to the "disrupt" event.
