NEW HAVEN — A committed group of protesters, accompanied by a megaphone and a monstrous set of pro-transgender blue banners, demonstrated Sunday against a notorious orange bus that has made headlines up and down the East Coast for its outspoken views questioning transgenderism.
The only problem: the bus never showed up.
The “Free Speech Bus,” a vehicle sponsored by conservative action groups such as the National Organization for Marriage and the International Organization for the Family, features bold-letter messaging on its sides proclaiming statements such as “It’s Biology: Boys are boys … and always will be,” with vice-versa messaging for girls. Sunday’s plan, according to a report in the New Haven Independent, involved protesters surrounding the bus with several large blue tarps in order to shield it from view, effectively silencing its message.
By failing to show up, however, the “Free Speech Bus” still managed to generate publicity — especially after vandals took to damaging the bus last Thursday in New York City, and reportedly assaulting the bus driver.
“Our #FreeSpeechBus was just attacked and vandalized right in front of the United Nations in New York City,” the pro-family organization Citizen Go, a chief sponsor of the bus, announced on its website. “Our bus driver received minor injuries during the incident. Police will pull video from nearby surveillance. This is a hate crime, and sadly the way that those who pretend to preach ‘tolerance’ feel about opposing viewpoints.”
According to a USA Today report, the damage caused to the bus prompted organizers to delay their East Coast tour by about a day, which could explain for its no-show on Sunday in New Haven.
According to Citizen Go, the “Free Speech Bus” will be resuming its trip on Wednesday.
