The special guests at the Moms of Liberty conference, which takes place from Friday to Sunday in Philadelphia, are Republican candidates and rivals for the presidency, Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump.
The group opposes education that includes black history and the LGBTQ+ community in schools.
It is about four days of conference at the Marriott hotel in Center City Philadelphia and the protests for and against did not wait.
Who are Moms of Liberty?
The two-year-old group, which has quickly become a force in conservative politics, advocates for “parents’ rights” in education.
Hate watchdogs brand him an “extremist” for allegedly harassing members of the LGBTQ+ community and promoting misinformation in his fight to remove diverse and inclusive teaching material in schools.
Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley and DeSantis’s wife, Casey DeSantis, were also scheduled to address the group Friday at the downtown Philadelphia hotel hosting the conference. Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are scheduled to speak on Saturday.
Their attendance underscores the influence of the group, which has connected with powerful Republican organizations, politicians and donors to become a major player by 2024.
The group, which started with three Florida mothers opposing COVID-19 mandates in 2021, has grown to 285 chapters in 45 states.
Demonstrations in Philadelphia
Parents, activists and LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations gathered Friday to protest outside the conference, citing the Southern Poverty Law Center’s designation of the group as an “anti-government extremist” organization.
Others cited recent incidents, including an Indiana Moms for Liberty chapter posting a quote from Adolf Hitler in its newsletter before apologizing and removing it, and a Tennessee chapter complaining about lessons on black civil rights figures Martin Luther King Jr. . and Ruby Bridges.
Dozens of protesters took to the streets of Philadelphia for and against the Moms of Liberty convention in which certain books related to the history of blacks and the LGBTQ+ community are rejected.
