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A28 u.s. news
Dialuna 13 Juni 2022

Patriot Front leader among those arrested near Idaho Pride

By LINDSAY WHITE- since the mass shooting that
HURST and SAM METZ killed 49 people at the Orlan-
Associated Press do LGBTQ club Pulse, said
After the arrest of more than Troy Williams with Equality
two dozen members of a Utah in Salt Lake City.
white supremacist group near "Our nation is growing in-
a northern Idaho pride event, creasingly polarized, and the
including one identified as its result has been tragic and
founder, LGBTQ advocates deadly," he said.
said Sunday that polarization In Coeur d'Alene on Satur-
and a fraught political climate day, police found riot gear,
are putting their community one smoke grenade, shin
increasingly at risk. guards and shields inside the
The 31 Patriot Front mem- van after pulling it over near
bers were arrested with riot a park where the North Ida-
gear after a tipster reported ho Pride Alliance was hold-
seeing people loading up into ing a Pride in the Park event,
a U-Haul like "a little army" Coeur d'Alene Police Chief
at a hotel parking lot in Coeur Lee White said.
d'Alene, Idaho, police said. The group came to riot
Among those booked into jail around the small northern
on misdemeanor charges of Idaho city wearing Patriot
conspiracy to riot was Thom- Front patches and logos on
as Ryan Rousseau of Grape- their hats and some T-shirts
vine, Texas, who has been reading "Reclaim America"
identified by the Southern according to police and vid-
Poverty Law Center as the eos of the arrests posted on
23-year-old who founded the social media.
group after the deadly "Unite Those arrested came from
the Right" rally in Charlot- at least 11 states, including
tesville, Virginia, in 2017. No "Even if you don't like the columns, in blue- or white- over and over again," he said. Washington, Oregon, Texas,
attorney was immediately speech, they have the right to collared-shirt uniforms, in a The arrests come amid a Utah, Colorado, South Da-
listed for him and phone make it," he said. display of strength. surge of charged rhetoric kota, Illinois, Wyoming, Vir-
numbers associated with him Patriot Front is a white su- Though Pride celebrations around LGBTQ issues and ginia, and Arkansas.
went unanswered Sunday. premacist neo-Nazi group have long been picketed by a wave of state legislation Though there is a history
Also among the arrestees whose members perceive counterprotesters citing reli- aimed at transgender youth, of far-right extremism dat-
was Mitchell F. Wagner, 24, Black Americans, Jews and gious objections, they haven't said John McCrostie, the ing back decades in northern
of Florissant, Missouri, who LGBTQ people as enemies, historically been a major first openly gay man elected Idaho, White said only one of
was previously charged with said Jon Lewis, a George focus for armed extremist to the Idaho Legislature. In those arrested Saturday was
defacing a mural of famous Washington University re- groups. Still, it isn't surpris- Boise this week, dozens of from the state.
Black Americans on a college searcher who specializes in ing, given how anti-LGBTQ Pride flags were stolen from The six-hour Pride event
campus in St. Louis last year. homegrown violent extrem- rhetoric has increasingly be- city streets. generally went on as sched-
Michael Kielty, Wagner's at- ism. come a potent rallying cry in "Whenever we are confronted uled, including booths, food,
torney, said Sunday that he Their playbook, Lewis said, the far-right online ecosys- with attacks of hate, we must live music, a drag show and
had not been provided in- involves identifying local tem, Lewis said. respond with the message a march of more than 50
formation about the charges. grievances to exploit, or- "That set of grievances fits from the community that we people, the Idaho Statesman
He said Patriot Front did not ganizing on platforms like into their broader narra- embrace all people with all of reported.
have a reputation for vio- the messaging app Telegram tives and shows their ability our differences," McCrostie The group is scheduled to be
lence and that the case could and ultimately showing up to mobilize the same folks said in a text message. arraigned on Monday.
be a First Amendment issue. to events marching in neat against the enemy over and Sunday also marked six years

Tundra wildfire creeps closer toward Alaska Native community

By MARK THIESSEN Sunday. closer to the Yup'ik commu- and Mountain Village and are also expected, including
Associated Press The East Fork fire was within nity since Saturday, fire man- properties, including cabins, increased cloud cover, higher
A tundra wildfire continued 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers) of agers said the progress has between them. No structures humidity and cooler temper-
to creep closer to an Alaska St. Mary's, a statement from slowed somewhat because have been lost in the fire. atures. Officials also said the
Native community in south- Alaska Wildland Fire Infor- of favorable weather condi- The fire is also 10 miles (16 front may switch the wind
west Alaska, but mandatory mation said. tions. The temperatures were kilometers) from another direction to the southwest,
evacuations have not been Even though it had moved slightly cooler with rising community, Pilot Station. which would help push the
ordered, fire officials said 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) humidity, which could help Firefighters were expected to fire away from villages.
moderate fire conditions. evaluate options of opening Even though there are no
However, winds are expected a preexisting fire line around mandatory evacuations, the
to remain steady out of the that community. combined 700 residents of
north, helping move the fire Another fire northwest of the St. Mary's and Pitkas Point,
toward populated areas. East Fork fire is growing, but located about 10 miles (16
The fire is burning in dry it still about 25 miles (40 ki- kilometers) south, have been
grass and shrubs like alder lometers) north of Mountain on alert since Friday to pre-
and willow in the mostly Village. pare for possible evacuation.
treeless tundra in southwest There are 204 personnel Nearly 150 residents from the
Alaska. The fire was started working the East Fork fire, affected communities have
by lightning May 31. which has grown to 190 already temporarily relocated
Firefighters are working to square miles (492 square ki- to the southwest Alaska hub
strengthen primary and sec- lometers). Additional per- community of Bethel.
ondary fire lines protecting sonnel are expected to arrive St. Mary's is located about
St. Mary's and the nearby Monday, when even more 450 miles (724 kilometers)
communities of Pitkas Point favorable weather conditions west of Anchorage.