Arlington neighbors concerned after neo-Nazi group NSC-131 protests outside Gov. Healey's home
ARLINGTON - Neighbors said they were scared on Saturday when neo-Nazi group NSC-131 staged a protest outside Gov. Maura Healey's Arlington home.
Members of the group stood outside Healey's home and chanted "New England is ours, the rest must go," an apparent reference to the ongoing arrival of migrants in Massachusetts. Their presence drew a large police response and left the neighborhood unsettled.
"It was scary, especially this neighborhood, there's a lot of kids, a lot of families and it's a good community, so just seeing something like that and bring able to take place right in our front lawn, I mean, just very scary. Like, I don't understand what's really going on," said neighbor H.K.
Healey released a statement Monday about the protesters.
These Neo-Nazis and white supremacists are trying to scare people from exercising their rights and standing up to their hate. We won't tolerate it in Massachusetts. Local, state and federal law enforcement will hold accountable perpetrators of violence and those who threaten violence and will keep our communities and residents safe.
Neighbors said it's one thing to demonstrate outside a public building but to do it outside the governor's home is unacceptable.
"All that stuff, they can do it somewhere else, don't be bringing it to people's front lawn and trying to intimidate people. Because that's not how you do things," said H.K.
The same neo-Nazi group held similar protests at motels where migrants are being sheltered.
"We're all equal and everyone should be respecting each other and loving on each other instead of throwing hate on this world because there is hate, there's no more love but God taught us to love," said H.K.
The group eventually left and Arlington police said no one was arrested.
Healey is expected to provide an update on the state's emergency shelter system at 11 a.m.