Police on Saturday arrested 31 men found inside a U-Haul truck near an act of pride in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Police said they believe the men were affiliated with a group of white supremacists and intended to provoke riots.
“It is clear to us, based on the equipment that the individuals were carrying with them … along with the documentation that we confiscated from them, that they came to the riots in the city center,” the head of Coene d’Alene police Lee White at a news conference. .
According to White, police were alerted about the U-Haul around 1:38 p.m. by a concerned citizen who said he saw members of the group enter the back of the truck. The group was confronted by police about 10 minutes later, White said.
The men were seen in videos posted on social media, all dressed in khaki, navy blue T-shirts, beige hats and cloth facial covers. The suit is similar to that worn by the Patriot Front, which the Southern Poverty Law Center describes as a white supremacist group. White said at least one of the men had a patch on his arm that said “Patriot Front,” and others wore hats with “consistent” logos with those worn by the group.
Police also found shields inside the U-Haul and at least one grenade of smoke, White said.
The 31 men are being charged with conspiracy to commit disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor offense and other charges “could be pending,” White said.
“In my opinion, I would like to arrest 31 people who come to disturb our city for a minor crime, instead of getting them involved in some kind of seriously disruptive event, which is exactly what they were planning in the downtown area, “White said. dit.
White also said the group was not only planning to cause a disruption in a nearby park, where a pride event was being held, but police had information indicating it would also try to cause riots in other areas.
He did not go into detail about the documentation the police recovered from the group, but said it “looked very similar to a plan of operations that a police or military group would put together for an event.”
White said the men came from several different states. It looks like they all found themselves in a hotel parking lot, where they were loaded into the U-Haul.