Why counter protest? You are never going to get as much attention as your own march. Does anyone care what the commies say anymore. Letting them blather on on CSPAN is the worst - for them. I made several anti-war types I know watch it and even they said is was absurd.
Why add to the event? Do your own “troops” rally on your own day.
Because silence is approval
The reason to counter protests is that there are people watching. Also, it disheartens the Commies. They were really shaken that GOE was happening at all. The anti-war people who told you that it was absurd said that because the rally was a success. I can tell you that from personal experience that the moonbats we counter every week are disheartened by our presence event though we are small in number to them.
The reason to counter them on their day is to spoil their party. If they seem unopposed then their message of “we are the voice of the American people” seems valid. This is not to say that we should do events on our own. It is that we need to do both.