Rocklin, CA: Antifascists Stand With Community Members to Defend Local Event from Proud Boys

A report on community defense of a local event from the Proud Boys in so-called Rocklin, California.

On March 2nd, 2023, community members answered the call to help support a fashion show in Rocklin, CA from potential far-Right agitators. The opposition ended up including a group of approximately 12 Proud Boys.

The owner of a local boutique shop in Rocklin, California decided to put on an inclusive fashion show celebrating their 3rd Anniversary of being in business. As part of the event, there was scheduled to be a fundraiser and a drag show. The event was labeled “All Ages,” after multiple families expressed interest in the event and inquired if they could bring their children. The event itself was never targeted towards kids specifically and was always marketed as a fashion show with vendors, model walks, a drag show and raffles. While there would be adult beverages sold at the event, no part of the scheduled activities were sexually explicit or involved things that young kids could not be around or are not around already in other spaces in society. Recently, a big point of contention in the public discourse of drag shows and LGBTQ+ events has centered around the term “all ages” and what that means versus an event specifically labeled as a “kids or children” event. Typically in the entertainment industry or identical event spaces, “all ages” means the content of said event is appropriate for any age versus an event “for kids” where the primary focus of event materials or festivities are specifically FOR a younger child audience.

For example, children are allowed at restaurants that serve alcohol but that doesn’t mean they get served drinks or are told they have to wait for their parents outside while they eat their meal. There are numerous spaces in society where “adult” specific activities are happening but it’s still perfectly safe for kids to be around. There is little to no push back in cis heterosexual spaces but now tremendous pressure is being focused on the LGBTQIA+ community and events featuring a drag performer. The fashion show in Rocklin would be next to receive biased criticism from the conservatives in the area.

The event would end up catching the attention of Rocklin right-wing pastor, politician, bar owner and leader of anti-LGBTQIA+ campaigns, Matthew Oliver. Some might remember him as he played a key role in the campaign against Pastor Casey, a queer community member and religious leader who faced online and even in person harassment at his house by Proud Boys and neo-Nazis for manufactured allegations of pedophilia and grooming. (Casey was later exonerated by the school district after an investigation which found no wrong doing on his part. In addition he faced no criminal charges and was supported by an overwhelming number of students and parents who testified to the importance of Pastor Casey to queer students and the community).

Oliver immediately took to Facebook to alert his followers that “sexually explicit” entertainment was coming to Rocklin Event Center and that kids were in danger. He also highlighted his distaste for the Sacramento organization that helps immigrant families, NorCal Resist. During a Facebook live rant, Oliver claimed that the organization was an “Antifa” group and that the funds from the event were going to support “antifa” and, “Things that are trying to actively destroy what makes Rocklin and Placer County so great.”

If there is two things that far-Right groups love to hyper fixate on and cause panic over, it’s false information about child safety and boogeyman allegations about “Antifa.” Oliver began a campaign to get the event shut down and organized his followers to call and email city council. In addition he rallied them to show up in person to city council in what would lead to a failed attempt at getting the event cancelled, but would grab the attention of local news and put many eyes on the situation. As part of his larger campaign against the LGBTQIA+ community he also encouraged his followers to sign his petition to try and get a city ordinance to ban drag shows in Rocklin.

Oliver and many others showed up at Rocklin City Council holding signs saying, ” Say No to Kids at Drag Shows.” During this time, online harassment of the boutique business took place on Facebook and Instagram, speaking about child grooming and other far-Right fear mongering. Oliver’s Facebook rants included a part about the how the drag performer supported the Palestinian movement and how the city of Rocklin was allowing quote “this group to use a tax funded public building to host an All ages drag show supporting Antifa.”

Oliver, like many other far right agitators, worded all his comments in misinformation and misleading statements. In reality the event center was rented out by the shop owner and is not open to the public without prior reservations, the drag show was 1 small part of the entire event and was no in way inappropriate for kids, and neither NorCal Resist or the drag show we’re the sole and only focus of the event.

While Oliver never posted a public call to protest the event itself, it is known from past similar harassment campaigns that he has the ear of local far-Right groups like the Proud Boys. Oliver would not end up showing up to the event with a group of protesters himself but the groundwork was laid by him through media interviews and social media fear mongering for the potential of more militant groups taking it upon themselves to pick up the torch where he left off.

Due to the wide spread notoriety of the event and concerns over safety, the organizer and owner of the Botique shop posted a call-out for support of the local community. A request was made for folks to show up and provide a “buffer” between any potential bad actors trying to hurt or harass the attendees and their families while entering the event. Folks were asked to show up and welcome people to cultivate a positive, supportive and inclusive environment. The event was scheduled to began at 6pm and community support was requested at 5pm via an Instagram post by the owner and organizer.

Defenders and community supporters began assembling around 5 PM on the day of the event and were quickly confronted by a group of around 8 Proud Boys, which eventually swelled to around 12 total. This group appears to have been made up of members of the “Sactown Proud Boys” chapter, a group last seen publicly when they were *extremely literally* chased out of Davis, sprinting for nearly a mile to escape antifascist protesters.

The group of Proud Boys seemed lackadaisical and low-energy, able to muster the energy for only sporadic comments about grooming. They seemed disorganized, with some in camo fatigues while others came in poorly-executed drag costumes of their own. At one point, one of the Proud Boys seemed to be embarrassed that his wife was mixing it up too much with the defenders. He pulled her aside to have a conversation about it.

Despite the overall disorganization and lack of vigor from the Proud Boys, tensions were high early on. Robert Sunday Jr–a Proud Boy who had previously been caught on film punching a Trans teenager in Sacramento – stole a defender’s sign and threw it on the ground. The defenders held their ground while others guarded each of the front doorways, ensuring only genuine attendees could enter. After a while of stand-off outside the front doors, The Proud Boys eventually seemed to realize that they would not be able to disrupt or shut down the event from happening, and they gathered up and left. Defenders continued to guard the doorways, watching the parking lots and escorting folks to their vehicles until the event ended and the last attendees had left.

Despite the attempts of the Proud Boys, the event itself was a success and received great feedback of not only the event itself but the folks who helped keep it safe. Community supporters made up of anti-fascists, helpful volunteers, and local residents held a united front in the face of fascist violence showing once again the power of an organized community.

It is important to note that while Matthew Oliver did not show up himself or publicly call for a protest, his constant fear mongering and anti-LGBTQIA+ campaigns have grabbed the attention of far-Right militant groups who will gladly get their hands dirty in service of him. His role in the current rise of far-Right fascist violence is one that cannot be overlooked, as this is now twice in the last year that dangerous white supremacists have taken action based on his targeted campaigns.