Moms for Liberty Protests: How Philly Got Creative With Its Resistance At The Sold-Out Conference

Based solely on the music – hyperpop remixes of Charli XCX and Beyoncé, then suddenly transitioning into a sped-up version of “MakeDamnSure” – you wouldn’t assume I was describing 4 p.m. on a weekday on blocked-off streets, outside a Philadelphia Marriott. On top of all that, the air was choked with Canadian wildfire smoke. But the energy was high and stayed that way at the protests against the sold-out Moms for Liberty conference at the Philly hotel, scheduled for June 30 through July 2. The group, created in 2021, hosted right-wing speakers like Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Regardless, says local organizer Samantha Rise, “We’re having a much better time, a louder party, and way less money spent!”

Though the conference brought an influx of outsider arrivals as well as national media, Rise, a member of a broad coalition of organizations based in Philly coordinating the protests, explains, “We’ve actually been here meeting here every week for the past few weeks in preparation for this.” 

The core organizations include ACT UP Philadelphia – Rise specifically uplifted the work of local organizer Jazmyn Henderson, who’s organized with that group as well as others – and the local Young Communist League chapter, as well as “over 50 organizations that have signed onto that and a lot of individuals that represent tens of thousands.” The Daily Beast spoke to two protesters who drove 7 hours from North Carolina to speak out against the group.

“It’s so devastating to see your city, the city that you love, the city that you live in and fight for and participate in, choose so heartily this extremist group,” Rise tells Teen Vogue of watching the Moms for Liberty programming continue despite the continued local outcry. “We put so much pressure on them, and to just watch them stand their ground with these folks, that kind of alignment was just really hard to feel and see.”

Rise says police presence in response to the protests has been sustained and intense, though the crowd was peaceful and contained many “elders and children.”