Thread: I went to the Pennsylvania 'ReOpen' America rally on Monday. I've covered some wild and weird actions in my 15 years of journalism, but this was among the worst and the most inexplicable. @NationofChange let me write about it. https://www.nationofchange.org/2020/04/25/reopen-america-rally-goers-are-members-of-trumps-death-cult/

First let me say what many others have at this point. This was nothing more than a Trump rally. All the same flags and many of the same signs from those about the deep state, or about Democrats being corrupt... all the same. They weren't trying to even hide it.

When I went to the rally to the time that I hit send to my editor at @NationofChange, over 300 more people were killed by COVID-19. People I talked to said the threat was overblown, especially in their state. Jonathon was one of them.

“It’s a virus, just like any other virus. Yes, it’s dangerous, but it’s not an epidemic. It’s not worth shutting our country down for. We need to get back to work.” -Jonathon

He's wearing this get up because his ancestry is German and the Romans used to see them at barbarians.

He, like everyone I talked to, got their info about this rally from Facebook... they also get their news there too.

“If you look anywhere but fake news, you’ll know it’s not an epidemic.” -Jonathon from Lancaster PA

I always try to be nice and try to be understanding to the people that I talk to at these things as it gets people to talk and show their real feelings about things more than a confrontational interview. But here, like at the Unite the Right Rally in CVille I didn't have to ask.

At the time that this rally happened, 1100 people were killed by COVID-19 and these people thought it was best to mock everything about it. From the people that are correctly worried about, the media and the dead.

You'd think that being religious Christians you might understand compassion and sacrificing for the good of everyone... but no. Not these 'Christians.'

I'm guessing these folks would only sacrifice themselves to the lions if Caesar told them too.

Side note, @NationofChange is a non-profit news source that was the ONLY news outlet to send me to cover things like this and support my continuing coverage of the far right. I wouldn't have been at the Unite the Right rally if it wasn't for them. https://www.nationofchange.org/donate/ 

Speaking of the media - we were one of the main enemies of this rally. Which isn't surprising, as the media is the target of every Trump rally.

A number of Alex Jones/Infowars fans were present—which isn't be surprising as Jones has been using this pandemic as a way to sell his wares, from food buckets to silver infused toothpaste that he has claimed at different times could either cure you or prevent the virus.

While I didn't see any signs of specific militia/extremist groups a lot of the general signs and flags were there.

Any one of these things don't necessarily mean anything, like the don't tread on me flag isn't 'far-right' but it's an indicator... just like the Hawaiin shirts.

Hawaiin shirts have become something to wear to pro-gun/militia/etc rallies as a joke about 'the boogaloo.' "Civil War 2: Electric Boogaloo."

The @ADL explains it here better than I can on twitter. https://www.adl.org/blog/the-boogaloo-extremists-new-slang-term-for-a-coming-civil-war

As I said in the piece at @NationofChange this is a Trump rally - and it showcased better than anything I've ever covered hoe Trump won in 2016. Pure devotion from an unusual but logical grouping people. Anti-vaxxers, Militia types, libertarians, contrarians and extreme religious

This in concentrated form becomes his Qanon followers. Who were, of course there in numbers.

While I wrote 1200 words in this piece about why this is the obvious conclusion to Trump winning 2016, I think that this sign summarizes it perfectly. Also - note that it's not a middle-age white dude holding it.

MAGA is death cult, there's no argument. https://www.nationofchange.org/2020/04/25/reopen-america-rally-goers-are-members-of-trumps-death-cult/

If you want to support a photojournalist that pretty much solely covers this sort of thing, you can do that here: http://Patreon.com/zdroberts 

Help me buy some more PPE. Or if you have some extra masks, DM me. This was my last one.