Gritty mascot commandeered for anti-Donald Trump rally in Philadelphia
A lot of things can be said about Gritty.
Part crazed muppet, part apparent serial killer with a T-shirt gun, the new Philadelphia Flyers mascot embraces a wide spectrum from fuzzy to terrifying.
We can now add political puppet to the list of Gritty’s attributes.
Gritty’s likeness shows up at anti-fascist rally
Philadelphia citizens commandeered Gritty on Tuesday for an anti-fascist rally during a visit from President Donald Trump.
The orange monstrosity appeared on banners and flags baring harsh language protesting Trump’s presence in their city.
One woman found a likeness between the two.
Here’s the sign I made for the Trump protest in Philly today pic.twitter.com/gKi2zsDEbA
— Brodfard (@bthny) October 2, 2018
Why Gritty?
Philadelphia based social justice group “The Liberation Project” gave an explanation on Gritty’s appeal to the Daily Beast.
“Gritty is a symbol of Philadelphia,” the group told The Daily Beast. “It’s not that he’s an anti-fascist character, it’s that he’s representative of the people, and the people of Philadelphia are grittily anti-fascist.”
To be clear, the actual Gritty did not make an appearance, nor was the use of his image endorsed by the Flyers.
But now that he’s been unleashed, Gritty has been embraced by the people. And the people will use Gritty how they see fit.
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