White supremacists arrested en masse at Idaho Pride event

More than 30 white supremacists were arrested outside of a Pride event in northern Idaho on Saturday afternoon.

Police said the 31 members of the Patriot Front were planning to riot in downtown Coeur d’Alene. After they were arrested, social media videos showed the neo-Nazis kneeling with their hands zip-tied behind their backs in a park.

“It appears these people did not come here to engage in peaceful events,” Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said.

All 31 racists would be charged with conspiracy to riot, which is a misdemeanor, authorities said.

Coeur d’Alene police chief Lee White said a concerned citizen spotted the group piling into a UHaul with riot gear, at least one smoke grenade and other items, so they called the cops. The tipster described the Patriot Front as “like a little army…loading up into the vehicle.”

White said 30 of the 31 white supremacists came from other states. He named Washington, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Colorado, South Dakota, Illinois, Wyoming, Virginia and Arkansas.

Coeur d’Alene hosted a large Pride event on Saturday. Some white supremacists tried to crash it but got arrested and humiliated instead.

Coeur d’Alene’s LGBT+ community and their allies were celebrating a Pride in the Park event in downtown Coeur d’Alene at the time. Organizers told local CBS affiliate KREM they thought it was the largest Pride event in the region’s history.

With News Wire Services