Pro-Trump Bullies Trolled Punk Against Trump Online but Didn't Bother Showing

Despite Trump-loving keyboard warriors posting ignorant, racist, misogynistic comments on the Facebook page for Punk Against Trump, the event sold out and raised $3,000 for the various charities.

By Tom Murphy

January 23, 2017

Punk Against Trump Brandon Marshall

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Despite Trump-loving keyboard warriors posting ignorant, racist, misogynistic comments on the Facebook page for Punk Against Trump, the event sold out and raised $3,000 for charities including Planned Parenthood, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, Food Not Bombs and the Gill Foundation.

The bands of the night, Libtards, the New Narrative, Screwtape, Cheap Perfume, Allout Helter and Three Grams, proved punk isn't dead, and that it's about more than fashion and cis-gender, white heteronormative dudes singing about girls.

In the wake of Trump's election, a sense of political solidarity has emerged. The punk scene has recommitted itself to fighting for human rights and waging class war, and while many are angry, at Friday night's show they were not dour.

Bands denounced the president with sharp yet playfully irreverent jokes. Ross Swirling of Allout Helter led the crowd in a chant: “Not my president!”

The fact that none of the trolls griping about the show on social media showed up to protest it was telling — especially in the wake of low attendance at Trump's inauguration and the millions opposing him and marching in the streets in support of women's rights on January 21.

The United States' radical right-wing may have railed against punks online, but in person, they didn't even bother to show up.

Check out these photos of Punk Against Trump to see for yourself what it looks like when people meet in public to create music, protest and rage in community and don't just hide behind their keyboards.

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Tom Murphy is a writer, visual artist and musician from Aurora, Colorado. He was a prolific music writer for Westword and a documenter of the Denver music scene.

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Twitter: @simianthinker