+
upworthy
popular

'White Lives Matter' rallies were supposed to happen on Sunday. Hardly anyone showed up.

'White Lives Matter' rallies were supposed to happen on Sunday. Hardly anyone showed up.
via Anthony Crider / Flickr

Dozens of "White Lives Matter" rallies were scheduled to take place across America on Sunday. The events were scheduled in semi-private, encrypted chats on the Telegram app between Nazis, Proud Boys, and other right-wing extremists.

The organizers said the rallies would make "the whole world tremble."

However, the good news is that hardly any white supremacists showed up. In fact, the vast majority of people who did show up were counter-protesters.


The events were supposed to be the first major white supremacist rallies since 2018. With a showing like this, they might end up being the last for the foreseeable future.

It's believed that in part the rallies were an incredible flop because the extremists are afraid to be seen in public. After the Capitol riot on January 6, over 275 people have been arrested for participating in the insurrection. Another 540 have been identified by the FBI.

Many others have lost their jobs, businesses, and relationships after being exposed in photos and videos taken at the event.

The events could have also been a failure because of the disastrous 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in which a counter-protester was killed. Many of the white supremacists at the event were also exposed on social media and faced consequences for their behavior.

The failure of people to show up is further evidence that the work being done to drive the extremists underground has been a success. Over the past few years, extremist groups have been de-platformed on social media and infiltrated by informers, and law enforcement.

So, what does it all mean? The rise of domestic terrorism is a real threat according to the FBI's own statistics. At the same time, media attention on fringe groups like the Proud Boys is often a self-perpetuating cycle of hyping up interest in such groups, which encourages others join their ranks, which results in more media attention amplifying the problem. It's probably not a coincidence that these so-called "rallies" received less attention from mainstream and corporate media in the days leading up the scheduled event and less people ended up coming out to attend. If cutting off the oxygen is the best way to put out a fire, maybe the same comparison applies to these white nationalist groups.

That said, properly calling out these groups for being ridiculously dumb, along with being hateful, is a pretty effective strategy as well. For example, in Philadelphia there was plenty of pizza, but not a Nazi in sight.

In New Mexico, hundreds of counter-protesters were joined by one white supremacist with an "All Guns Matter" sign.

A whopping three right-wing extremists showed up in Fort Worth, Texas.

The lackluster attendance prompted anti-fascist protesters to victoriously carry a sign that read: "WE ACCEPT YOUR SURRENDER."

Leaked messages from Telegram shared by Newsweek, showed how disappointed the extremists were with the turnout. "Welp, I was the only person to show up and after being here an hour and a half for nothing I'm going home," one lonely Nazi in Nashville, Tennessee wrote.

An extremist at the rally in Norfolk, Virginia wrote, "Well that was pitiful."

Another Telegram user complained that they "sat around the area" of the protest but "no one showed up" on Sunday.

The only place that had a substantial turnout was Huntington Beach, California. Huntington Beach has had troubles with white supremacists and right-wing extremists for decades.

A few of the pro-White Lives Matter protesters squabbled with counter-protesters — which came by the hundreds — leading to 12 arrests. After about 90 minutes police broke the event up deeming it an unlawful assembly.

The extremists' collective failure at organizing rallies shows just how successful tech companies, law enforcement, and anti-fascist groups have become at tamping down extremist movements. It's clear that the ability to organize counter-protests has also had a stifling effect on extremists' willingness to engage with the public.

The failure is also further evidence that extremists have a real fear of being exposed on camera for who they are and having to suffer consequences whether legal or professional.

The failure of these events to materialize shows that fighting back against extremists can be effective, it just requires vigilance.

True

Making new friends as an adult is challenging. While people crave meaningful IRL connections, it can be hard to know where to find them. But thanks to one Facebook Group, meeting your new best friends is easier than ever.

Founded in 2018, NYC Brunch Squad brings together hundreds of people who come as strangers and leave as friends through its in-person events.

“Witnessing the transformative impact our community has on the lives of our members is truly remarkable. We provide the essential support and connections needed to thrive amid the city's chaos,” shares Liza Rubin, the group’s founder.

Despite its name, the group doesn’t just do brunch. They also have book clubs, seasonal parties, and picnics, among other activities.

