More Than 30 Patriot Front Members Arrested at Idaho Pride Event
More than 30 men described by police as Patriot Front members were arrested and charged with conspiracy to riot at a Pride event in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, on June 11.
A tip from the public led authorities to discover the group of 31 men in a U-haul van with riot shields, shin guards and one smoke grenade, Coeur d’Alene Police Chief Lee White said at a press conference.
Among those arrested were men from multiple states including Washington, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Colorado, South Dakota, Illinois, Wyoming, Virginia, and Arkansas; only one was from Idaho, White said.
Video by Alissa Azar shows police officers surrounding a group of handcuffed men kneeling on the ground, as other officers detain more people. Credit: Alissa Azar via Storyful
Video Transcript
[POLICE CHATTER]
- Oh, come on, man. They arrested Wild Bill.
- Stay on the sidewalk.
- Sidewalk.
- Yeah! Losers!
- So Patriot Front got pulled over. They were all piled in the U-Haul, and they are all detained.
- Hey, just stay off the grass. You guys can film as much as you want. Just stay off the grass, please.
- You know what they're being detained for?
- [INAUDIBLE] arrested.
- What are they being arrested for?
- Are you a family member of theirs?
- Nah, dude, I don't know these people.
- I don't think so. Dad? You in there? [INAUDIBLE]
- Are you [INAUDIBLE]?
- Yeah, they were doing it for COVID reasons over there.
- Well, these people are doing it for no good reason. They're basically criminals.
- I can understand that.
- Hey, this is [INAUDIBLE].
- Well, but those people are doing it for the COVID, right?
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
- Who are they?
- Patriot Front.
- Who are they, do you know?
- It's a neo-Nazi group.
- That cop just called me out by name.
- Just want to see that. Not us kids. Not us down here at the park. Don't you be thinking that we're out here in Idaho [MUTED]. We don't want to see this.
- Take the other way.
- We just want to live. That's why we're here. You know that's why we came out here. A lot of us came out here just to live.
- Yeah, it's [INAUDIBLE].
- They're [INAUDIBLE] Antifa. These guys got flags on their heads. These guys are the other side. And they probably just came in here thinking they were going to defend the guy.
There's nothing to defend today. Now defending happened on the internet when they stopped whatever was going to happen.
- Let the police do their job. Shut up.
- Now, it's here. Yeah, I'll just come here. Do you live here?
- I do.
- OK, so do I and I'm here like every day at the skate park. [MUTED] not cool with that.
- Leave the cops alone. They're not planning [INAUDIBLE]
- Is it all right if I walk around on the sidewalk? Out of state agitator. Exactly.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
- So you can dress up like them without being part of the group
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
