Press Release
The Liberty Union Party Condemns Hate Rally
Aug 7 2020
The Liberty Union Party, Vermont’s socialist party committed to non-violent resolution of conflict, offers the following statement in condemnation of the Rally in Support of Kyle Rittenhouse, organized by Super Happy Fun America (SHFA) and American Guard–two avowedly extreme right-wing, anti-LGBTQ organizations both associated with white supremacists and neo-nazi groups–scheduled for Monday September 7, 12:00pm, at Auburn Circle in Manchester, NH.
Seventeen year old Kyle Rittenhouse travelled from Antioch, Illinois to Kenosha, Wisconsin on August 25th, apparently in response to calls on social media for militias and armed individuals “to protect businesses” in Kenosha during protests against the police shooting of Jacob Blake on August 23rd. Rittenhouse carried an AR-15 .223 rifle. At around 11:45pm on August 25th, Rittenhouse opened fire, shooting three protestors, killing two. He was arrested and charged with First Degree Intentional Homicide And First Degree Reckless Homicide on August 26th.
While the rally is advertised as peaceful, the organizations responsible for the rally may want a confrontation and an opportunity for violence. The rally organizers have a long history of being associated with such provocations. One example is the violent “Straight Pride” rally hosted on August 31,2019.
As a non-violent socialist party, the Liberty Union Party unequivocally condemns provocation of violence. We cannot remain silent in the face of the threat to individuals, public safety and civil society that this rally presents. The Liberty Union Party joins with others urging people NOT to attend without full appreciation of the dangers, including violence, these reactionaries and this event may pose.
The Liberty Union Party condemns this Rally and it’s organizers in the strongest possible terms.