Protesters Plan 'Quran Roast Of DC' At White House

Trending News: FBI Warns Of Violence During "Quran Roast" At White House

Why Is This Important?

Because apparently a lot of people do not understand irony.

Long Story Short

A Facebook event titled "Quran Roast Of DC" has invited over 2,000 people to show up and "roast" (no actual burning will take place) the Quran tomorrow. The (especially) crazy part? It's taking place at the White House.

Long Story

It's hard to know how to appropriately react to tragedies like the Paris attacks or the San Bernardino shooting. There are complicated factors underlying the gruesome, horrific results, and that can be hard to reconcile. Some people are able to condemn evil while also rejecting bigotry, while others go in an entirely different direction. Then you have whatever it is, uh, these folks are planning to do:

That's a screenshot of the Facebook page for an event titled "Quran Roast Of DC," and their plans are pretty transparent: Show up to the White House tomorrow afternoon, and destroy the Quran (Islam's holy text) in protest of... something. The event info reads:

"This is the day america must stand up against islam and the islamic immigration which is illegally being implemented on our nation. Europe has had thousands in the streets... time for us to do the same we will be standing against the treasonous actions done by our government and the radical ideology of Islam... Be ready for a Quran roast."

If that sounds like nonsense, it's because it is (how does one "illegally implement Islamic immigration?") (bonus points for alliteration though). However, that hasn't stopped the event planners from inviting some 2.4k people, and the page's wall has plenty of sympathizing, encouraging posts. Only 74 people have publicly confirmed their attendance, but I wouldn't be surprised if more people show up (this is not the kind of thing most people are willing to put on Facebook). The people who can't attend send their condolences, however, and even have some ideas!

Let's not, and say we didn't

There is some good news, however. In securing the proper permits for the event, the hosts apparently had to agree to not burn anything near the White House:

So this will be more like a Comedy Central roast, then?

The bad news? Several friends of mine in the DC area received notice from the FBI and other law enforcement agencies saying they're reasonably confident that things could get ugly, and that there's an "even chance" the event could "incite violent actions from supporters." If you're around, stay the hell away from the White House tomorrow afternoon, and avoid in general people who fail to see how their actions are eerily similar to the extremists they're purportedly protesting.

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question

Is this a case where there ought to be reasonable limitations on free speech?

Disrupt Your Feed

This is, literally, why the terrorists hate us.

Drop This Fact

One of the most violent protests in U.S. history occurred in Greensboro in 1976, when anti-racism activists protested the KKK. They were confronted by Klansmen and members of the American Nazi Party.