NYC Brunch Squad curates up to 10 monthly events tailored to the specific interests of its members. Liza handles all the details, taking into account different budgets and event sizes – all people have to do is show up.

“We have members who met at our events and became friends and went on to embark on international journeys to celebrate birthdays together. We have had members get married with bridesmaids by their sides who were women they first connected with at our events. We’ve had members decide to live together and become roommates,” Liza says.

Members also bond over their passion for giving back to their community. The group has hosted many impact-driven events, including a “Picnic with Purpose” to create self-care packages for homeless shelters and recently participated in the #SquadSpreadsJoy challenge. Each day, the 100 members participating receive random acts of kindness to complete. They can also share their stories on the group page to earn extra points. The member with the most points at the end wins a free seat at the group's Friendsgiving event.

Keep ReadingShow less
Education

A school assignment asked for 3 benefits of slavery. This kid gave the only good answer.

The school assignment was intended to spark debate and discussion — but isn't that part of the problem?

A school assignment asked for 3 "good" reasons for slavery.



It's not uncommon for parents to puzzle over their kids' homework.

Sometimes, it's just been too long since they've done long division for them to be of any help. Or teaching methods have just changed too dramatically since they were in school.

And other times, kids bring home something truly inexplicable.
Keep ReadingShow less
Democracy

This Map Reveals The True Value Of $100 In Each State

Your purchasing power can swing by 30% from state to state.

Image by Tax Foundation.

Map represents the value of 100 dollars.

As the cost of living in large cities continues to rise, more and more people are realizing that the value of a dollar in the United States is a very relative concept. For decades, cost of living indices have sought to address and benchmark the inconsistencies in what money will buy, but they are often so specific as to prevent a holistic picture or the ability to "browse" the data based on geographic location.

The Tax Foundation addressed many of these shortcomings using the most recent (2015) Bureau of Economic Analysis data to provide a familiar map of the United States overlaid with the relative value of what $100 is "worth" in each state. Granted, going state-by-state still introduces a fair amount of "smoothing" into the process — $100 will go farther in Los Angeles than in Fresno, for instance — but it does provide insight into where the value lies.

Keep ReadingShow less

Taylor Swift at 2022 Toronto International Film Festival Red Carpet Day 2.

The wordsmiths over at Merriam-Webster have announced their official “Word of the Year for 2023,” they say it’s something we are “thinking about, writing about, aspiring to, and judging more” than ever.

The word is authentic.

According to the dictionary, the most common definitions of authentic are “not false or imitation,” “being true to one's own personality, spirit, or character,” and “worthy of acceptance or belief as conforming to or based on fact.”

Merriam-Webster says the word saw a “substantial increase” in lookups this year. That’s probably because we now live in a world where artificial intelligence, deepfake technology and questionable memes challenge our basic notions of reality.

Keep ReadingShow less
Identity

One man turned nursing home design on its head when he created this stunning facility

"What if we design an environment that looks like outside?" he said. "What if I can have a sunrise and sunset inside the building?



92-year-old Norma had a strange and heartbreaking routine.

Every night around 5:30 p.m., she stood up and told the staff at her Ohio nursing home that she needed to leave. When they asked why, she said she needed to go home to take care of her mother. Her mom, of course, had long since passed away.

Behavior like Norma's is quite common for older folks suffering from Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia. Walter, another man in the same assisted living facility, demanded breakfast from the staff every night around 7:30.

Keep ReadingShow less
Joy

7 things Black people want their well-meaning white friends to know

"You, white friend, need to speak up and say something when I can't."

Growing up black in a white neighborhood.

I grew up black in a very white neighborhood in a very white city in a very white state.

As such, I am a lot of people's only black friend.

Keep ReadingShow less

Charlie Munger of Berkshire Hathaway.

Charles Munger, Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway and Warren Buffet’s closest business partner, passed away on Tuesday, November 28, at 99. Buffett and Munger's partnership lasted over 50 years, producing Berkshire Hathaway, one of the largest and most successful conglomerates in history.

When Munger passed, his estimated worth was $2.6 billion. Buffet, 93, is believed to be worth $119 billion.

But Munger was far more than just a wealthy man. Apple CEO Tim Cook called Munger a “keen observer of the world around him,” and he was known for his pithy bits of common-sense wisdom known as “Mungerisms.”

Keep ReadingShow less