Idaho police arrested 31 members of a group called Patriot Front after being found in a U-Haul vehicle near an LGBTQ Pride event in Coeur d’Alene on Saturday.
The arrests followed a call to police reporting a group of men carrying shields and dressed in military clothing, according to Coeur d’Alene Police Chief Lee White.
“It is clear to us based on the gear that the individuals had with them, the stuff they had in their possession, the U-Haul with them along with paperwork that was seized from them, that they came to riot downtown,” White said during the news conference.
The group reportedly wore shirts with Patriot Front logos, an organization that the Associated Press has described as a “white supremacist group.” Its website states, “Our people, born to this nation of our European race, must reforge themselves as a new collective capable of asserting our right to cultural independence.”
“Many of those arrested were wearing logos representing Patriot Front, which rebranded after one of its members plowed his car into a crowd of people protesting a white-supremacist rally in Charlottesville in 2017, killing Heather Heyer and injuring dozens,” The Washington Post reported.
BREAKING: Authorities have stopped this Uhaul and detained approximately 20 people. They all have the same type of clothing on. Truck was stopped about 1/8th mile from the pride event. We’re working to get more info from police. @KREM2 pic.twitter.com/bez1msBz45
— Kyle Simchuk (@KyleSimchuk) June 11, 2022
“The group’s founder, Thomas Ryan Rousseau, was among those arrested, according to jail records. Like the others, Rousseau was arrested on a charge of criminal conspiracy to riot, a misdemeanor. The arrestees were held on $300 bail,” the report added.
The traffic stop and arrests were made near the North Idaho Pride Alliance’s Coeur d’Alene Pride in the Park event.
“It appears they did not come here to engage in peaceful events,” Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said.
Those arrested included residents from at least 11 states, including Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Colorado, South Dakota, Illinois, Wyoming, Virginia, and Arkansas, according to the report. The men are expected to appear in court on Monday.
The “Pride in the Park” gathering was advertised as a “family-friendly, community event celebrating diversity and building a stronger and more unified community for ALL.” It continued as scheduled.
“North Idaho Pride Alliance will not be responding to media or communication requests on Sunday, June 12th, and will follow up per our capacity,” the event’s organizers said in a Facebook post on Sunday.
“We are deeply grateful to law enforcement agencies who were present and professionally responded throughout the day to keep our community safe,” the statement continued. “We thank the many Pride in the Park vendors, volunteers, performers, partners, supporters, sponsors, and event attendees for their role in ensuring a safe event for ALL by joining us yesterday in the spirit of love, kindness, and inclusion.”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a terror alert on Tuesday over potential violence concerns. The warning noted the Supreme Court’s pending abortion ruling and tensions over the surge at the U.S.-Mexico border, among other controversies.
“Some domestic violent extremists have expressed grievances related to their perception that the U.S. government is unwilling or unable to secure the U.S.-Mexico border and have called for violence to stem the flow of undocumented migrants to the United States,” the Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin alert read.