Burlington police say a white supremacist group known as the Patriot Front has once again targeted local activists by slapping stickers on their signage.
The stickers — which depict a sickle, the slogan “Better Dead Than Red” and Patriot Front’s web address — were affixed to the King Street side of the Turning Point Center building on South Winooski Avenue. The wall displays wayfinding signs for Black Lives Matter of Greater Burlington, Migrant Justice, the Vermont Workers’ Center and 350Vermont, all of which have space in the building at 179 South Winooski.
After receiving a complaint, officers removed the stickers around 8 a.m. Wednesday, Det. Tom Chenette said.
“We tend to get a lot of calls about them,” Chenette said of such stickers. “They are absolutely bias-motivated and absolutely targeting these institutions.”
The Vermont Workers’ Center and Migrant Justice declined to comment. Black Lives Matter of Greater Burlington and 350Vermont could not immediately be reached.
Patriot Front formed in the aftermath of the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va. The Southern Poverty Law Center lists it as a growing hate group whose “militant street action” is becoming more violent. The “image-obsessed organization … focuses on theatrical rhetoric and activism that can be easily distributed as propaganda for its chapters across the country,” according to the SPLC.
The group and its tactics are not new to the Queen City. They made headlines in February 2018 when a small, masked contingent chanting “blood and soil” marched on City Hall Park with a banner reading, “Reclaim America,” the Burlington Free Press reported.
The group had originally intended to rally at the Staples Plaza in South Burlington, but changed course when its plans leaked and a large crowd of anti-racism demonstrators showed there instead.
Since then, Burlington police have seen an uptick in calls about Patriot Front propaganda, Chenette said, including posters plastered on the University of Vermont and Champlain College campuses last year. In February of this year, police issued a press release about “bias-motivated vandalism” after the group put its stickers on the Ohavi Zedek Synagogue, the Pride Center of Vermont and a third location that asked not to be named.
Recently, the stickers were placed at the Richmond park-and-ride lot and on newspaper boxes, including one belonging to Seven Days outside of the Greater Burlington YMCA. Police removed other stickers elsewhere in the city last week and receive calls about them on a biweekly basis, Chenette said.
Police aren’t sure if the group has a Vermont chapter but suspect that there’s at least one active member “that doesn’t seem to be leaving,” according to Chenette.
The stickering activity is not considered criminal unless the adhesive damages the underlying surface, Chenette said.
“They have a pretty good understanding of where the line is and not to cross it criminally,” he said, noting the First Amendment technically protects the group’s preferred form of “speech.”
Mayor Miro Weinberger, however, made it clear in a February statement that the group should stay away because its views “are antithetical to Burlington’s commitment to be a welcoming, inclusive community.” Chenette suspects the group has hit the Queen City for exactly that reason.
“It’s sad, but I think they target Burlington because we are so inclusive,” he said. “They think they’re going to get the most press if they go after us because it will stir us up more than other places.”
Police encourage the public to report the group’s activity to aid in identifying those responsible. Members often wear masks and purposely avoid security cameras, Chenette said.
“We’re going to be looking to sit down and have a conversation with them,” Chenette said.
Correction, July 31, 2019: A previous version of this story misstated the phrase written on the stickers.
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Why are the cops cleaning up these posters? Shouldn’t the responsibility rest on the sign owner to remove items they object to from their signs?
“The stickering activity is not considered criminal unless the adhesive damages the underlying surface, Chenette said. They have a pretty good understanding of where the line is and not to cross it criminally, he said, noting the First Amendment technically protects the group’s preferred form of “speech.”
But then:
“Were going to be looking to sit down and have a conversation with them, Chenette said. “
WHY? If they are engaged in legal and protected speech, what possible reason do the police have to seek them out and “have a conversation”? It sounds like the City wants to use the police to intimidate those whose views are not approved by the city. So less Law Enforcement, more Viewpoint Enforcement. And yes, I get it, the content is reprehensible, blah blah blah. But stupid people are going to believe stupid things just as they always have. Why now are we unleashing those who are tasked to uphold the law to shut down ideas we don’t like, and where does it end? Also, why in god’s name are on duty officers cleaning up private property?
I think I saw a poorly/partially torn off one of these that had been stuck over some grafitti near my apt building. I’d rather see grafitti than oppressive hatred!
https://beta.washingtonpost.com/opinions/t…
Be careful.you you post as a source, when they themse6have been labeled a biased hate group
White supremacist my butt.these people are cowards.we should have a no tolerance policy for this bs…..these so called white supremacist have nothing better to do than spread their hate…its not the 1800s it’s the 21 century….get with the times you losers.
White supremacist my butt..these people are cowards.. there shouldn’t be any tolerance to this bs.thats right BS…these so called white supremacist better not come to the new north end.they will get their asses kicked…I have no tolerance for stupidity and ignorance
Trump’s Brownshirts are here . . . no surprise actually. Trump depends on weak minded bigots to stay in power. And the whiny GOPers complain about Antifa but say nothing about Right Wing thuggery. Must be more of those “Family Values” they love to brag about.
These chuds hit Burlington because some of them live there. I’m sick of the PR lies that tries to make it out that they are not from vermont. Many are.
Good eye, @phuzzie! Thanks for catching the error. We’ve corrected the story.
CORRECTION: The article quotes the phrase as Better Red Than Dead, but it is actually Better Dead Than Red.