Why Coeur d'Alene's 'Pride in the Park' became the target for white supremacists

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jason wilson
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Awesome in-depth local coverage from @danielwinlander: Why Coeur d'Alene's 'Pride in the Park' became the target for white supremacist groups like Patriot Front https://inlander.com/spokane/why-coeur-dalenes-pride-in-the-park-became-the-target-for-white-supremacist-groups-like-patriot-front/Content?oid=24009613… via @TheInlander

inlander.com
Why Coeur d'Alene's 'Pride in the Park' became the target for white supremacist groups like Patriot...
Almost instantly, it made national news: Thirty-one members of the white supremacist group Patriot Front had been arrested for "conspiracy to riot" in Coeur d'Alene,...
11:40 AM · Jun 22, 2022

https://www.inlander.com/spokane/why-coeur-dalenes-pride-in-the-park-became-the-target-for-white-supremacist-groups-like-patriot-front/Content?oid=24009613


Almost instantly, it made national news: Thirty-one members of the white supremacist group Patriot Front had been arrested for "conspiracy to riot" in Coeur d'Alene, allegedly with plans for a destructive confrontation at Pride at the Park, a gay pride event last Saturday.

Since then, reams of speculation and commentary have poured out, but one question, in particular, keeps popping up: Why there?

"We've often asked ourselves over the last couple days, why did they pick Coeur d'Alene?” says Jeanette Laster, executive director of the Human Rights Education Institute, an organization formed as a result of the battles years ago against the Aryan Nations, a white supremacist group the local community helped chase away.

One reason that police were prepared to respond, the police report on the Patriot Front said, was the amount of "credible intelligence indicating there would be groups coming into town intending to seek oppositional contact with other crowds gathered in downtown Coeur d'Alene."

That's groups, plural. It wasn't just Patriot Front in downtown Coeur d'Alene aiming to object to Pride in the Park. There were also members of "White Lives Matter," another racist extremist group there. And that's not even counting the far-right pastors, alt-right propagandists and a biker group.

*snip*

[msongs]

1. when the dominant local religion is white supremacist and way anti gay what else can one

expect

[AntiFascist]

2. From what I've read, Patriot Front was desperate to gain new members...

they were planning to video themselves rioting and getting into fights, then post the videos on social media. Being a former center for the Aryan Nation, this would likely draw attention by white supremacists they wanted as new membership. They certainly didn't count on the strong response by the city and PD, or being unmasked.

[samnsara]

3. one idiot lives between me and town and i have to pass their giant TRUMP 2024 flag

..whenever i go into town..it was always displayed above their American flag however the American flag has now been removed. The kid lives about 4 miles from a one room country school house. Barely anything in the local paper other than his name way at the bottom of the article

[gldstwmn]

6. Three of them live within a 10 mile radius of me. I can't even believe it.

[MontanaMama]

4. It's north Idaho.

That part of the state has been white supremacist forever. Such a shame...it is a stunningly beautiful part of the world. Neo-nazi's are a stain on it.

[leftyladyfrommo]

5. Northern Idaho is just crazy. Those northern woods

are incubators for white supremacists gun nuts


CdA has a lot of big money people who have lavish spreads. The boats on the lake are huge. Lots of Hollywood money. 5. Star Hotel. Just the kind of people the white guys love to hate.

And if you go up the highway a ways you come to Lake Pend Oreille (pronounced pond er ray) it's another gorgeous lake. A lot of California retirees have sold their super expensive homes and moved to both the lakes.

There was bound to be trouble.