Protesters display Nazi flags outside Lakeland charity event featuring drag shows

LAKELAND — A group of men carrying Nazi flags and performing Hitler salutes protested Saturday night in Lakeland outside an event that featured drag performances.

Jason DeShazo, who organized the event and performs as the drag queen Momma Ashley Rose, shared photos and videos from the event, "A Celebration of the Arts," held at ART/Ifact Studios, just north of downtown Lakeland. DeShazo, a gay man, has been performing in drag as Ashley Momma Rose for more than 20 years.

The men, wearing black pants and red shirts, held a banner that proclaimed in all capitals, “Drag queens are pedophiles with AIDS.” The group, most of them concealing their faces behind masks, also displayed a sign that showed the Jewish star of David, the equal sign and the Soviet hammer and sickle.

One photo that DeShazo shared showed a group of at least 12 people standing in a line, all with their right arms raised in a Nazi salute. Along with a Nazi flag, two of them held a white flag with a small red cross against a blue background in the upper left corner. The Christian flag has been adopted as a symbol by the Proud Boys and other white nationalist groups.

Local extremism:Anti-Defamation League documents extremist activity in Polk

'I’m one of the unicorn drag queens':Lakeland drag queen charity helps 'small nonprofits'

DeShazo said that he heard some of the protesters yelling, "Heil Hitler!"

One man was captured in a video carrying a black flag with the black sun symbol, commonly used by some neo-Nazi groups.

DeShazo said members of the performing group called the Lakeland Police Department, and about 15 officers came to the location. In one photo DeShazo provided, an LPD officer can be seen standing not far from the demonstrators.

LPD spokesperson Robin Tillett said that officers responded to a call at 5:16 p.m. Saturday reporting a group of protesters outside the facility. Officers spoke to an event organizer and to a representative of the protesters, Tillett said.

"The representative from the protesting group advised they were not Lakeland residents and said they were there to protest an event occurring at the location," Tillett said in an email. "Officers advised the representative of the rules outlined in the Florida state statutes and municipal ordinances, with which the group complied."

Officers documented a response for service and continued to monitor the situation until protesters left about 7:30 p.m., Tillett said. No one was arrested.

"When responding to calls involving protestors, our officers are there to ensure the safety and security of those at the event while also ensuring those demonstrating are allowed to protest and exercise their First Amendment rights permitted by law," Tillett wrote. "Should an officer witness activities that violate the law, action is taken."

DeShazo, in an emailed statement Sunday, said he was "saddened and alarmed at the presence of Nazis protesting our event."

"The moment I was informed, we immediately took action on how to keep everyone safe," DeShazo wrote. "Lakeland Police Department showed up quickly to ensure the safety of our venue. They had several officers visibly patrolling the perimeter, making sure that our doors were locked and secured. The protesters, while holding Nazi flags, were yelling slurs at both adults and children while video recording, holding offensive signs and projecting inappropriate content onto the side of the building all while concealing their faces. The police did their very best and kept them away from our community."

DeShazo added: "This is an example of how the climate that we are in today has pushed extremists and given them a voice. Rose Dynasty Foundation will continue to provide a safe space for all people — it's just a shame that these are the type of things we have to worry about."

The protesters also projected words onto the building at 820 N. Massachusetts Ave. that said, “Warning: Child grooming in process" and "Pedophilia must be punished by death."

DeShazo said he interpreted the latter as a death threat and planned to report it to LPD. He describes all of his shows as family friendly and rejected the claim that drag shows are intended to “groom” children into being gay.

DeShazo said that the event proceeded despite the protest and generated $2,500 to benefit his charity, Rose Dynasty Foundation, and Camp Out, a nonprofit that hosts summer camps for LGBTQ-plus youth.

Lakeland Mayor Bill Mutz said Sunday afternoon that he had not heard of the demonstration and could not offer a comment.

As of Sunday afternoon, it wasn’t clear whether the demonstrators were part of a known white supremacist group. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks right-wing extremists, lists Will2Rise, a white nationalist organization, as having a presence in Lakeland.

ADL, a Jewish organization formerly known as the Anti-Defamation League, reported earlier this year that extremist-related incidents rose by 71% in Florida from 2020 to 2021. The group documented more than 20 incidents in Polk County since 2016, including appearances by members of Patriot Front, Identity Evropa and Goyim Defense League.

An apparent neo-Nazi group gathered in Orlando in January, and one of its leaders, Burt Colucci, previously lived in Lakeland and has an arrest record in Polk County.

Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on Twitter @garywhite13.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Group displays Nazi symbols outside drag event in Lakeland