Oak Bluffs police investigate four Patriot Front signs posted on local roads

Rasheek Tabassum Mujib, Cape Cod Times
Updated ·1 min read
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Oak Bluffs police are investigating four signs placed around town over the weekend in support of a white supremacist group.

Police found Patriot Front signs attached to poles on roads Sunday morning, according to a post on the department's Facebook page.

The group is one of the most visible white supremacist groups in the U.S., according to the Anti-Defamation League.

According to a Facebook post by Cape and Islands District Attorney Robert Galibois, at least two signs were placed outside Black-owned businesses.

The two signs shown on the department’s online post — one reading “strong families strong nations” and the other reading “America first” — have links to the Patriot Front.

Since Sunday, four signs have been found, according to Oak Bluffs police Lt. Nicholas Curelli.

“They were found in downtown Oak Bluffs,” said Curelli on Wednesday, without specifying the exact locations. Three signs were taken down by the police.

Galibois said he has notified all 22 police chiefs in the district and is working with Massachusetts State Police detectives, according to the post.

"If you observe any of these signs on public property or private property without the owner's permission then please notify your local police department," Galibois said in the Facebook post. "We are all working collectively on identifying the individual(s) involved."

Oak Bluffs police are consulting with the district attorney's office to determine whether any charges are applicable if police are able to locate who posted the signs, according to Curelli.

“We're investigating as to who possibly could have placed the signs,” he said.

Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office spokesperson Danielle Whitney declined Wednesday to comment because an investigation is underway.

Rasheek Tabassum Mujib writes about health care and education. Reach her at rmujib@capecodonline.com.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Four signs supporting Patriot Front under investigation in Oak Bluffs