MIAMI — For the Anti-Defamation League in Florida, it can sometimes be difficult to know whether to warn the public about fringe hate groups or to deprive them of attention.
But as Carla Hill, ADL's senior director of investigative research puts it, "When you have 150 neo-Nazis marching through your neighborhood, it can be terrifying. Information is an antidote."
The ADL says that could happen over the Labor Day weekend as the organization has been monitoring the online activities of hate group leaders and it says that multiple hate groups have been fundraising and recruiting for a "white power" demonstration to be held in Florida, potentially over Labor Day weekend.
"These people don't hide their activities. We know the people who lead these hate groups, and they are very vocal online. They've been trying to gather members and organize for months," Hill said.
The event is called "The March of the Redshirts." And the ADL's Center of Extremism says the goal of the event is for hate groups to be visible and loud.
"Participants will likely wear matching uniforms (red shirts, black masks, and black pants), wave swastika flags, perform (Adolf) Hitler salutes and shout things like ‘There will be blood’ and ‘White power.’ Some participants may be armed and/or wear tactical equipment. The Center on Extremism is not aware of any direct or specific threats of violence at this time," the COE said in a community advisory message cited by Florida Politics.
Hill says that while the groups' long-term goals are to normalize bigotry, spread hate, and grow their followers, what they're looking for in these demonstrations is anyone who will interact with them.
"They want to get your attention. They want you to engage with them so they can record video on their cell phones and share it online. It is best to ignore and avoid them if you see them and notify law enforcement immediately if you feel unsafe," Hill said.
Florida has seen an increase in neo-Nazi demonstrations over the past couple of years, including most recently in June, when a group of white supremacists stood outside of Walt Disney World waving Nazi flags and banners supporting Gov. Ron DeSantis. In 2022, demonstrators with swastikas were seen in St. Petersburg and outside the Tampa Bay Convention Center.
The recent racist killings of three people at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville were committed by an anti-black shooter who had swastikas carved into his guns.
But despite the appearance of a growing presence, the ADL says these groups are still very small and part of a fringe.
"It took months and months of fundraising, recruiting, and other activities just to get maybe around 150 people to show up," Hill said.
To that end, Hill says, the most practical way of dealing with them is to avoid legitimizing them while condemning what they stand for.
"This is an opportunity for community leaders and elected officials to stand with Floridians against hate and extremism. Don't buy into conspiracy theories. Don't spread them. Stand against hate and extremism," Hill said.
