CNN
,
Law enforcement in the city of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, after receiving a dangerous 911 call, 31 people arrested Officials said he was believed to be affiliated with the white nationalist group Patriot Front, which allegedly planned to riot at a local pride event on Saturday.
The large group was seen gathering at U-Haul in a hotel with riot gear and was later pulled over and arrested, Coeur d’Alene police chief Lee White said during a news conference.
Police said the group was headed for a “Pride in the Park” event. The event was held at the Coeur d’Alene city park on Saturday and included a pride walk and performances by local musicians, dancers and drag artists.
Coeur d’Alene Mayor Jim Hammond said in a statement that “hatred and violence have no place in the city”. All 31 individuals were from outside the local area, Hammond said. Investigators said at least one of those arrested is from Idaho.
The North Idaho Pride Alliance, which organized the event, issued a statement Sunday, saying, “As a small community non-profit, the North Idaho Pride Alliance has been able to successfully organize an important, joyous, and secure Pride. After taking a much-needed day of rest. Park community celebration in the most challenging conditions.”
“We are deeply grateful to the law enforcement agencies that have been present throughout the day to keep our community safe and have responded professionally,” the organization said.
Here’s what we know about the arrests and the affiliations of those involved.
“There were a number of groups over the past few days that were planning to disrupt today’s activities,” White said Saturday, after officials reported there was a large police presence at Saturday’s Pride event, though it’s unclear. Whether or not the police knew about Patriot’s clear plans ahead.
White said officers received a call from a concerned citizen at 1:38 p.m. Saturday that “about 20 people jumped into the U-hall” in the parking lot of a local hotel, White said.
The caller said the group was armed with shields and masks and “looked like a small army”, according to White.
White said about ten minutes after receiving the call, officers stopped traffic at the U-Haul and detained 31 people. All 31 people have been charged with conspiracy to riot, which is a rape, he said.
Head of the arrest scene and according to the video, members of the group were wearing khaki pants and blue shirts and caps with plastic inside them. The men were also equipped with “shields, shin guards, and other riot gear”, with what White described as “similar to an operation plan”, which required a police or military group together for an incident. Will keep The police have also found at least one smoke grenade.
“It is clear to us based on the gear that the individuals had with them, the goods they had, and the U-Haul with them and the paperwork confiscated from them, that they wanted to riot in the city. came,” said White.
White said officers from the Coeur d’Alene Police Department, Idaho State Police, the Kootenay County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene of the arrest with two SWAT teams.
“I don’t think it would have been so successful if we didn’t have a very smart citizen who would see something that was very important to them and reported it to us,” he said.
According to the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, all 31 people posted bonds and have been released from custody. They will be produced back in court at a later date. The sheriff’s office said the individuals had come from at least a dozen states, including Idaho, Alabama, Oregon, Michigan and Texas.
According to FBI Public Affairs Specialist Sandra Yee Barker, Coeur d’Alene police are investigating those arrested and are being assisted by the FBI.
At least two others were arrested on Saturday in connection with the Pride event and charged with separate conduct and trespass, police said.
According to White, in addition to clothing associated with the Patriot Front, most of the men arrested had the logo “corresponding to the Patriot Front group” on their hats and some were wearing hand patches associated with the outfit.
Members of the Patriot Front believe that their white ancestors conquered America and “bequeathed them,” according to anti defamation league (adl). The ADL says that members of the Patriot Front support fascist and anti-Semitic beliefs, which they spread through online and real-world propaganda campaigns.
The Texas-based group was formed after a 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, when members of the existing white supremacist group Vanguard America split to form their own organization, the ADL says.
Patriot Front leader Thomas Ryan Russo was among those arrested Saturday, according to Kootenay County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Shane Molin.
According to the ADL, Rousseau led several dozen members of Vanguard America Texas during the “Unite the Right” rally and would soon lead a division of VA members to form the Patriot Front.
CNN reached out to Russo for legal representation, but did not immediately hear back.