3 men arrested after white supremacists protest outside drag queen story hour reading
BOSTON -- Three men were arrested in Jamaica Plain on Saturday after a white supremacist group called the National Socialist Club marched outside a meeting of LGBTQ community members. One of the men arrested is associated with the group, which is also called NSC-131.
The Civil Rights unit of the Boston Police Department says members of the white supremacist group were protesting during a drag queen story hour for kids at the Loring Greenough House.
Witness video of the self-proclaimed Neo-Nazis shows the group of white men wearing hats standing behind a banner that said, "Pedo Scum Off Our Streets."
Police ushered the children out of the book reading and away from the group of white supremacists. Counter-protesters later approached the men.
Boston Police say 23-year-old Christopher Hood, the leader of the NSC-131, and a counter-protester, 27-year-old Seth Rosenau, were arrested after assaulting one another. The fight was broken up by officers. Both were charged with affray and disturbing the peace, and they will both be in West Roxbury Court on Monday.
21-year-old Tobias Walker of Roslindale was also arrested after striking a car with a metal object. Officers say he fled from police on a bike before being arrested. He is being charged with disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, and attempting to commit a crime.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu released a statement about the incident, saying, "It's no coincidence that these cowardly groups from outside our city continue to target Boston as we showcase how representative leadership, empowered communities, and bold policies can have immediate impact. We are prepared and will not be intimidated in our work to make Boston a city for everyone."
Bronte Buckingham of Jamaica Plain said she was surprised that a white supremacist group made its way to Jamaica Plain.
"Especially compared to other areas of Boston, I've felt very safe here. And this would probably be the last place I would expect that to happen, and to that point, I am just disgusted," Buckingham said.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden released a statement about the white supremacist group, saying, "It's clear that Boston is a way point in the crusade of hate launched five years ago in Charlottesville. The presence of white supremacists at a Jamaica Plain book reading today, like their downtown Boston march earlier this month, is at once a disgrace and a warning. Society everywhere is targeted by these groups, and society everywhere must reject them."
During the Fourth of July weekend, members of the white supremacy group called the Patriot Front marched through the city with their faces hidden by white coverings. The Southern Poverty Law Center calls the Patriot Front a white nationalist hate group that formed after the deadly "Unite the Right' rally in Charlottesville in 2017.