Philadelphia Moms for Liberty protests fizzle, bringing out only 100 demonstrators

PHILADELPHIA — Massive protests planned across Philadelphia in opposition to the Moms for Liberty summit largely failed to live up to the hype Friday, with crowds thinning out before the end of Day Two. 

Several organizations, including ACT UP Philadelphia, Defense of Democracy, National Parents Union, and the Young Communist League, scheduled rallies and "dance party protests" in front of the downtown Marriott Hotel where the conservative mother group is holding its four-day conference. The organizations have handed out banned books, blared music, and heckled conference attendees.

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One participant who made the mistake of wearing her ID badge was screamed at and told to "read the room" when she stepped outside.

About 100 people showed up Friday afternoon as former President Donald Trump, one of five Republican presidential hopefuls speaking at the conference, came to pitch his platform.

Protesters hurled insults not only at his motorcade but also at some of the Philadelphia police officers tasked with keeping the peace.

Others carried homemade signs that read "Mom's 4 Bigotry," "American Taliban," and "We Do Not Co-Parent With Domestic Terrorists."

While there were some tense moments, the crowd that had gathered was peaceful, choosing, as one protester told the Washington Examiner, to "dance it out." Others opted to chant, "Not in our city," "Get out," and "This is what bigotry looks like."

Moms for Liberty has had a rapid and controversial rise since its inception less than three years ago. The group describes itself as staunch supporters of parental rights, but critics claim they have a destructive agenda that's causing irreparable harm to the LGBT community. 

Moms for Liberty was founded in 2021 by Tiffany Justice, Tina Desccovich, and Bridget Ziegler and has led the recent culture war against school boards, accusing teachers of trying to indoctrinate students.

Ziegler is married to the chairman of the Florida Republican Party. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), who spoke at the event Friday morning, recently appointed Ziegler to a commission overseeing Disney’s Orlando theme parks.

(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

The founders of Moms for Liberty are also all current or former school board members in Florida who were opposed to student mask and quarantine policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. In two years, the women have turned their nonprofit organization into one of the most powerful groups that cater to conservative policies. It has more than 120,000 active members in 285 chapters across 45 states. Their largest chapter is in Florida and their second largest in Pennsylvania.

Parents-turned-protesters Travis and Kristna Culver made the 2 1/2 hour trip to Philadelphia from Berwick, Pennsylvania, on Friday. The couple, also Sunday school teachers, told the Washington Examiner it was important for them to show up for their children, one who is 20 and identifies as nonbinary, and the other who is 10.

"We want to keep our schools safe for our 10-year-old, and I don't want them to tell them that their sibling shouldn't exist," Travis Culver said. "I want them to learn that there are all kinds of people in the world who are accepting and loving of everyone."

Kristina Culver, a social worker, said she sees children "every day who are thinking about hurting themselves" and that "a lot of them are LGBTQ, and a lot of their parents are on the other side."

"Having a nonbinary kid, I don't want there ever to be a reason for them wanting to hurt themselves," she added.

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ACT UP Philadelphia and the Young Communist League have scheduled an all-day dance party protest on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Philly Childhood Collective is hosting a child-centric dance party on Saturday where children will be able to read banned books and create protest signs.