Organizers Postpone March On Google, Peaceful Prayer Vigil Planned
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) --- The March on Google has been postponed and a peaceful prayer vigil will take its place.
Organizers of the rallies scheduled for Saturday in Pittsburgh and other cities made the announcement early Wednesday morning, citing safety concerns.
"This really has been a trying 72 hours for Pittsburgh, I think the response that we have been able to deliver through our public safety departments and in particular our police department have been professional," Mayor Bill Peduto said.
"Credible threats from known Alt-Left terrorist groups have been reported," the group stated in a post on its website. "In one instance, an Alt-Left threat was made to use an automobile to drive into our peaceful march."
"For the last almost 5 days now there is currently no credible specific threat towards Pittsburgh regarding any type of demonstration," Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich said.
Instead the city says they will hold a Prayer for Pittsburgh, Prayer for Peace in downtown on Grant Street Friday at lunch time.
Organizers say the peaceful prayer service will be a time where Pittsburghers can come together to heal.
Infowars' Millie Weaver had earlier announced through social media that she wouldn't be coming to Pittsburgh because of threats of violence. She was encouraging others to stay away as well.
"This was designed to bring about awareness, to be a peaceful protest, but now it has been hijacked by these media outlets," Weaver said.
Organizers say they hope to hold their rallies in a few weeks' time.
The rallies were to be held in nine cities where Google has offices; Pittsburgh's Google offices are located in Bakery Square. Organizers say the company is abusing its power, censoring and silencing dissenting voices on YouTube.
Pittsburgh city leaders were preparing for the rally. Mayor Bill Peduto had been meeting with the city's Director of Public Safety and the Pittsburgh Police Chief. After this past weekend's events in Charlottesville, Virginia, the fear here was that the rallies could create rising tensions.
Organizers of the March On Google have been distancing themselves from the violence in Charlottesville. On its website, the group said it "condemns and disavows violence, hatred, and bigotry and all groups that espouse it such as White Nationalists, KKK, Antifa, and NeoNazis."
No official protest permits were issued for the rally in Pittsburgh.