"We Are All De Santis Supporters": The DEATH SENTENCE TrumpNazis Are Back!
David Shasha
Angry Neo-Nazis Cursing and Screaming Slurs at Florida March
By: Peter Wade
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/neo-nazis-florida-march-1234817532/
Members of white supremacist and antisemitic hate groups marched outside Orlando, Florida, on Saturday screaming invectives, raising the Nazi salute, and yelling “Heil Hitler” and “white power.”
“We are everywhere!” neo-Nazis can be heard shouting in a video shared by former Florida House of Representatives member Anna V. Eskamani. Later in the footage, they yelled, “Heil Hitler” while performing a Nazi salute.
Days before the march, the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism warned it was coming. “Two extremist groups, the Goyim Defense League (GDL) and Blood Tribe (BT), are planning to gather in Florida in September 2023 for a joint, public demonstration(s) they are calling the ‘March of the Redshirts,'” the center said in a community advisory shared via email on Thursday.
The ADL describes the Goyim Defense League as “a loose network of individuals connected by their virulent antisemitism” with an “overarching goal” to “expel Jews from America.” The organization characterizes Blood Tribe, led by white supremacist Christopher Pohlhaus, as “a growing neo-Nazi group that claims to have chapters across the United States and Canada.”
“Blood Tribe presents itself as a hardcore white supremacist group and rejects white supremacists who call for softer ‘optics,'” the ADL writes.
In video captured by News2Share’s Ford Fischer, the groups chanted, “Jews will not replace us!” and “Jews get the rope.”
Pohlhaus appeared to lead portions of the march. When Pohlhaus yelled, “Heil the führer!” others responded with, “Heil Hitler!”
Speaking to reporters, Pohlhaus said, “We just have to start a fire. We’re the kindling. Once we set the fire, we get the fire hot, then we get the rest of our brothers blazing.”
“This is just the beginning,” Pohlhaus added later.
When another reporter asked a marcher what they were marching for, he responded, “White power.”
Some of the marchers individually expressed their distaste for Donald Trump, saying they prefer Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. When right-wing figure Laura Loomer appeared at the march, recording the Neo-Nazis with her cell phone, the crowd began to chant “faggot, faggot” in her direction. Loomer explained she was at the rally because she was getting her hair done nearby.
“We’re not voting Trump, Laura!” one marcher shouted at her. “We’re not voting for the right wing! It’s the kike wing.”
At this, another marcher shouted, “We’re all DeSantis supporters!”
Before the neo-Nazis gathered in Florida, News2Share reported on another smaller rally taking place outside Disney World where approximately 10 people who identified as “Order of the Black Sun” destroyed a rainbow pride flag near the park’s entrance. One marcher carried a Ron DeSantis 2024 flag. Another held a sign that read, “Did you thank Hitler today?”
Members of the group near Disney also bashed Trump, with one saying of the former president, “He’s a pussy. He didn’t do anything he said he was going to do. And if you vote for him again, he gets in, he’s not going to do anything. He married all of his kids off to Jews.”
“We’re Ron DeSantis supporters,” another marcher said. “We like Ron DeSantis.”
Fron Rolling Stone, September 3, 2023
Nazi demonstrators wave DeSantis sign and swastikas outside Disney World in Orlando
By: McKenna Schueler
Video footage and photos shared online this past weekend showed Nazi demonstrators waving large swastika flags outside of Orlando’s Walt Disney World on Saturday, along with a Ron DeSantis 2024 flag.
State Representative Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, shared video footage of the demonstration on social media. “Nazis outside of Walt Disney World right now — absolutely disgusting,” Eskamani wrote. Pop singer P!nk later quote-tweeted the footage, adding what we were all thinking: “ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME????”
Nazis outside of Walt Disney World right now — absolutely disgusting. pic.twitter.com/WeXtRi3OSL
— Rep. Anna V. Eskamani 🔨 (@AnnaForFlorida) June 10, 2023
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office told USA Today that about 15 people gathered outside of the theme park, which dissolved within a couple of hours with zero arrests.
"We are aware of these groups that aim to agitate and incite people with anti-Semitic symbols and slurs. They are also aware of the law," the OCSO said in a statement. "The Orange County Sheriff’s Office deplores hate speech in any form, but people have the First Amendment right to demonstrate."
Shannon Watts, founder of the anti-gun violence group Moms Demand Action, also tweeted out a photo of the Nazi protest. Noting the pro-DeSantis imagery, as well as other signage containing homophobic and racist slurs, Watts stated in part: “This is the Republican Party of 2023.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who recently launched a bid for U.S. President, has been accused of aligning with Nazis, in no small part because many of them are fans of his, but also because of the hateful rhetoric coming out of his administration regarding LGBTQ Floridians and concepts of diversity and inclusion.
The DeSantis administration did not immediately respond to requests for comment by media organizations about the Nazi demonstration this past weekend, and he hasn’t posted any formal statement or response online as of Monday morning.
The governor's office has addressed Nazi demonstrations before, including a response to a 2022 incident when a group of neo-Nazis placed a banner with the words “Vax the Jews” on an I-4 overpass between metro Orlando and Disney World.
That banner was accompanied by banners with swastikas, the phrase "Let's Go Branon" (sic; can't even get their own hate speech right) and the URL for hate group the Goyim Defense League.
