Content warning: antisemitic visuals.
A group of men interrupted the PrideFest parade in Athens, Georgia, on June 6, carrying a Nazi flag and shouting antisemitic messages.
About 10 men showed up in downtown Athens on Saturday wearing matching red and black outfits, carrying a flag bearing a swastika, and performing the Heil Hitler salute.
In videos posted to social media, attendees of the Pride parade can be heard booing the neo-Nazis. One person yells, “Show your face you… cowards.” Another video shows two people following the group with a large banner known as the “hater blocker,” which is used to shield attendees from anti-LGBTQ+ protesters.
Watchdog group StopAntisemitism took to Twitter and identified the group as Blood Tribe, a neo-Nazi hate group founded by Christopher Alan Pohlhaus. According to the group, Polhaus is a tattoo artist who, in 2022, posted a photo of himself tattooing the Nazi Totenkopf symbol on known Nazi Jon Minadeo II.
Organizers of the Athens PrideFest released a statement condemning the group.
“Athens Pride and Queer Collective unequivocally condemns the individuals displaying Nazi imagery and shouting hateful rhetoric during yesterday’s PrideFest,” the statement said. “Their appearance was intended to intimidate, divide, and spread fear, but it failed to overshadow the overwhelming spirit of joy, solidarity, and love that defined our community celebration.”
Related story: Pride Across Georgia: Festivals, fundraisers, and music highlight June
