Boise Fourth of July parade’s inclusion of ‘extremist’ group draws criticism, defenders
The inclusion of a far-right group — labeled by some as “extremist” — in this year’s Fourth of July parade in downtown Boise drew criticism online, as well as support from some commenters.
The Idaho Liberty Dogs, which describes itself as “a grassroots group of citizens standing up for our constitutional rights and freedoms,” has been behind claims against the Meridian Library that it distributes “smut filled pornography” to children. The group has regularly counterprotested abortion rights rallies, Black Lives Matter gatherings and LGBTQ+ Pride events in the Boise area.
Last Friday, a half-dozen members counterprotested in Boise at a rally related to a Boise police officer’s fatal shooting of a Nampa man.
The group did not return a request for comment about the parade.
About a dozen members of the group took part in Tuesday’s event, which was the first such Independence Day celebration since 2019. Photos from the parade showed several members carrying rifles and wearing sidearms.
Twitter user Michelle Vincent tweeted photos of the group Tuesday evening and expressed shock toward CapEd Credit Union, which organized and was one of the main sponsors of the parade.
“This decision not only instills fear in the crowd but also normalizes individuals carrying assault rifles through our streets,” Vincent wrote.
The Idaho Statesman reached out to Todd Christensen, CapEd’s chief marketing officer and president of the board of We the People, the nonprofit behind the parade, via email Tuesday but did not receive a response.
Vincent’s tweet was shared more than 200 times by Wednesday afternoon and had nearly 100 replies. Some shared Vincent’s sentiment, saying they were disappointed and frustrated in the credit union and calling the Idaho Liberty Dogs “embarrassing.”
“I hope they were totally booed every step they took! Boise shame on you!!” wrote Twitter user @cmott15.
A user named @bikeblisschick called the group “violent extremists.”
Among the replies was one from Sen. Tammy Nichols, R-Middleton.
“This holiday was made possible by citizens with guns … you’re welcome,” Nichols wrote.
Other commenters also defended the right to bear arms.
A post in the North End neighborhood group on Facebook drew similar discussions.
The Idaho Democratic Party, one of the parade’s sponsors, criticized the decision to allow the Idaho Liberty Dogs to participate in the event.
In an emailed statement, party chairwoman Lauren Necochea, who is also a state representative for Boise, said the group’s inclusion spoiled what should have been “a unifying event where all Idahoans feel safe celebrating with their children and families.”
“It is disheartening that far-right groups would use these events to intimidate and instill fear while making law enforcement’s task of keeping our communities safe more challenging,” Necochea said. “This not-so-subtle threat of violence will likely make some families stay away from future parades and is one reason Idaho Democrats voted to preserve Idaho’s prohibition of unauthorized paramilitary organizations.”
The state’s Republican Party, another parade sponsor, told the Statesman in an emailed statement that CapEd was responsible for managing participants.
“We had no knowledge of any of the other float entries or participants, as we were focused on making the Idaho GOP’s float the biggest and the best float for the parade,” officials said.
