Masked white supremacists waving Nazi flags gathered outside an American Legion Post that was hosting a performance of The Diary of Anne Frank in Howell on Saturday night.
The Fowlerville Community Theater put on the play, which depicts a young Jewish girl’s life in hiding during the Nazi occupation.
“It’s historical and something people can learn from, and this is the kind of crap you have to put up with,” Bobby Brite, an Army veteran and a leader of the American Legion Post 141, said in a video on the group’s Facebook page. “These individuals are certainly seeking attention. … If you see them out there, just drive on by, ignore them, and we are going to continue business as we normally do here.”
The small group of racists also showed up later in the night in downtown Fowlerville, where they waved flags emblazoned with a Swastika.
Their faces were covered with masks emblazoned with the number 1488, a white supremacist symbol.
Howell is no stranger to white supremacists. The town of about 10,000 residents has been called the “KKK Capital of Michigan.”
On July 20, white supremacists chanted “Heil Hitler” during a march in Howell.
A month after the rally, Trump announced he was planning to hold a rally in Howell at the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office.
The Michigan Bureau of Elections is investigating that rally following several complaints that alleged the sheriff’s office violated the law by hosting the nationally televised campaign event. State law makes it a crime punishable by up to 93 days in jail to use any public resources to support a political candidate.
Metro Times is awaiting a response from the city of Howell.
