“Trans Day of Vengeance” Canceled, But Not Over Covenant Shooting

Organizers say the day of “vengeance” was about “unity” and cite threats

A “Trans Day of Vengeance” protest that was set to take place Saturday was canceled after organizers say the event received threats.

“We received a possible active shooter threat,” organizers told BuzzFeed News. “To protect trans life, which is our ultimate goal, we will be canceling.” 

Although organizers claimed the event was non-violent and simply sought unity and advocacy for transgender people, Twitter began removing posts that mentioned the event earlier this week, especially in light of Monday’s school shooting in Nashville.

The “Day of Vengeance” had drawn sharp criticism for moving forward originally after a woman who identified as transgender killed six people, including three 9-year-olds she’d chosen at random, at the private Christian elementary school.

The rally had been planned for Washington D.C. on Saturday by the group Trans Radical Activist Network (TRAN), which insists that “This protest is about unity, not inciting violence.”

“TRAN does not encourage violence and it is not welcome at this event,” the group had said in a statement, according to the New York Post.

“Vengeance means fighting back with vehemence. We are fighting against false narratives, criminalization and eradication of our existence,” it added.

However, Twitter began removing tweets about the rally — including those from critics who drew attention to the vengeful name in the wake of the shooting against the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee on Monday by a transgender perpetrator who killed three adults and three children before being shot herself by police.

“We do not support tweets that incite violence irrespective of who posts them. ‘Vengeance’ does not imply peaceful protest,” said Twitter head of trust and safety, Ella Irwin.

Covenant shooter Audrey Hale, a former student who identified as a man, may have been motivated by “resentment,” police say.