June 30, 2023

So as it turns out, the Philadelphia Marriott did not make any friends by booking Moms for Liberty this weekend. Via The Inquirer:

At the Marriott, members of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs, which is holding its biennial conference at the hotel, were surprised to learn the Marriott was hosting Moms for Liberty at the same time.

“I just did a double take and I couldn’t believe it,” said Eric Weis, 72, of Wayne, N.J., a longtime board member, adding his group had booked first.

In a statement, the federation said that “while the FJMC recognizes that Moms for Liberty and their speakers have the constitutional right to peaceably assemble, the FJMC does not endorse either the organization, its leadership, or the sentiments that they or their speakers may express.”

[...] For Alana Byrd, the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors and a resident of Elkins Park, the Moms for Liberty group’s behavior evoked the pre-Holocaust era. She said the recent slew of book bans and anti-LGBTQ legislation was reminiscent of the tales her grandparents told her. ”My parents told me their story and this is exactly how it starts, with people censoring things in schools and libraries and telling other people what they can and cannot do,” Byrd said.

Bad idea, Marriott!

Philly has a history of less than friendly welcomes for fascists. Like last year's 4th of July, when protesters chased Patriot Front out of town.

Here's a sample. I'm sure things will elevate tonight as Trump arrives to make a speech:

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