Operation American Spring Promises Huge Turnout In DC Friday
A protest called “Operation American Spring,” styled after similar protests known as the “Arab Spring,” is set to converge on Washington, D.C. this week — with promises of “millions” of Americans seeking to unseat the current administration.
The actual involvement of Americans in Operation American Spring seems difficult to pin down. While the protest is expected to occur Friday, most coverage of the grievances at its root dates back to January and February.
Reports are suggesting that as many as ten to 30 million Americans could attend the American Spring demonstration — but a Facebook page promoting the event has fewer than 6,000 fans.
Earlier posts on the page cite a “Constitutional Emergency” as precipitate for an American Spring:
[fb link=”https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=3849358208730&id=590327191020730?][/fb]
Left-leaning site Raw Story posted this week about the planned demonstration, citing the numbers promised by organizers initially:
“The activists say they expect 10 million to 30 million like-minded Americans to join them Friday in the nation’s capital for a rally patterned after Occupy Wall Street and ‘Arab Spring’ protests… They also plan a sister event the same day in Bunkerville, Nevada, where militia groups have gathered to support scofflaw rancher Cliven Bundy in his dispute with the federal government… Organizers also anticipate ‘incremental nullification” by state legislatures of ‘all withholding taxes, employment taxes, employer taxes, and income taxes.'”
Urgent: Do you support COL Riley and American Spring? Vote Now in Urgent Poll http://t.co/V0YftnDlZD pic.twitter.com/wfrAmE7J4t
— Tea Party (@TeaPartyOrg) May 13, 2014
The post adds:
“This will effectively DOUBLE the size of ALL American Middle Class family weekly paychecks and cause our local city and town economies to boom,’ the group promises on its Facebook page.”
Last month, Tea Party Nation founder Judson Phillips commented on the May event, lauding the plans as fundamentally American… and dangerous, depending on the tone of the protest:
“There is no way a militia with small arms can defeat the kind of arms the U.S. government can bring to bear on such a battle, but one has to admire the courage of those people who showed up to confront them… That’s quintessentially American!”
Retired Army Col. Harry Riley, who is leading Operation American Spring, claims fed up Americans are tired of inaction in Washington. Earlier, he explained, “We are calling for the removal of Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Harry Reid, Mitch McConnell, John Boehner, Nancy Pelosi, and Eric Holder as a start toward constitutional restoration… They have all abandoned the US Constitution, are unworthy to be retained in a position that calls for servant status.”
Over on Twitter, the plans are getting moderate attention from locals:
Organizers of “Operation American Spring” say patriots will shut down D.C. this Friday. http://t.co/sTHBCJgdFd
— DCist (@DCist) May 14, 2014
As well as white separatist groups:
Powerful… The Bundy Ranch Resistance is just the beginning. Operation American Spring is the next step. We will… http://t.co/wh48z7h164
— American White (@AmericanWhiteHM) May 14, 2014
No estimate for involvement in Operation American Spring has yet been deemed accurate, and it isn’t clear whether the protest will indeed be large, or simply fizzle out.
