The Otakon anime convention is set to take place over the August 11th weekend in Washington D.C., at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The convention is said to be a mile removed from another rally that is potentially scheduled to take place in the Washington D.C., area at Lafayette Square. The second event is a white civil rights rally.
In an article published on June 21st, 2018, the Anime News Network attempted to conflate the events together in a way that struck fear and worry within some of the potential attendees of the Otakon event. The article’s headline reads “Potential White Supremacist Rally Aligns with Otakon Weekend in DC”, almost making it read as if the two have some sort of link, when in reality they have nothing whatsoever to do with each other.
The article was published hours after the official Otakon Twitter account notified potential attendees on the morning of June 21st, 2018, that they were aware of the other rally and would be monitoring the situation.
To all of our fans and Members: We would like you to know that Otakon is aware of the proposed rally which would take place 2.1 miles from our event, and the concerns raised by our members. We are carefully monitoring the situation as it develops.
— Otakon (@Otakon) June 21, 2018
The tweet makes no mention of the contents of the rally or the participants, leaving it ambiguous. Even in an extended statement over on the Otakon forums, they just assure convention goers that they’ve been assured by authorities that the other rally shouldn’t be an issue.
The Anime News Network, however, took the opportunity to paint the other rally as a white supremacist gathering, and pointing out the tragedy that took place last year at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virgina, writing…
“The organizers of last year’s Unite the Right White supremacist rally in Charlotteville —an event that turned deadly after James Alex Fields Jr. allegedly drove his car into a group of counter-protesters and ran over 32-year-old Heather Heyer with his vehicle— submitted a request with the National Park Service (NPS) to hold a one year anniversary rally near the White House on August 11 and 12. The request has received initial approval by the Park Service and will place the rally approximately two miles away from Otakon.”
The rally, hosted by Jason Kessler, the same one who hosted the Unite the Right rally, is supposed to only attract around 400 protestors, but the alarmist nature of the piece obviously set some potential Otakon goers on edge, having them second-guess if they should attend the event.
Others in the ANN forum community were a bit confused about Anime News Network’s intentions, or what the connection was between the anime convention and the civil rights rally.
Forbes contributor Ollie Barder was also put-off by the conflation of the two events, as if there was some sort of crossover.
This is a really dodgy article. Otakon has already and obviously distanced itself from this rally online, it just happens to be occurring near the convention. Seriously, what is ANN playing at with this kind of thing? – https://t.co/ghe18P94N3
— Ollie Barder (@Cacophanus) June 22, 2018
That’s not to mention that the Anime News Network borrows combustible rhetoric from the original piece on NBC Washington, where the news outlet identifies the rally as a “white supremacists” gathering, even though according to the actual National Parks Services entry Jason Kessler identifies the event as a civil rights rally, or a gathering for “white civil rights”.
In a video published this past spring, Kessler explained why they’re protesting and hosting rallies, as well as how they want to make those in America aware of the white rights being infringed upon around the world.
Obviously, the inflammatory language that Anime News Network used to describe the event, and attempting to insinuate the possibility of violence led to some heated discussions in the Anime News Network forums, including some who defended the Unite the Right rallies and racial pride gatherings.
In response, the Anime News Network CEO and publisher, Christopher Macdonald, posted a comment, forewarning users that they could admit to holding views that aligned with Unite the Right but were prohibited from expressing those views.
If you’re unable to read the image, Macdonald writes…
“I don’t care what side of the political spectrum you’re on, if you call another poster “a piece of ****,” or something similar, your post will be deleted and you may be banned…. even if they are a piece of ****.
“Likewise, if you express any racist, misogynist, or otherwise hateful POV on this forum, you can kiss your post and your posting privileges goodbye.
“If you admit to harboring hateful opinions or supporting those that do, and go no further, I won’t ban you. But if you so much as express one of those opinions, or express support for those that do harbor them, or make any statements that somehow diminish the hatefulness of those opinions, you’re getting kicked out.”
Unfortunately, many anime fans, manga aficionados, and those steeped in Otaku culture are now being forcibly dragged into the media’s attempt to politicize everything. This is no surprise from Anime News Network, given that the outfit banned users from using the term “SJW” or “Social Justice Warrior”, and have on occasion slanted news to push certain agendas.
(Thanks for the news tip Ollie Barder)
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