'Snowflake' protest against Trump fizzles out
Fans at Atlanta football game were urged to create 'blizzard' of white towels
A civil rights group called on fans attending Monday night's college football title game in Atlanta to wave white towels to send a message to a visiting U.S. President Donald Trump — but it appears a protest in the stands did not materialize.
The Atlanta branch of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) also urged people to wear white to the game and to wave their towels as Trump entered the stadium.
The white was meant to mock the "snowflake" insult that Trump supporters have made against those who oppose the U.S. president.
"We're going to make a snowflake turn into a mighty blizzard inside of Mercedes-Benz Stadium when Mr. Trump comes," Gerald Griggs, a vice-president of the Atlanta NAACP, said at a news conference Monday.
We have a message for you <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DontCome?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DontCome</a> signed the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/5thDistrict?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#5thDistrict</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TIME?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TIME</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AllTrumpsLies?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AllTrumpsLies</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AllTrumpsLies?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AllTrumpsLies</a> <a href="https://t.co/L8mxd2xrea">https://t.co/L8mxd2xrea</a>
—@NAACPAtlantaThe organization also planned a "Twitter storm" beginning at 6 p.m. ET and continuing through the end of the game. They plan to use the hashtag #AllTrumpsLies to highlight what they say are lies told by the U.S. president.
The Alabama Crimson Tide was facing the Georgia Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff national championship.
Another group, Refuse Fascism ATL, said it was planning a demonstration outside CNN's world headquarters near the stadium. The group plans to "take a knee" there at 6:30 p.m. ET.
That's a reference to the silent protest taken up by a number of U.S. professional athletes. Since late 2016, some if them have protested against police brutality and racial inequality by kneeling during the playing of the U.S. national anthem. Trump had repeatedly denounced such protests.
Atlanta police said they would be setting up several designated areas for protesters and won't interfere with demonstrations unless protesters break the law. Local, state and federal law enforcement authorities said last week that they've worked for months to develop security plans.
With files from CBC News