The Scott County Democrats are crying foul over children throwing water balloons at them during a Fourth of July parade.
“On Sunday, as the Scott County Democrats walked in the annual Bettendorf Independence Day Parade, area radicalized right extremists made a show of intimidating and bullying our members,” the Scott County Democrats wrote. “The extremists claimed it was ‘all in good fun’ — which is exactly what bullies always say.”
The group lamented previous examples of “harassment,” such as “thugs” who tried to “intimidate” candidates by shouting “Let’s Go Brandon” while their parents laughed and encouraged them.
“On Sunday, at the same time parade goers were being mowed down by a 22-year-old in Highland Park, the Bettendorf/Pleasant Valley extremists used physical tactics,” the Scott County Democrats wrote.
“They had armed their kids – some of them no more than 6 or 7 years old! – with water balloons to throw at us. They hit several of us, including an older volunteer who was riding on our float and got hit in the head. The adults laughed and egged the kids on.”
The Scott County Democrats said it was “the act of bullies” who were modeling “radicalized behaviors to their kids.”
The Scott County Democrat chair, Matt Trimble, said the families of the children in pictures posted by the Scott County Dems claimed the group was defaming their children and threatened to sue.
Meanwhile, Trimble said the Scott County Democrats filed a complaint with parade organizers.
“We will not be intimidated by a bunch of radicalized right extremists,” Trimble wrote. “Their own Facebook pages show lots of support for the disgraced former President and they form the core of parents working to ban books at Pleasant Valley High School. We will continue to shine a light on every act of incivility and thuggery we experience. We will continue to stand up to bullies.”
And, in an effort to call out bullying, the Scott County Democrats referred to the parade-goers as “radicalized right extremists” for a 10th time in the post.
