A group of sign-wielding, Confederate flag-waving, White Lives Matter “activists” gathered outside the NAACP headquarters Sunday in Third Ward to protest the organization and their support of groups like Black Lives Matter.

According to one of the protesters, the Confederate flags they held are a reference to their Southern heritage and had nothing to do with inciting hatred. General understanding of the “Stars and Bars” is a quasi-racist flag representing an army that fought to keep slavery and their livelihoods the same.

As far as I know, Black Lives Matter has not asked people to disregard their heritage. When you’re holding on for dear life to the physical embodiment of discrimination and oppression — that is pretty much as racist as you can get.

Add that to the one or two signs printed with the phrase “14 Words,” a white supremacist slogan, and there is literally no way these people can claim ignorance or any semblance of virtue.

These people are wrong. Since the creation of White Lives Matter is a direct response to Black Lives Matter, how can they expect to command any legitimacy in the racial conversation within the U.S. today? They say it’s not about blacks versus whites, and that they are protesting an “anti-white” organization, but isn’t White Lives Matter anti-black by implication?

This is not a subjective argument. Black Lives Matter is about civil rights. White Lives Matter is about implementing and protecting white supremacy.

Black Lives Matter’s founding was a result of violence against black people. The movement came together after George Zimmerman’s acquittal of the shooting of Trayvon Martin. With continuing high-profile police shootings and eventual acquittals, members of the movement keep on demanding justice, fight for equality and foster understanding.

White lives have always mattered, you just need to flip through a history book and you’ll see very explicit proof. Why is it that suddenly, in 2016, this group of 20 or so people are feeling victimized? They want attention, they’re childish and they’re terrified at the thought that another group of people could possibly ever be equal to them.

As has become the pattern recently, this is a case of tit-for-tat victim blaming. White Lives Matter says black people attack and kill white police officers, but what about the police officers attacking and killing black men, women and children?

White Lives Matter supporters also say pro-black organizations should hold their people accountable, but who is holding them accountable? There are too many double standards to ignore. These people don’t even know what they really want or what they went to the rally for.

Yes, White Lives Matter was exercising their right to free speech and assembly (and their Second Amendment rights, for some reason). But when your free speech is used to victimize and oppress, it becomes something different.

As a U.S. citizen, I value my freedom of speech as much as anyone, and I am proud to live in a country where we can hear different opinions and perspectives.

But free speech needn’t become hate speech.

Opinion columnist Marialuisa Rincon is a journalism junior and can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

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“White Lives Matter supporters show more than racism” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar