A small group of masked protesters, waving Nazi flags and displaying white supremacist symbols, marched outside a Michigan theatre during a weekend performance of The Diary of Anne Frank. The protest occurred on Saturday at an American Legion post in Howell, Michigan, where the Fowlerville Community Theater troupe was staging the play about Anne Frank, a Jewish girl who kept a diary while hiding from the Nazis in World War II.
The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, which responded to the incident, did not provide further details, and the Howell Police Department said it was out of their jurisdiction. Video footage of the incident was recorded by Bobby Brite, a former American Legion commander. “People were shocked. They were appalled,” Brite said, adding that many audience members felt too afraid to leave the building without an escort to their cars.
During intermission, the theater group informed the audience about the protest, assuring them that the protesters had been moved off the property. The group released a statement emphasizing their commitment to telling the stories of Holocaust victims. “The presence of protesters outside gave us a small glimpse of the fear and uncertainty felt by those in hiding,” they said.
While there were no physical confrontations, some veterans exchanged words with the protesters. This protest follows a similar event in Howell in July, where demonstrators waved Nazi flags and chanted “Heil Hitler.”
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