A group of approximately 20 neo-Nazis attended Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday holding a banner that said, “Keep Boston Irish.”
The group, wearing neo-Nazi insignias, was captured in photos shared to social media. They were condemned by local government official as well as the South Boston parade’s organizers.
“As a Jewish American, it hits especially close to home for me,” Dave Falvey, commander of South Boston Allied Veterans Council, told the Boston Globe. “Unfortunately, we only have control over who can participate in the parade and cannot control who attends. Such groups will never be welcome in any capacity at the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day parade.”
According to Patch, the group was spotted on the parade route wearing masks and sunglasses. They wore the logo of the Nationalist Social Club (NSC 131) – an extremist group that was described by the Anti-Defamation League and the Counter Extremism Project as being neo-Nazi in ideology.
The group’s presence at the parade was decried by local officials, who called the group’s banner “repulsive” and “disgusting.”
"Their ideology is repugnant and contrary to an event that celebrates our proud immigrant history and is enjoyed by children, families, and people of all ethnicities and backgrounds," a group of elected officials said in a joint statement. "Their message is repulsive to the South Boston community and Gold Star Families who were at the parade to commend our veterans and honor their service to our nation."
According to the ADL, NSC 131 is one of the two groups responsible for the rise in hate activity in Massachusetts.