Tea Party Group Co-Opts Communist Symbol

FreedomWorks, the conservative organization that had a big hand in the Tea Party rallies this past April, is gearing up for a new “Taxpayer March On Washington” for September 12 — with a very interesting logo.

The intriguing thing here, as Ron Gunzburger pointed out, is that the logo makes use of left-handed fists, colored in red — a traditional symbol all around the world for communism and militant socialism.

In an interview with TPM, FreedomWorks press secretary Adam Brandon said the group is aware of this symbol’s traditional meaning. “Well, when you start working here at FreedomWorks, the first book you read is Saul Alinsky’s Rules For Radicals. We’re avid students of the political left,” he said. “I’ve spent years living in Eastern Europe. I’m aware of of it, but I guess the symbolism we’re going for is angry taxpayers as a group. So I guess the symbolism is kind of fun.”

If anything, the Tea Parties and similar events are efforts to tap into the energy of the left. “I’ve gone to a number of left rallies, and they tend to be fun,” said Brandon. “People go out protesting, and spend some time with some like-minded folks, and we’re looking to do that on our side.”