The specter of sharia law taking root in the nation haunts the dreams of many Americans. So on Saturday “March Against Sharia” rallies were held across the nation, sponsored by the group “ACT for America.”

Not everyone, of course, fears that sharia law will get a foothold in the U.S. The ACLU says the threat is “mythical.” The libertarian website Reason calls it a “bogus threat.” However, the Center for Security Policy, founded by Frank Gaffney, of the Reagan Administration, is alarmed at what it calls “threats to American law.”

But perception counts more than the contemplations of think tanks. Americans were horrified at the carnage that took place in Britain recently. They remember the attacks in Boston, San Bernardino, and Orlando. And they’re angry when Muslim activists play the victim card and demand accommodations, like their very own “safe spaces.”

You get a safe space, and you get a safe space! Everybody gets a safe space!

So because many Americans were alarmed at events in Europe and here at home, they joined various “March Against Sharia” rallies held in places like New York, Chicago, and San Bernardino, among others. There were counter protests, too, and as you might expect, things didn’t work out too well. The far-left ‘Antifa’ showed up, and you can guess the rest.

In Seattle, fights broke out.

In New York, a member of the Antifa threw chemicals on activist Lauren Southern, who was filming the action.

Alex Rubinstein, a reporter who was trying to interview Southern, also got the same treatment.

What a nice bunch of people! Just the kind you’d take along when you visit your parents!

To be fair, there were some sketchy types among the anti-sharia protestors, too.

Like this guy in his NSFW t-shirt. Does his boss know he’s wearing this?

And this crowd from something called “Identify Evropa.” They’re a white nationalist group:

Yeah, people like these are not helpful. They just provide red meat for the media and for groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center, who live to find ‘hate groups’ under every rock.

But back to the sharia issue.

Is sharia law an imminent threat to American courts? I don’t know. But I believe that most of the people protesting sharia law are worried that America could go down Europe’s rabbit hole. And that alarms a good many Americans who don’t “hate,” but just wish to express their earnest concerns.