A reading at a library in Providence, Rhode Island, was interrupted Monday evening when a group of people with a swastika flag slammed into the building’s windows, shouting insults and chanting “white power.”
That Red Ink Public Librarywhich describes itself as a “non-profit public library, reading room, and organizing space” hosted a reading of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels’ The Communist Manifesto on Red Book Day, marking the 174th anniversary of the manifesto’s publication. .
IN video stream During the event, someone is reading the manifesto when a sudden knock is heard off-screen, followed by several insults. The person tries to continue reading while a group is heard outside shouting insults and “white power”.
After several interrupted attempts to continue reading, another person stands in front of the microphone and sums up.
“Thank you all for joining us,” he says. “Fifty Nazis just went outside, so we’re going to finish this.” It continues with a short read and then exits the video frame just before the end of the broadcast.
In a series of posts about Twitterthe library said its event was “interrupted by a mob of fascists and Nazis”.
“They appeared on our sidewalk, banged on our glass windows, shouted terrible insults and tried to attack our members,” the library said. “Because they outnumbered us maybe 10 to 1, there was little we could do other than tell them to go home and try to stay safe indoors.”
The Providence Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday night. Providence Journal reported that about 15-20 people had gathered near the event site and that no one had been injured or arrested.
The library said on Twitter that the group outside “continued to put on a show” until the Providence cops arrived.
“Although we did not seek help from the police, only the threat of state violence put an end to this mess,” the library said. “While we knew and wanted to highlight the relevance and importance of The Manifesto today, we didn’t want it to be so edgy, so ugly.”
From time to time, a group outside the building yells “131”, which refers to the 131 brigade or the National Social Club, which Anti-Defamation League describes as a neo-Nazi group with chapters in the United States. Members of the group “see themselves as soldiers at war with a hostile, Jewish-controlled system that is deliberately plotting the extinction of the white race,” according to the anti-hate organization.
Another videos the events show the group flying a red and white flag with a black swastika.
“There is no place for hate in our communities or state,” Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee said in a post on Twitter. “The video of the group waving Nazi flags last night at the PVD is unacceptable and disgusting. I support those who condemn the actions of last night.”
IN statement Jorge Elorza, mayor of Providence, said on Tuesday that the city is “home to many different people, cultures and ideas, and there is no room in our city for hate-filled acts designed to intimidate and inspire fear.”
“My administration is committed to ensuring that every resident feels safe and protects the rights of people who gather peacefully,” said Mr. Elorza.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, members of the Nationalist Social Club participate in demonstrations and counter-protests, and also appear at public events.
The group, which began in 2019 as the New England Nationalist Club, “seeks to form an underground network of white men who are ready to fight against their perceived enemies through local direct action,” according to the anti-hate organization.
IN joint statementThe Greater Rhode Island Jewish Alliance, the Greater Rhode Island Board of Rabbis, and the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center said the demonstration outside the library was a “disturbing incident” and that similar episodes are occurring with increasing frequency in the state and region.
“This is disgusting,” the statement said. “Our common humanity is based on a society that does not hate or discriminate. We must respond collectively and convincingly, exposing hatred to the light.”
The Red Ink Public Library plans to hold a “community emergency forum” on Saturday to develop safety plans.