City of Howell 'strongly denounces' armed anti-supremacists at doc screening

[James48]

Source: Livingston Daily

HOWELL, Michigan — The morning after verbal clashes between white supremacists and activists associated with local group SAGE (Stand Against Extremism LivCo), the City of Howell released a statement denouncing the supremacists, anti-supremacists, SAGE, the media, and messages "that insinuate hate is tolerated in our community."

" ( Howell) continues to denounce these messengers of hate, including messages that insinuate hate is tolerated in our community," the release read. "Hate has no home in Howell."

The release implies the handful of supremacists present Thursday, Feb. 6, during a screening of "Face of Hate" at the Historic Howell Theater, organized by SAGE, were members of White Lives Matter — Michigan, and insisted the group is a statewide problem, "NOT JUST HOWELL."
(Snip)

But after clashes between counterprotestors and supremacists that staged across the street, the release "denounced" SAGE "for irresponsibly bringing masked, untrained, armed individuals as 'security' to their event." Of note, none of the armed volunteers crossed the road or confronted demonstrators. "The decision to bring these people to a community event was dangerous, escalating and irresponsible and should not be celebrated by local media outlets," the release read. "We would ask that local businesses that decide to host events like this in the future work with local law enforcement and not allow activist groups to jeopardize the safety of people within their businesses."





Read more: https://www.livingstondaily.com/story/news/local/community/howell/2025/02/07/howell-denounces-armed-anti-supremacists-associated-with-sage/78328061007/

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The local Mayor is upset- not that “White Lives Matter” mask-wearing , Nazi flag carrying protesters were in his downtown.

He’s mad that counter protesters are open-carrying to make sure the ACTUAL NAZI’s don’t start a fight. His police department wouldn’t do anything to protect people. It’s now up to people to protect themselves from ACTUAL Flag Waving NAZIS.


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[flor-de-jasmim]

1. so the mayor is "concerned", as Susan Collins would say? Gee...

[tornado34jh]

2. Both sides argument again, right mayor?

Pathetic. Since clearly no one in the police force there is willing to fight against these Nazis, people have to resort to being armed to defend themselves. You see white supremacism never left, it was just underground until recently.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

3. At Altamont they also invited

"untrained, armed individuals as 'security' to their event."

[intheflow]

4. So... you're in favor of suppressing antifa?

[reACTIONary]

12. There is a clear danger in having ....

.... armed, untrained folks "police" an emotional, confrontational situation. It is better if a neutral and trained force stand between them. And both sides disarmed.

That's common sense

[intheflow]

15. I'm down with disarming both sides.

But considering this was a counter protest to armed civilians trying to deter people from seeing a documentary about what hateful fucks they are, it's entirely appropriate for other armed civilians to demonstrate that their bullying tactics won't be tolerated. Calling the cops is useless because both groups were legally open carrying, but the cops would have protected the Christian Nationalists and probably worsened the situation in 10 other ways. What will stop rightwing extremists is by showing we are not cowed by them, and we also have guns. It's also not at all like Altamont because we're talking 50 people on both sides at most, antifa counter-protesters are not a violent gang (that's the folks they were protesting), and - most importantly - you are suggesting we on the should just roll over and let the violent right have all they 1st and 2nd Amendment rights they want while we self-censor.

TL;DR: You seem to think we live in normal times, but this is not normal, regular rules of engagement have failed us, and it's time to try something new.

[reACTIONary]

19. I read the OP article, and another....

... there is no suggestion or indication - let alone a statement of fact - that the nazis were armed. Where did you read that they were? I missed that.

If the good guys had left their guns at home, both sides would have been disarmed.

[intheflow]

22. The town has a history of violent white supremacists.

So even if they weren’t armed, it was entirely reasonable and lawful to have the volunteer security team armed in anticipation of violence.

[reACTIONary]

23. As you said...

... "I'm down with disarming both sides", the reasonable approach would have been to leave the gums at home, and then both sides would have been disarmed.

[intheflow]

24. Except that it was perfectly logical to assume the Nazis would be armed.

They’d been armed in the past and honestly, could have been armed here with concealed weapons.

[reACTIONary]

25. Reading this article and a previous one by the same news source...

.... it seems that the organizers of this event did not request a police presence, and did not coordinate with the city. If they had, and had been refused, they certainly would have mentioned it. The responsible thing to do would be to request police protection, and to leave the guns at home.

What was done was an unreasonable and irresponsible course of action.

[multigraincracker]

5. I use to live not far from there. Few if not any people of color

in Livingston County.

[perdita9]

6. Good for SAGE

The only way to deal with bullies is to stand up to them and let them know you're prepared to fight. The guns trouble me but, considering the people serving on the Supreme Court right now, our streets have turned into the OK corral. You can't expect one group to go unarmed when actual Nazis are marching through the streets.

[slightlv]

10. Ive been predicting

This for a long time. There are too many guns in our society, and if one side has been known to threateningly open carry why wouldn't the other side carry for their own safety and to threateningly remind the Nazis they're not the only ones with guns. The Wild West vs 1920s Chicago, etc... with the Mob and Tommy guns. With shoot outs blatantly out in the open.

[reACTIONary]

13. I expect both sides to be disarmed.

[Brenda]

7. Things are ratcheting up.

And the hypocrisy is there for all to see in these events. Law enforcement allows the masked, nazi-flag waving, armed thugs to get into their Uhaul and drive away while attacking the counter-protestors as UNLAWFUL AND SCARY.

It's been less than one month since ChumpMonk began assaulting America and look at how out of hand it has become. Someone is going to get hurt soon. On the streets and/or with our elected officials. I think we're in a tinderbox.

[AverageOldGuy]

8. Two flags

Waving a Nazi flag while wearing a Confederate flag. The flags of two losers.

[Bengus81]

20. Yeah...and take off the upper right and lower left legs of the Swastika and you get...47

[Biophilic]

9. Well, it is Howell, Michigan.

We were warned as kids to stay away from Howell as it wasn’t safe because it was the home of Michigan’s KKK. That was 60 some years ago. Sounds like much hasn’t changed.

[LisaM]

17. I grew up nearby, too. We were always told the KKK was there.

It wasn't that I saw it in the regular people who lived there (we played them in sports, so we saw their band and their high school teams). It was more that there was a lurking threat outside of town.

[Biophilic]

18. Yup, exactly my experience.

[Figarosmom]

11. They likely had to outsource

Because the mayor and local law enforcement seem to be commiserate with the nazis.

[KPN]

14. Scary shit!

[Quanto Magnus]

16. The mayor is pro-fascism

if that was his take....

[orangecrush]

21. Time to defend ourselves.

[cbabe]

26. Boys playing dress up. I betcha a wooden nickel they couldn't pass a multiple choice test on WWII.