On July 16, 2013, U.S. News reported that the Million Muslim March had been scheduled for September 11 by 9/11 conspiracy theorists.[3] On August 15, 2013 MD Rabbi Alam appeared on the Fox National News with Sean Hannity, to defend the Million Muslim March against the host.[citation needed] The following day, U.S. News reported that it had been renamed as the Million American March Against Fear (MAMAF).[4] On August 17, Fox News reported that AMPAC had faced a backlash for planning the march.[5]
A group called '2 Million Bikers to DC' counterprotested the march, and raised money for the families of 9/11 victims. Their Facebook page passed 40,000 members prior to their protest.[7] By 11 pm EST on the day of the demonstrations, the Facebook "likes" had grown to 254,000.[citation needed] The group attempted, unsuccessfully, to secure a "no-stop permit" for the ride.[7]
Day of march
A Washington D.C. memo on September 10 said to expect hundreds at the Million Muslim March and 3,000 for the 2 Million Bikers to D.C.[8] At noon on September 11, 25 people gathered for the Million Muslim March, including speaker Cornel West.[9] In total a few dozen attended the March, whose speakers were mostly non-Muslim 9/11 conspiracy theorists, including Art Olivier and Merlin Miller.[10] They were met by 20 Christian counter-protesters.[9] The biker event was estimated to be 75,000 by UPI but some spectators gave greater estimates into the hundreds of thousands.[11][12]