Neo-Nazis rally in Augusta
About two dozen neo-Nazis rallied in Augusta on Saturday afternoon.
The roughly 25 neo-Nazis rallied about 3:24 p.m. close to Capitol and State streets, in response to Shannon Moss, a spokesperson for the Maine Division of Public Security.
Moss described the rally as “peaceable,” noting no state or metropolis property was broken.
In a video shared on the social media platform Telegram, black-clad neo-Nazis, lots of whom wore coverings hiding their faces, yelled at passing automobiles occupied by individuals of coloration, throwing Nazi salutes and shouting “refugees go house” and “sieg heil,” a German phrase generally used at Nazi rallies.
Different pictures shared on Telegram have been captioned, “A automotive filled with African Refugees being notified that they aren’t welcome in New England” and “Preserve New England White.”
The rally appeared to incorporate members of the group NSC-131, in response to pictures and movies shared on Telegram. That group, often known as the Nationalist Social Membership, has a number of small chapters throughout New England. Its members espouse racism and see themselves as foot troopers towards a purported plot to extinguish white individuals, in response to the Anti-Defamation League.
NSC-131 additionally was concerned in an April 1 rally at Portland’s Monument Sq. that then moved to Metropolis Corridor, the place neo-Nazis have been accused of assaulting counter-demonstrators. The police response to that rally drew a big protest days later, and Portland police have been tight-lipped about their response, citing the potential for legal prices.
The current spate of neo-Nazi exercise in Maine comes as antisemitism rises within the state and throughout the nation, which noticed essentially the most antisemitic acts for the reason that ADL started monitoring them in 1979, in response to the Maine Monitor.
Correction: An earlier model of this report misstated what the initials of the neo-Nazi group NSC-131 stood for.
