Police arrested 31 men found inside U-haul truck next to pride event in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho on Saturday. The police said they believe in men were tied with white supremacist group and were going to riot.
“It clear to usbased on on in gear people had with them… along with documents that we seized from them that they came to riot in the city center,” Coeur d’Alene police chief Lee White said at a press conference on Saturday.
Police were alerted to the U-Haul around 1:38 p.m., according to White. concerned citizen who said they saw members of in group to get in back of in truck. group ran into police about 10 minutes later, White said.
men have been seen in video posted to social media all wearing khakis, navy blue shirts, beige hats, and cloth face masks. outfit similar to what the Patriot Front wears, which the Southern Poverty Law Center describes as white supremacist. group. White said at least one of in men there was a hand patch with the inscription “Patriot Front” and others had hats with “matched” logos with those that are used group.
Police also found shields inside U-Haul and at least one smoke bomb, White said.
All 31 men are charging with conspiracy to riot, misdemeanor and further charges “may be considered,” White said.
“I think I’d love to arrest 31 people who come to riot in our city for misconduct, not their participation in some of a seriously disruptive event, which is exactly what they planned in city ​​center area”White said.
White also said group did not have just planning cause stall in a nearby park where the pride event was in custody, but this police information this indicated that they would try to riot in also other areas.
He did not elaborate on the documents the police seized from the group, but said that it “looks like a plan of operation that the police or military group would collect for en event.”
White said men came from several states. They seem to be all met up in parking space of hotel where they loaded into U-Haul.
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