The neo-Nazi group Blood Tribe near Little Rock Central High Credit: Matt White About two dozen members of an out-of-state group of neo-Nazi white supremacists rallied outside Little Rock Central High on Saturday, holding up a 1950s segregationist slogan in front of the civil rights landmark. The group, which calls itself Blood Tribe, was founded by a former Marine named Christopher Pohlhaus in 2021, according to George Washington University’s program on extremism. They’re known for staging rallies at state capitols and disrupting LGBTQ events across the U.S., clad in garish red and black costumes and face coverings and flying flags with swastikas. After rallying at the Arkansas Capitol, the group of masked protesters walked to Central High and unfurled a banner that read “race mixing is communism,” punctuated with two Stars of David. That phrase was commonly used by Arkansas segregationists protesting the integration of Central High by the Little Rock Nine in 1957. Little Rock photographer Matt White documented the racist group’s march through the predominately Black neighborhood surrounding the Central High historic site: After staging the action at Central, the white supremacists then piled into the back of a U-Haul box truck and headed east on Interstate 630. It’s generally not permitted to transport people in a box truck, and the Little Rock Police Department pulled over the vehicle on Interstate 440 just west of Springer Boulevard with the assistance of the Arkansas State Police. “Twenty-two individuals were removed from the interior of the truck, and the driver was issued a citation in connection with the incident,” LRPD spokesman Mark Edwards said in a statement. The driver was identified as Zachary Platter, 36, of Indiana. “After the stop, the individuals were transported to the Springer Boulevard exit and released from custody, and they were advised to arrange lawful transportation from that location. Patrol officers remained in the area to observe and confirm that the individuals left the location in private vehicles and did not pose an ongoing public safety concern,” Edwards said.
via arktimes: Neo-Nazi group rallies at Central High, is cited by LR police for traffic violations