Thread by @UR_Ninja

NEW: Jackson Heights NYC Drag Story Hour Draws Defenders, Homophobes #nyc #dragstoryhour #homophobes #Queens
unicornriot.ninja/2023/jackson-h…

On Dec. 29, 2022, hundreds of New Yorkers gathered outside the Jackson Heights Public Library in Queens, where a drag story hour was taking place. On one side roughly 40 people protesting, incl. #ProudBoys, neo-Nazis, anti-vaccine activists, & conservative Internet personalities.

Protesters against drag story hour were outnumbered by their opponents: over 300 community defenders, intent on ensuring the event continued safety and without disruption. This report outlines key figures involved and the structure of the police response.

A gay NYC Councilman, Erik Bottcher (District 3), expressed his support for drag story hour and was subsequently targeted by several of these protesters, mainly D’anna Morgan, Erica Sanchez, and David Nieves (commonly known as King Jesus), associated with Guardians of Divinity.

The three were recently arrested for attacking Bottcher’s neighbor, trespassing in his apartment building, and vandalizing his office. Morgan and Nieves were present at the protest.

Unicorn Riot discovered the Guardians of Divinity website was hosted in an account managed by a dating coach named Paula Grooms. The page disappeared shortly after Unicorn Riot requested comment.

The protesters are all closely associated with several groups that push other right-wing causes, such as anti-vaccine/mask mandates, and opposition to abortion rights. (Abortion clinic defense has been another key cause in New York recently.) unicornriot.ninja/2022/a-fight-t…

At this event the Five Points chapter of the Proud Boys, Guardians of Divinity, Freedom Rally, and the neo-Nazi group Goyim Defense League (GDL – a rival of Patriot Front) made up the majority of the protesters.

Several conservative journalists were also present including Elad Eliahu, Pamela Hall, and Oren Levy (known online as Leeroy Press and Viral News NYC). Eliahu is a journalist associated with Tim Pool’s conservative news website “Timcast News.”

Eliahu is best known for being thrown out of a Turning Point USA conference because of questions he asked Kyle Rittenhouse. Hall, an affiliate of high-profile islamophobe Pamela Geller, is a local photographer who runs a conservative blog featuring anti-queer, anti-abortion...

...and anti-vaccine and anti-mask articles that urge people to protest for these causes.
PIC: Elad Eliahu is blocked from following a community defender down the street by another community defender

The first of the protest groups to leave were the Proud Boys, with Guardians of Divinity behind them. Following were community defenders, shouting chants such as “What’s that noise? F*ck the proud boys,” “Go home scared boys,” and “Run away back to Long Island, little Nazis.”

As the Proud Boys and Nieves entered 74th Street/Broadway subway station, Community Affairs, uniformed and undercover officers, and MTA employees were waiting to open an emergency exit door to allow them to pass through.

An online statement: "The atmosphere outside the library was filled with joy, music, love, & community. … Our safety team & medics were there to ensure the safety of the families and performers... the opposite of the hateful groups who had hoped to intimidate us away."

For more check out the full story:
Jackson Heights NYC Drag Story Hour Draws Defenders, Homophobes unicornriot.ninja/2023/jackson-h…