Protests at Google offices canceled after alleged threats
Protests at Google offices across the country have been postponed due to what organizers claim are threats posed by unspecified "left-wing terrorists."
The rallies were announced by a conspiracy-theory promoter after a Google employee was fired for penning a highly controversial internal memo about gender differences, sparking uproar in the tech industry.
James Damore's memo, which claims biological factors contribute to gender inequality in the tech sector, sparked a quick reaction from Google after it circulated widely online.
The "Peaceful March on Google" was billed as an "event for First Amendment supporters from across the country, from all backgrounds, ethnicity and walks of life," according to a code of conduct listed on the march's blog.
Marches were planned in several cities, including Washington, D.C.; Austin, Texas; New York City; Boston and Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California.
Organizers placed blame on the news media for causing backlash to the planned marches.
"Despite our clear and straightforward statements denouncing bigotry and hatred, CNN and other mainstream media made malicious and false statements that our peaceful march was being organized by Nazi sympathizers," read a statement on the blog.
Organizers claim that they had received a rash of credible threats from "known Alt-Left terrorist groups," including one alleged threat to use a vehicle to drive into marchers like the deadly attack on counter-protesters after Saturday's Charlottesville, Virginia, rally.
The rally organizer, Jack Posobiec, has created an active right-wing social media presence and is known for promoting conspiracy theories involving Democrats, including the Pizzagate rumor that a Washington, D.C., pizza shop was a cover for child trafficking.
Posobiec had recently regained attention after being retweeted by President Trump for calling into question the "national media outrage" over the Charlottesville clashes.
Meanwhile: 39 shootings in Chicago this weekend, 9 deaths. No national media outrage. Why is that? https://t.co/9Crutnnrp8
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) August 14, 2017
The postponement comes just one day after Mr. Trump continued to place blame for the violent clashes in Virginia on "both sides," inciting a slew of reactions from the political world for equating counter-protesters with white supremacists.
The group says the threats they've received have been reported to the authorities and hope to hold the march "in a few weeks' time."