Nazis Try to Interrupt Georgia Pride Parade With Anti-LGBTQ+ Speech
Organizers say the Athens, Georgia Pride was only briefly interrupted by the small group spewing hate speech.
The organizers of Athens PrideFest in Georgia have condemned a group for waving Nazi symbols for interrupting the Pride festivities during the city’s annual celebration on Saturday. The group also spewed anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-Semitic hate as they walked around where the annual event was being held.
The executive director of Athens Pride and Queer Collective, Elliot Williamson, told CBS News Atlanta that the group arrived while thousands had gathered for Pride in downtown Athens, which is about an hour outside of Atlanta and is the home of the University of Georgia.
Saturday’s Pride parade had already started when the group began shouting hate speech and slurs, Williamson said, adding the men were dressed in black and red and held a swastika flag.
“They were shouting hateful Nazi language,” Williamson said.
Williamson said that organizers used a banner called a “hate blocker” to help shield marchers and participants from the group’s language. He told the news outlet that there was some confrontation between the Pride marchers and the small group of Nazis. He added that local police were there to assist if anything had escalated because of the group.
“There were police directly by them alongside the parade route,” Williamson said. “When we were further out, they were constantly driving by to monitor, and even when we were on the Firefly Trail, there were bike cops who drove by as well.”
Williamson said the Pride still went on, and he was happy with how those who attended Pride responded.
“They hurt morale around the parade briefly,” he said. “But overall, I’m proud of how our community handled the situation.”
In a statement, Athens Pride and Queer Collective said the Nazi group had failed in trying to intimidate Pride participants.
“Their appearance was intended to intimidate, divide, and spread fear, but it failed to overshadow the overwhelming spirit of joy, solidarity, and love that defined our community celebration,” the organization said. “Let us be clear: these actions were not expressions of opinion; they were acts of intimidation rooted in ideologies responsible for genocide, violence, and the ongoing dehumanization of marginalized people.”
