We have stated clearly from the beginning that our initiation is not a counter-demonstration. News organizations and bloggers have continued to describe it in terms like that anyway. For clarification, here is part of an email that we sent out to participants today:
5) I cannot emphasize strongly enough that the outreach efforts and purpose of TrueReason.org is absolutely NOT a counter-rally, protest, counter-demonstration, or any related term that has been used to describe us. If you are interested in protesting or demonstrating, there is an area for that, but you are NOT welcomed to do that as a part of TrueReason.org or in affiliation with TrueReason.org. Such behavior will not be tolerated. … we have promised time and again that that is not what we’re about nor do we think we should be conducting such protests in the first place…. We want to have reasonable conversations about reality with people, and often asking them questions is the best way to start this. If things get heated, WALK AWAY. Again, I cannot emphasize these points strongly enough.