After a group of similarly armed right-wing extremists turned up to interrupt a Texas drag queen brunch, a group of masked Antifa protestors with weapons arrived to protect those in attendance.
A trans activist “drag brunch” took place at the Anderson Distillery and Grill in Roanoke on Sunday, with around 20 kids and a number of self-described instructors in attendance.
Students ate brunch while watching performances by local drag queens dressed in skimpy attire at the event, which raised the ire of the community who objected to the parade.
As a result, at 1 pm, many armed with firearms, members of different conservative groups determined to put an end to the event gathered inside the restaurant.
As a result of the masked anti-fascist counter protestors’ shamelessly standing guard outside the restaurant with the semiautomatic rifles after becoming aware of these activities, tensions between the two opposing factions rose.
The two groups eventually fought after exchanging verbal jabs and encouraging one another, in a terrifying confrontation that a local journalist videotaped.
Due to the large number of persons carrying weapons on the property, the subsequent confrontation, although heated, came perilously close to turning into an all-out fight that would have probably resulted in casualties.
No arrests or police complaints were made during the event, according to the police, who had been stationed in the area in anticipation of the scheduled demonstrations.
Prior to the afternoon event, word of the divisive drag brunch had been spreading on social media for days, prompting concerns and demands for protest from a number of worried neighbours.
In an effort to downplay the event’s sage nature last week, the distillery’s proprietor posted on social media that it would not have any vulgar language, sexual material, or erotica.
In the midst of the escalating strife, Jay Anderson commented, “It was never my aim to hold an event that would end in controversy, hatred, and division.” It is my goal to make Anderson Distillery & Grill a welcoming place for individuals from ALL walks of life.
Bailey, Anderson’s son, who went by the drag name Trisha Delish, presided over the proceedings while wearing a drag outfit.
With hundreds of members of organisations like Protect Texas Kids and the Proud Boys, the most of them armed owing to Texas’ loose gun laws, the prelude from Anderson together with his staff’s obvious support for such an event would be divisive.
According to its website, the group Protect Texas Kids, established by vocal anti-trans activist Kelly Neidert, aims to “take a stance in safeguarding kids from the toxic, indoctrinating agenda of the left.”
Members of Texas Family Project, a comparable Texas-based organisation that, like the two other organisations described above, often displayed anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ views, were also there.
Neidert urged fans to oppose the brunch and “place some pressure on the restaurant” before the event.
Even though the groups would later turn up in full force, staff members reported that the brunch had sold out, so they were still outnumbered by guests.
Anitfa militants who appeared outside the school disguised and equipped with guns, standing watch as if to dissuade the increasing number of conservative demonstrators converging to the site, only served to exacerbate the discrepancy.
A masked member of the famed right-wing Proud Boys was also present at the protests, and he stood intimidating the collected throng with a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire.
The armed counter-protesters could be seen in footage shot on the spot as they stood outside the venue. One of them is seen holding a banner for gay Pride.
Following the ceremony, tension between the two diametrically opposed sides rapidly grew, which was swiftly picked up on by Texas Observer writer Steven Monacelli, who was also there.
With no mention of the turmoil, Monacelli, a Rolling Stone writer, tweeted images of the demonstration. Anti-trans protestors are demonstrating against a drag brunch in Roanoke, Texas, but they are overwhelmed by others who favour the gathering, according to the tweet.
I’ve only been here for about five minutes, but I’ve already seen a number of furious arguments, he said.
Anti-LGBTQ demonstrators were seen in the pictures that followed Monacelli’s post carrying placards that said, “Christ is KING” and “Drag the queens out of town.”
There were other placards saying “Children cannot consent” and “Stop sexualizing children,” one of which was written in homophobic handwriting and read: Warning: There is a monkeypox hotspot around 50 feet away. Keep back.
Video from the protest clashes showed a bearded guy claiming that one of the Antifa guards spat on him, almost starting a fight, as emotions continued to build.
The guy stated that after calling one of the masked guards “F**king pu****s,” the guard spat on him when he was approached by an interviewer.
I’m here to assist those who don’t indoctrinate and groom innocent 8-year-old children, he said.
Another guy wearing an Alex Jones Infowars T-shirt tells the man that he doesn’t have to listen to the female police officer when she asks him to step away from the armed guards.
The armed guards’ bandanas and sunglasses, which implied that they were cowards, angered another individual, who also expressed his outrage at the gesture.
Especially in the case of a violent confrontation, members of Antifa and Proud Boys often cover their faces to prevent being photographed and recognised by law enforcement or internet users.
Elm Fork John Brown Gun Club (EFJBGC), which seemed to identify the armed, masked protestors as members of its organisation in a tweet, appeared to claim responsibility for the Antifa members’ attendance at the event.
Threats won’t deter the homies performing the drag performance tomorrow; the show will go on. Show up and publicly express your support for the neighbourhood. Bring a buddy,” stated the message, which went up at 12:30 local time.
According to its website, the EFJBGC “[promotes] and [assists] underprivileged populations in organising community defence against white supremacists [and] fascism.”
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