Drag queen story hour event in Silver Spring met by Proud Boys protesters

A Proud Boys-led protest against a drag queen story hour event held in Silver Spring, Maryland, received a police response Saturday.

Drag queen Charlemagne Chateau was reading at Loyalty Bookstores when Montgomery County police were called to the area around 1 p.m., according to local NBC affiliate WRC-TV.

No arrests were made, but police told the outlet that they dispersed the crowd outside of the business.

That account was denied by a member of volunteer group Parasol Patrol, according to community news outlet Source of the Spring. The group works to shield drag story hour attendees from protesters and were outside the bookstore during the Proud Boys demonstration.

“Proud Boys showed up in Silver Spring and got violent today, trying to scare away families and children attending Drag Story Hour at Loyalty Books,” Montgomery County councilmember Kristin Mink tweeted Saturday. “But the community held a wall of safety and support. The kids had a great time and were none the wiser. We will never back down.”

Ms. Mink, who the bookstore thanked for being a supporter of the event, shared an image of a Parasol Patrol member with a bloodied nose in her tweet. 

Proud Boys showed up in Silver Spring and got violent today, trying to scare away families and children attending Drag Story Hour at Loyalty Books.

But the community held a wall of  safety and support. The kids had a great time and were none the wiser. We will never back down. pic.twitter.com/pQlHWvLQNx

— Kristin Mink, Montgomery County Council (MD) (@KristinMink_) <ahref=”https://twitter.com/KristinMink_/status/1627064371783544840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>February 18, 2023