Residents of the San Francisco Bay Area are still concerned about right-wing Rallies planned in the area, despite two having been canceled at the last minute. Locals are concerned that rallies could lead to violence and unrest.

Patriot Prayer cancels rally over violence fears

As noted by CNBC, one group, Patriot Prayer, had planned a “freedom rally” in Crissy Field, close to Golden Gate Bridge. However, citing threats by left-wing agitators and fears that law enforcement would fail to protect them, they have canceled the rally. Instead the right-wing group will be holding a news conference at a park in San Francisco.

While it is unsure if this is part of their reason for canceling, it was reported yesterday that a group of dog owners, led by local Tuffy Tuffington, was planning to hold a “dog poop event,” with the aim of making life difficult for the Patriot Prayer rally. Whether it will still go ahead now the rally has been canceled is unknown at this stage.

San Francisco Mayor does not trust Patriot Prayer

While Patriot Prayer said they are not about Nazis and the KKK and other right-wing violence such as the incident in Charlottesville, Virginia, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee said officials do not trust the group.

He said in fact, he didn’t trust them right from the beginning. Lee did add that as the group hasn’t canceled in writing, police will still be out in force in the park and elsewhere in the city to protect the residents.

Lee went on to urge left-wing counter-protesters to stay away from the scenes of any rallies on Saturday, saying he believes there are provocateurs in place in those groups who intentionally wish to incite violence.

Stressing that his group is against racism and hatred, Joey Gibson, leader of Patriot Prayer said it is Lee’s rhetoric, and statements by other leaders in the city, that have prompted his fears for the safety of his group, leading to the rally being canceled.

When they initially canceled their “freedom rally,” Gibson had said their followers would be attending an anti-Marxist rally in Berkeley on Sunday instead.

However, as reported by the Sacramento Bee, soon afterward Amber Cummings, the organizer of that event, went on Facebook to say she also had “grave concerns” for their members’ safety. In her lengthy post, Cummings went on to say their rally was all about speaking out against the violence suffered by those who do not agree with the system, but said the whole meaning has been lost in the rhetoric surrounding the planned rally. She did, however, say that she would still show up alone on Sunday.

Charlottesville, Vi., violence leads to fears

The main reason for the tensions and fears for residents over the San Francisco rallies lies with the violence at a white supremacist rally recently in Charlottesville, Vi., where a 32-year-old counter-protester, Heather Heyer, was hit and killed, and others were injured, by a car driven by James Alex Fields, Jr.

Whether all the planned counter-protests will still go ahead is currently unknown. However, the so-called violence from counter-protesters that right-wingers were so afraid of likely includes the “Dog Poop event” mentioned above, as well as plans to send out a bunch of red-nosed clowns, along with a giant inflatable chicken styled in the likeness of U.S. President Donald Trump. Scary indeed.
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