LIVINGSTON COUNTY, Mich. – There’s outcry following disturbing scenes in Howell and Fowlerville recently after eyewitness videos showed what appears to be demonstrators displaying Nazi symbols and spewing hate-filled rhetoric on Saturday.
The group reportedly hurled antisemitism and racial slurs in the streets during a performance of “The Diary of Anne Frank” at the American Legion Post, which the production used as a venue during the show’s run.
However, the scene migrated to downtown Fowlerville.
“It’s very alarming that it’s happening in these small towns,” said Mitchell Jones, a Fowlerville resident who said hate isn’t welcomed in his community.
Other residents told Local 4 they felt frustrated by the incidents.
“It kind of gets under my skin a little bit because now you’re putting a bad name on all of us,” said Mike Saunders, a Howell resident.
In a statement, Fowlerville Community Theatre wrote how the public display of hate gave them “A small glimpse of the fear and uncertainty felt by those in hiding” during the Holocaust.
The hate-filled demonstrations rattled the communities and beyond.
“I truly believe that Livingston County is not made up of people who support Nazism, but we have to stand up against it when it happens,” said Carolyn Normandin, regional director of ADL Michigan.
The Michigan chapter of CAIR also echoed similar sentiments in a written statement.
“We condemn this display of neo-Nazi hate and join all those speaking out against the rising bigotry and societal division we are witnessing nationwide,” said Dawud Walid, an executive director. “All such attempts to promote racism, antisemitism or any other form of bigotry must be repudiated by local, state and national religious and political leaders.”
The latest FBI data shows an uptick in reported hate crimes in Michigan across bias categories in gender, religion, disability, and race. The concern is that hate-filled rhetoric will only worsen.
Alex Sutliff captured the moment the masked Nazi protestors marched into downtown Fowlerville after leaving the play.
“It left an awful feeling in my stomach, especially being my hometown,” Sutliff said. “I haven’t really been able to shake it off in my head since it happened.”
A similar protest happened over the summer. In an area where the KKK’s legacy has deeply stained mid-Michigan, people say it’s time to write a new story.
