The Grim Reaper protested to reopen schools alongside a group of white women

The Red Apple Protest, "a parent-led initiative to get children safely inside the classroom" during the ongoing pandemic, took place at West University Elementary School in Houston, Texas earlier this week. A group of white mothers (we'd like to use the "K" word here but we've been told it's upset some of our readers) banded together in order to send their kids back to school, carrying placards while wearing masks and gloves. Their little demonstration went for quite a toss, however, when two uninvited guests decided to come along: Grim Reapers. They, too, wanted kids to return to school, Essential News reports.

The Grim Reapers also carried protest signs asking for schools to reopen. One read, "Back to school 2020." They, like the moms, simply wanted kids to return to school while a deadly virus is on the loose. Of course, they were trying to subvert the mothers' demonstration. Several experts have come forward to urge schools to remain closed as many believe that opening educational institutions for face-to-face classes will only lead to an increase in community spread and therefore a spike in the number of Coronavirus cases. Admittedly, it can be difficult for parents to manage to work from home while also taking care of the children (and there are several circumstances where this is worsened such as in single-parent or poorer, food-insecure households, for example).

Nonetheless, this does not mean that parents encourage school districts to open back up. The Grim Reapers were clear on this stance. However, the visual messaging of the protest may have seemed a little bit off, the Red Apple group thought, so they decided to create an impromptu protest sign. It read: "They are not with us." There were a couple of exclamation points thrown in there to drive the point home. Despite their efforts, the photos had been clicked and the damage had been done. The failed demonstration went viral online after a Twitter user by the handle AstroSpell713 posted the pictures to the social media platform.

Though the majority of parents whose children attend West University Elementary School rejected the Red Apple Protest's sentiments, Christine Flood, who brought the group together, has rallied against these concerned parents. Some of her statements have been rather brash, but parents particularly objected to this one: "Virtual teaching is only half the job, so it will only be half the pay or less because parents are giving up their time that could be spent otherwise at work." Flood, who has apparently taken a leaf out of climate activist Greta Thunberg's book, suggested that these demonstrations could become a weekly affair, taking place every Monday morning at the same location. (So if you've been looking for ignorant with a side of reckless in Texas, you know where to find it.) She may have Trump on her side, but with the death toll in the United States at an all-time high, she may not have the support she needs to get rid of her kids that quickly.