Two rallies planned for Saturday in Mountain View turned into one Tuesday night (Aug. 15) after the organizer of the March on Google issued a statement about “credible alt-left terrorist threats.”
“In one instance, an alt-left threat was made to use an automobile to drive into our peaceful march,” event coordinator Jack Posobiec said in the statement on the group’s website. “We hope to hold our peaceful march in a few weeks’ time.”
The March on Google was supposed to be part of a nationwide demonstration at Google campuses against the firing of software engineer James Damore. He was fired after a memo criticizing diversity policies circulated the company earlier this month.
The cancellation of the march comes on the heels of last week’s violence at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va. Posobiec had previously called for Saturday’s now-postponed event to be peaceful.
Although the second event – the Stand Up For Equality and Diversity rally – was planned as a response to the March on Google, coordinator Lenny Siegel said it would go on as planned.
“We called our rally for equality and diversity and that’s what we’re trying to get across,” Siegel said. “I watched cable news yesterday, and Trump’s statement convinced me we definitely need to go ahead – even if the alt-righters aren’t showing up.”
The rally, organized by the Mountain View Voices for Peace and Justice, issued a statement written by Siegel Wednesday morning (Aug. 16) on the event’s status.
“Mountain View is a community that treasures diversity and struggles to promote equality,” Siegel said in the statement. “These human rights values are essential for our democracy, our culture and our economy. Along with our neighbors, we are driving the national economy. When we stand up, it provides a beacon of hope for the nation.”
Siegel said there would be an open mic at the rally to encourage attendees to offer their thoughts. Mountain View Voices for Peace and Justice has also coordinated with various groups in the area to set up tables at the rally. They plan on connecting attendees with these groups to help them become more engaged in today’s political climate.
“Perhaps there will be a smaller turnout,” Siegel said. “But I think it’s important for us to continue to speak out collectively and organize on many fronts.”
