Neo-Nazis marching near Orlando, Florida, over the weekend were confronted by a Black man in a video that was posted to social media on Sunday.
The Orlando-area has recently been the site of several far-right protests, stirring concerns from local residents amid a nationwide increase in antisemitic and racist hate crimes in recent years. Over the weekend, videos from several neo-Nazi protests were posted to social media, showing neo-Nazis march near Orlando, including at the gates of Walt Disney World.
One neo-Nazi march occurred alongside a busy road off the highway in Altamonte Springs, a suburb north of downtown Orlando. During that rally, participants shouted anti-gay and racist slurs, along with chants of "white power," according to video footage posted to social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
The neo-Nazi marchers were confronted by a Black man, who was driving by the protest. Video footage appears to show the participants shouting racial slurs at him, as the man asks, "Why ya'll got those masks on?"—a reference to the cloth neo-Nazis often wear over their face to conceal their identities.
"WARNING HATE SPEECH: It's important you see this. To know these people exist. During the 'Red Shirts March' of the neo Nazi groups 'Blood Trib' and 'Goyim Defense League' in Orlando, a black man drives by "Why y'all got those masks on" a moment of levity," posted video journalist Sandi Bachom.
This march was one of several recent neo-Nazi events held near Orlando.
Florida state Representative Anna Eskamani posted video footage showing a nearby protest at Cranes Roost Park, also in Altamonte Springs. During that protest, they were shouting, "We are everywhere," she wrote on X on Saturday. "Absolutely disgusting stuff and another example of the far right extremism growing in FL."
An Orange County Sheriff's Office spokesperson told Newsweek on Monday that a separate neo-Nazi protest occurred at the entrance of Walt Disney World on Saturday. The rally began at about 10:40 a.m. ET and lasted for two hours in the area of Hotel Plaza Boulevard and East Buena Vista Drive, near the Disney Springs shopping complex.
No arrests were made, the spokesperson added.
"We know these groups demonstrate in high profile areas in order to agitate and incite people with anti-Semitic symbols and slurs. The Orange County Sheriff's Office deplores hate speech in any form, but people have the First Amendment right to demonstrate. What these groups do is revolting and condemned in the strongest way by Sheriff Mina and the Sheriff's Office. They are looking for attention, and specifically media attention," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that law enforcement was unsure exactly where or when the Altamonte Springs incident occurred.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) wrote in a statement posted to its website that participants were carrying white supremacist, antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ+ flags near the Disney Springs shopping center.
Members of the white supremacist groups Order of the Black Sun (OBS), Aryan Freedom Network (AFN) and 14 First were in attendance, according to the organization's statement. ADL Florida Regional Director Sarah Emmons wrote she was "deeply outraged" by the neo-Nazi rallies.
"Just one week ago, ADL joined with civil rights organizations and leaders to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the historic march on Washington. We rededicated ourselves to furthering the equality and justice that Dr. King worked for. Just hours later, we received word that an individual who had swastikas on his weapons had murdered three Black people in Jacksonville. And yesterday, we saw dozens of extremists demonstrating and sharing vile, antisemitic, racist, and anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric. This type of hateful activity has no place in our community," she wrote.
An ADL report released in March found that antisemitic incidents increased 36 percent for a total of 3,697 incidents across the United States in 2022, making it the year with the highest level of antisemitic incidents ever recorded in U.S. history. Acts of harassment rose 29 percent, antisemitic vandalism increased 51 percent and physical assaults increased 26 percent, according to the report.
In May, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) issued a travel advisory for Florida.
"Florida is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals. Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by, African Americans and other communities of color," its advisory reads.
Update 09/04/2023, 1:38 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 09/04/2023 3:30 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
