Philadelphia museum allegedly vandalized ahead of Moms for Liberty event
The Southern Poverty Law Center listed the parents' rights group as an 'extremist' organization
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Philadelphia museum was vandalized for planning to host a Moms for Liberty event this weekend, the organization claimed on Thursday.
Moms for Liberty began its second national summit on Thursday with a welcome recept at the Museum of the American Revolution. Several Republican presidential candidates, including former President Donald Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley, are expected to speak over the course of summit, which will primarily take place at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown through Sunday.
The event at the Museum of the American Revolution received considerable backlash from the community since its announcement, and Moms for Liberty’s official Twitter account announced that the museum had been attacked overnight.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We are devastated to see the Museum of the American Revolution targeted last night by hateful vandals who broke windows and destroyed historical symbols of our country's freedom. The core of a free republic is to allow for the peaceful discussion of different ideas. We pray for peace in the days ahead," the tweet read.
The SPLC director that put parents rights groups on a hate list visited the White House to speak with Biden counterterrorism officials earlier this year. (Courtesy of Moms for Liberty)
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The tweet featured three photos showing a sign and mural defaced as well as a broken window. The museum did not confirm or deny the allegations when reached for a comment.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Any instances of vandalism to our building are police matters and it wouldn’t be appropriate for us to comment on them," the museum responded to Fox News Digital.
Videos on Twitter also showed protestors outside the museum and blocking streets in opposition to the event.
Prior to the event, the American Historical Association sent out a letter to the Museum of the American Revolution requesting that it "reconsider" their decision to allow Moms for Liberty to hold a reception there.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"For the AHA, this isn’t about politics or different understandings of our nation’s past; it’s about an organization whose mission is to obstruct the professional responsibilities of historians. We encourage you to reconsider whether this organization should be granted the legitimacy of holding a major event at a museum with the reputation and professional standing of the Museum of the American Revolution," the letter read.
A sign reading "We Do Not CO-PARENT with the Government" is seen in the hallway during the inaugural Moms For Liberty Summit at the Tampa Marriott Water Street on July 15, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Octavio Jones)
The Philly Voice reported that several museum employees also opposed the decision to host the event and filed a formal complaint to president and CEO Scott Stephenson.
"Moms for Liberty kind of goes against everything that we do at the museum, especially when it comes to telling a more diverse and, therefore, accurate telling of history," assistant curator Trish Norman said. "All of the work that we've done thus far as a museum, all of the relationship and community building that has been done in order to get to the place that we are today is going to be erased and is being tarnished and overshadowed by holding this one event."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Six members of the Philadelphia Senate also penned a letter calling for the museum to cancel the event.
"The Museum’s leadership has demonstrated a lack of judgment in agreeing to host a hate group. Fortunately, the mistake can be fixed with a simple and elegant solution: cancel the Moms for Liberty event for June 29. We look forward to your prompt actions," the letter read.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Despite this pushback, the museum refused to cancel the event, citing its commitment to promoting a democratic society.
"Because fostering understanding within a democratic society is so central to our mission, rejecting visitors on the basis of ideology would be antithetical to our purpose," the museum said in a statement to NBC Philadelphia.
The Southern Poverty Law Centers 2022 Hate and Anti-government groups map. (Southern Poverty Law Center)
A report from the Southern Poverty Law Center earlier this month designated Moms for Liberty as an example of "hate and anti-government groups" that emerged in 2022.
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"Moms for Liberty activities make it clear that the group’s primary goals are to fuel right-wing hysteria and to make the world a less comfortable or safe place for certain students – primarily those who are Black, LGBTQ or who come from LGBTQ families," the SPLC claimed.