Republicans bash Philly school’s anti-gun violence poster display

A Philly public elementary school’s decision to hang posters from anti-gun violence protests outside has led to them being bashed on Fox News and accused of posting “partisan signage” by local Republicans.

‘NRA Go Away; GOP Enough BS; Love Gen Z’ is the message scrawled on a cardboard poster, one of the dozens hung outside Albert Greenfield School in Center City, that sparked the wrath of the Philadelphia Young Republicans. Other messages were more directly anti-NRA and bore messages like “Stop the NRA.” Only one reference to the GOP was spotted.

Erin Elmore, a registered Republican and professional GOP strategist who resides in the Rittenhouse area, said in a press release that she was walking by the school with her 5-year-old son when she spotted the signs, which she described as “an extremely inappropriate display by Greenfield.”

“It is troubling to me to walk by a public elementary school funded-in-part by my families hard-earned tax dollars and read these signs,” Elmore said in a statement, noting that she reported the discovery to national media and Republican organizations. “The signs are also laced with profanity. Upon noticing the signage I felt it necessary to immediately take action to protect the rights of other parents who might be politically aligned in the same manner as myself.”

Philadelphia Young Republicans chairman Ross Wolfe, who is also campaign chair for Republican gubernatorial hopeful Scott Wagner, said the Young Republicans are “dismayed” by a display that “might make some parents uncomfortable.”

“Parents of all political ideologies and affiliations deserve the right to have their children attend Greenfield Elementary School without feeling that they are more or less entitled to their political views than any other parent of a different political affiliation,” Wolfe said in a statement. “This type of signage is a problem because it chills the speech and free expression of parents who might be members of the Republican Party or other groups affiliated with the Republican Party, and makes them feel unwelcome at the school.”

The story has been featured on Fox News, and local conservative talk radio host Chris Stigall tweeted pictures of the display at Greenfield. “School kids encouraged to churn out propaganda, likely during school hours. Now hanging in the entrance to the school,” he tweeted.

A School District of Philadelphia spokesperson said the signs are not a violation of school policy.  

“We support students’ rights to self-expression as long as that expression does not disrupt an orderly school environment, and these signs are not in violation of School District of Philadelphia policy,” they said.