Left-wing agitators, politicians protest Moms for Liberty event in NYC

A large group of agitators surrounded Bohemian National Hall in Upper East Side Manhattan, conducting speeches and engaging in chants. They arrived with picket signs and noise makers.

In the days leading up to the event, far-left agitators and elected Democrat officials, as well as teachers, conducted a harassment campaign to get the venue to cancel the event.

However, the attempts were unsuccessful and the event went on as planned.

This seemingly infuriated the agitators, resulting in a far-left queer group telling its members on social media to arrive outside the event wearing "masks" in order to conceal their identities, which is a tactic used to avoid being identified by authorities when committing crimes or making threats.

Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine expressed adamant opposition to Moms for Liberty, and helped lead the charge to protest the women's group, saying on Thursday "We know that Moms for Liberty are a bunch of hypocrites."

"You don't believe in liberty if you want to ban books," he added, according to the Daily News.

Video footage taken during the protest shows Levine being shouted down by a black event attendee as he tried to conduct a speech.

Democrat state senator, Brad Hoylman-Sigal, who represents Manhattan, also took aim at Moms for Liberty and did not give them a warm New York welcome.

"What we are here to say to the … Moms for Liberty is take your clown circus back to Florida. We don’t need you in New York City or New York State," he said.

Furthermore, Congressman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) expressed his distaste for the group earlier this month ahead of their planned visit, and said, "Despite their catchy name, Moms for Liberty is nothing more than an alt-right hate group vilifying the LGBTQ+ community."

"There is no place for hatred or bigotry in New York, which is why I’m deeply troubled by their planned event on the Upper East Side. We cannot allow this fringe group to dictate what books are in our libraries or the version of our nation’s history that fits their preferred narrative," he wrote on social media.

The Catholic League slammed the "intolerant" comments made surrounding Moms for Liberty and offered its support for the group on X, saying that they welcome Moms for Liberty to the Big Apple.

"We also have a piece of advice for Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine: know your place, back off, and learn the virtue of tolerance," added the group, which is headquartered in NYC.

On Sunday, the Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association announced that despite the harassment campaign, they would not be canceling the event, saying that they are apolitical.

President Joseph Balaz said in a statement that "Based on strong and thorough advice from our counsel, we concluded that we are not in any position to break the contract."

"We are a completely apolitical organization concentrating on cultural performances,” the statement continued. “This particular group clearly does not fit our strong non-political stance. Be aware that BBLA is neither organizing, hosting, nor supporting this specific rental event. Furthermore, as a first-generation immigrant who years ago escaped a dictatorship and absolute censorship, I am personally very sensitive to concepts like book banning, thought, and expression controls, and so on, which this highly politically charged turmoil around this event brings out."

Moms for Liberty is a group of mothers who promote conservative principles such as freedom, limited government, and traditional family values.

The "Giving Parents a Voice" town hall event, hosted by Moms for Liberty co-founder Tiffany Justice, sold out a few days before the event.

"We will discuss the fundamental right of parents to direct the upbringing of their child- with a focus on the education of the child in NYC schools," Moms for Liberty posted on X.

The event featured Chris Elston, also known as Billboard Chris, New York City Parents Union president Mona Davids, New York City public school teacher Paul Rossi, as well as community education council members and other representatives of organizations.