White supremacist signs in Oak Bluffs under investigation

crime

The Martha’s Vineyard state official said the Patriot Front signs were “clearly an attack” on the beach town popular with black families.

Four signs that promoted a white supremacist group are examined in Oak Bluffs, a historic beach community in Martha’s Vineyard popular with black families.

Oak Bluffs police posted photos of two Patriot Front signs to Facebook on Sunday, urging the community to provide information about who put up the signs overnight. Signs shared on social media read “Strong Families, Strong Nations” and “America First” and the name of the group. The signs appeared to be stenciled in red and blue colors.

The organization depicted on the signs is a Texas-based white nationalist and fascist group. According to anti-hate group American Defense Leaguethe Patriot Front believes that “their ancestors conquered America and left it to them and to no one else.”

The group spreads its white supremacist ideas via banners and placards – like the one at Oak Bluffs – and even “flash demonstrations”. During these surprise marches, the group will sometimes detonate smoke bombs or attempt other similar attention-grabbing tactics.

Of the organization’s more than 150 members, about 20 are based across New England — the group is also one of the most active hate groups in the area. The Boston Globe reports.

As of 2pm on Tuesday, police said they still do not know who put up the placards and it is not immediately clear if charges can and will be brought against those who put up the placards around the city. The Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the investigation.

State Representative Dylan Fernandesa Democrat representing Martha’s Vineyard and surrounding communities, said the signage’s placement was “clearly an attack on Oak Bluffs as one of America’s historic black vacation spots.” In a statement, he identified the individuals who performed the stunt, also as “narrow-minded” and “cowards”.

The study of these signs comes at a time when white supremacist groups and the dissemination of their propaganda are increasing across the country and even in the more progressive areas of New England. Patriot Front members were marching through the streets of Boston last yearbanged drums along the Freedom Trail and reportedly assaulted a black musician named Charles M. Murrell III, who has since sued the group.