Armed militias arrived in Gettysburg on July 4 to protect the city from a flag-burning protest, which turned out to be an apparent hoax on social media, according to reports.
Hundreds of counter-protesters were drawn to a Facebook event on Saturday that called for people to come to the historic battlefield in Pennsylvania for a “peaceful flag lit to resist police,” the Hanover Evening Sun reported.
“Let’s get together and burn flags protesting bullies and animals in blue,” wrote the Facebook page Left Behind USA, according to the Washington Post.
Rumored to be hosted by Antifa, the event was shared on social media by various far-right groups, including militias, the Oath Keepers, and defenders of the Confederate flag.
They called on its members to help combat Antifa protesters and protect the city.
“If you plan to come, I plan to come with a full battle rattle … to be 100% prepared to defend yourself and whoever you come from,” said Macky Marker, a member of a Delaware militia called First State Pathfinders. a YouTube video
But the Antifa chapter for central Pennsylvania denied that the group had any involvement.
“It is a right-wing hoax like last time (in 2017),” the group wrote in an email, referring to when a hoax was circulating about an Antifa plan to desecrate Civil War graves, according to the Evening Sun.
“We are not even remotely involved. Let there be COVIDOS. We will be at home with our families. “
The Washington Post was unable to verify that the person allegedly behind the Left Behind USA account existed through official records.
By Saturday afternoon, the flag-burning event had not materialized at the historic site, but hundreds of cyclists, members of the militia and others gathered outside the Gettysburg cemetery, the newspaper reported.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a hoax or not,” Christopher Blakeman, 45, told the store.
“They made a threat, and if we don’t make our voices heard, it will seem fine.”
.
