An armed group of self-described white supremacists have crashed Detroit Pride with the help of police escorts. The incident happened yesterday (Saturday, 8 June).
Neo-Nazi protesters
The National Socialist Movement (NSM) disturbed the annual Motor City Pride Festival in Detroit, Michigan with swastika flags, Nazi salutes, and other offensive items.
‘[The National Socialist Movement] NSM will be armed and counter-protesting the freaks,’ wrote Burt Colucci, the self-identified ‘commander’ of NSM, on Russian social network VK. ‘NSM, let’s put some boots on the ground!! I don’t really give a damn about op-sec or Antifa in this situation. We go in with Swastikas blazing and if people don’t like it, tough shit.’
Documentation of NSM presence
Photos and videos from the event show about ten NSM members dressed in black. Some carried weapons. They were led through the crowd of thousands of Pride-goers by police officers. Some of the NSM members can be seen tearing Pride flags and pushing people. One even urinated on someone’s Israeli flag.
#Detroit #Pride2019 punch a fucking nazi pic.twitter.com/Jb0FYxmAgS
— honeydip (@hannahckessler) June 8, 2019
Today at Motor City Pride, a friendly LGBT+ event, Detroit PD escorted Nazi’s in full uniform outside of the entrance to the festival. Detroit PD bruised those that tried to intervene (see below) and allowed this to happen. pic.twitter.com/lDcbemzhek
— marc (@marcklock) June 9, 2019
PSA: !!! Guys there are literal nazis at Detroit pride today- Please be safe they ARE armed with weapons!! pic.twitter.com/dem5dygoXw
— 约瑟夫 (@zhongguoyuesefu) June 8, 2019
Nazis out here In Detroit, Michigan right now.
“I AM SHOOK. Please be safe out there today, my brothers and sisters.”- via Kelsey Hubbell
This is OUTRAGEOUS!
Retweet pic.twitter.com/j3zYtk0aM5
— StanceGrounded (@_SJPeace_) June 8, 2019
I’ve obtained video of the Nazis at Motor City Pride in Detroit. They ripped up Pride and an Israeli flags. Their group looks to have been pretty small. A Drag Kid hopped up on a Red Bull could’ve taken that sorry lot of losers out. pic.twitter.com/wpNmjn3rQa
— Hate Trackers (@TrackersHate) June 8, 2019
White supremacist appears to urinate on an Israeli flag as nationalist group interrupts #LGBT celebration in Detroit by tearing apart Pride flags and giving Nazi salutes pic.twitter.com/jIwXmFukji
— Job Advisor (@jobadvisorlink) June 9, 2019
Armed conservatives protesting gay pride in Detroit today….. but your the victim right? #MAGA #Nazi #StraightPrideParade #LibertyHangout #Cult45 #QAnon pic.twitter.com/ovKmfYyxkI
— Donald Allan Yenson (@morfiouz) June 8, 2019
to all my friends going to pride:
PLEASE be careful and aware of your surroundings. there was a group of neo nazis trying to get into detroit’s pride and they were also recording and shouting slurs at people coming in and out of pride. celebrate and have fun but also be safe 💛 pic.twitter.com/AFvqbcS4l0— chloe (@chIoelynn) June 8, 2019
Reactions
Many Pride-goers were rightfully upset by the presence of NSM, especially as they got police protection.
‘Why are you protecting them? These are literal Nazis,’ one voice in a video can be heard saying.
‘How come they get protected and we’re not,’ shouted another. ‘Our police should be protecting us.’
At the same time, a woman marching under a swastika flag used a megaphone to shout, ‘you are all trash’ to the people celebrating Pride.
Anything else?
Website The Grit notes that no injuries were reported. There is currently no word about if NSM plans to return to other activities during Motor City Pride.
See Also
Detroit teen charged with triple homicide targeting LGBTI community
Black transgender woman shot and killed in Detroit
YouTube reverses decision on Steven Crowder, starts removing supremacist channels