Militias flocked to Gettysburg to foil a supposed antifa flag burning, an apparent hoax

[Zorro]

Militias flocked to Gettysburg to foil a supposed antifa flag burning, an apparent hoax created on social media

For weeks, a mysterious figure on social media talked up plans for antifa protesters to converge on this historical site on Independence Day to burn American flags, an event that seemed at times to border on the farcical.

“Let’s get together and burn flags in protest of thugs and animals in blue,” the anonymous person behind a Facebook page called Left Behind USA wrote in mid-June. There would be antifa face paint, the person wrote, and organizers would “be giving away free small flags to children to safely throw into the fire.”

As word spread, self-proclaimed militias, bikers, skinheads and far-right groups from outside the state issued a call to action, pledging in online videos and posts to come to Gettysburg to protect the Civil War monuments and the nation’s flag from desecration. Some said they would bring firearms and use force if necessary.

On Saturday afternoon, in the hours before the flag burning was to start, they flooded in by the hundreds — heavily armed and unaware, it seemed, that the mysterious Internet poster was not who the person claimed to be.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/hundreds-of-armed-men-went-to-gettysburg-to-defend-it-from-a-phantom-antifa-flag-burner-created-on-social-media/2020/07/04/206ee4da-bb05-11ea-86d5-3b9b3863273b_story.html

[SharonClark]

1. They must feel so let down.

[Newest Reality]

2. Out foxed!

Now that's what I call a FALSE FLAG...burning.

Owned. Gee, this looks like a great idea. Just troll the promiscuous gun toters who intimidate their fellow Americans, (especially if they are unarmed = best) by getting them to run around the country to do freedumb. Burn them out.

[sop]

3. Dress rehearsal for when Trump issues the call for his shock troops to rescue him from defeat.

[captain queeg]

4. I didn't think you were allowed to have a gun in a national park

I think Gettysburg is a national historic site or something. Maybe rules are different there.

[kairos12]

5. The Pickett's Your Nose Charge was all in vain. Again.

[NurseJackie]

6. I don't understand and cannot comprehend flag worshiping. It's like a fucking cult.

I don't understand and cannot comprehend flag worshiping. It's like a fucking cult. It's worse than the cult-like followers of politicians (or at least they appear to be more violent).

My god it's just a piece of cloth. It's not some sacred artifact. It's not a living thing.

I have (well, had) an uncle who was a veteran and a flag worshiper. He was the kind of guy who'd recite the Pledge of Allegiance (in that rhythmic but broken-sentence style it's taught to children... syllable by syllable... rather than complete and naturally-spoken sentences with words that have actual meanings).

It always gave me a chuckle when he would LOUDLY EMPHASIZE the words "under god" as he parroted through the rest of his "pledge" in a rote and perfunctory manner.

[tanyev]

13. And yet they are not the least bit offended by this:

I don’t get it.

[Hoyt]

7. The ignorant white wingers will just claim their gunz and presence keep protesters away.

[Nevilledog]

11. Yup. Like they did in Oregon.

[SouthernCal_Dem]

8. I posted an article about this phenomenon a few weeks ago

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213572647

The article is a must read

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/annehelenpetersen/antifa-rumors-george-floyd-protests

[Alacritous Crier]

9. Just the thought of waving...

Confederate flags at Gettysburg battlefield.... Sheesh!!

Would these jackasses show up at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7 waving the Japanese flag??

[mainer]

10. "Antifa" should send them scurrying to all corners of the country

Let's exhaust them and get 'em running off to multiple middles of nowhere in search of the mysterious Antifa enemy.

[mitch96]

17. Thats what I was thinking.. Send them all over the place so they don't know WHAT is real..

That would be a hoot!!
m

[chowder66]

12. There is a video in that article that shows about 50 of them surrounding a pastor wearing

a Black Lives Matter shirt. He was visiting his ancestors grave.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/national/man-wearing-black-lives-matter-shirt-surrounded-by-crowd-in-gettysburg/2020/07/05/f06063f1-2f45-4be0-a9c1-f9830f57613f_video.html

[bottomofthehill]

14. Best laugh

From the Post Article

“There would be antifa face paint, the person wrote, and organizers would “be giving away free small flags to children to safely throw into the fire.”

And the fools showed up in force....WTF are we coming to

[Turbineguy]

15. They are easily fooled

It's why they vote for trump.

[sop]

16. "...antifa flag burning..." What's an Antifa flag look like?

[mitch96]

18. HUmmm... Nazi Germany was facist.. Mussolini's italy was facist...

Who was against them??? Britain, France, and .... US!! So Anti facist.. aka Antifa flag is our flag..
Ahhh no. Don't burn the old stars and bars..... These guys are so screwed up it's amazing...
m

[roamer65]

19. More of this should happen.

[TheBlackAdder]

20. They got there and beat up the VFW members who are practicing proper flag disposal. 😂😂😂

[struggle4progress]

21. They didn't liberated the children from the sex-slave ring in the battlefield basement while there?