Not coincidentally, that incident (and another neo-Nazi demonstration that occurred the same day at the corner of North Alafaya Trail and Waterford Lakes Parkway) happened to fall on the same weekend as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
“Gov. Ron DeSantis has ALWAYS condemned antisemitic attacks & hatred, and he always will,” the governor’s press secretary, Christina Pushaw, told Click Orlando at the time. “To suggest otherwise is just plain wrong. I am confident that Florida law enforcement will respond appropriately and justice will be served to any protester who violates the law.”
That comment, however, came after Pushaw asked, in a now-deleted tweet about the incident, “Do we even know if they’re Nazis?”
So, damage control.
Pushaw also floated the idea that the Nazis were paid actors, stirring up outrage against DeSantis for cheap political points.
U.S. Congressman Darren Soto, D-Florida, had his own choice words for the demonstrators outside of Disney this weekend. "Hate has NO place in @OrangeCoFL," Soto tweeted. "We love and protect our diverse community. Go home you Nazi losers and take your swastikas and DeSantis signs with you."
Anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. have reportedly reached an all-time high, according to a recent report from the Anti-Defamation League. The ADL’s report, released in March, identified 3,697 incidents of vandalism, harassment, and assault tied to anti-Semitism. Among all U.S. states, Florida had the fourth-highest number of incidents last year, with 269 reported incidents.
This past New Year’s Eve, an anti-Semitic slogan was also projected along a busy street in downtown Orlando. Saturday’s protest also wasn’t the first Nazi demonstration spied outside of Disney World, which has been embroiled in a messy political feud with DeSantis over the state’s “Parental Rights in Education” law, known as “Don’t Say Gay,” which targets classroom instruction of gender identity and sexual orientation in public schools. The law was approved by DeSantis last year, affecting students in kindergarten through third grade, and was further expanded up to eighth grade this year.
Abigail Disney, a documentarian and granddaughter of Roy Disney, quote-tweeted Rep. Eskamani’s initial video of this past weekend’s demonstration, sharing: “My grandfather is spinning in his grave.”
From Orlando Weekly, June 12, 2023
Gov. Ron DeSantis accuses Democrats of trying to 'smear' him over neo-Nazi rally in Orlando
By: Zac Anderson
Gov. Ron DeSantis accused Democrats Monday of trying to "smear" him over how his administration's responded to a neo-Nazi demonstration in Orlando over the weekend.
Republican leaders across Florida condemned the neo-Nazi rally, with U.S. Sen. Rick Scott tweeting Sunday that "the hateful & anti-Semitic demonstrations reported in Florida today have no place in our state."
But DeSantis didn't weigh in until asked about it during a press conference Monday afternoon in Palm Beach County, and the governor's press secretary drew attention for a tweet that questioned whether the incident was staged.
"Do we even know they're Nazis?" said DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw in a tweet that later was deleted. "Or is this a stunt like the 'white nationalists' who crashed the (Virginia Gov. Glenn) Youngkin rally in Charlottesville and turned out to be Dem staffers? I trust Florida law enforcement to investigate and am awaiting their conclusions."
Pushaw's tweet drew rebukes from Democrats and Jewish leaders.
"We are alarmed that @ChristinaPushaw would first give cover to antisemites rather than immediately and forcefully condemning their revolting, hate-filled rally and assault," the Anti-Defamation League Florida tweeted, adding: "We expect any public official, especially a voice for @GovRonDeSantis, to address the fears of the Jewish community thoughtfully – not with this troubling and careless approach."
DeSantis defended his administration Monday as a strong supporter of Israel and said Democrats are using the Orlando rally to "smear me as if I had something to do with it."
"They try to play games to try to politicize, why would they do that?" DeSantis asked. "Why would they want to elevate a half-dozen malcontents and try to make this an issue for political gain?"
Democrats are trying to distract from President Joe Biden's record, DeSantis added.
The governor called the neo-Nazi demonstrators "jackasses" and said "state law enforcement is gonna hold them accountable because they were doing stuff on the overpass." It is illegal to demonstrate on a highway overpass.
U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, a Democrat running for governor, took issue with the governor's reaction to being questioned about the neo-Nazi rally Monday, which focused more on Democrats than the demonstrators.
"It should be easy, Ron. Condemn the Nazis," Crist tweeted.
From the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, January 31, 2022, re-posted to the ADL website, February 1, 2022
Why Won't Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Denounce His Neo-Nazi Supporters?
By: Kat Bouza
Florida politicians and local Jewish leaders are demanding Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis condemn a group of neo-Nazis who congregated outside a Tampa convention center over the weekend, passing out anti-Semitic propaganda and displaying swastikas alongside flags that read “DeSantis Country.”
The gathering occurred Saturday outside the Tampa Convention Center, where the conservative youth-oriented group Turning Point USA was hosting its Student Action Summit, just one day after DeSantis addressed the conference.
“We may disagree on policies, but if we as leaders don’t denounce neo-Nazis and white supremacists in our state, in our country, what are we doing here?” said Florida Agriculture Commissioner and gubernatorial candidate Nikki Fried, who is Jewish, during a press conference. “I am asking you, Ron DeSantis, to denounce the Nazis that were here, here to celebrate you speech inside this convention center. They were holding your pictures yesterday.”
Mr. DeSantis, condemn these Nazis. pic.twitter.com/9EqOJc18WY
— Nikki Fried (@NikkiFried) July 24, 2022
In addition to DeSantis, other high-profile Student Action Summit attendees — including former President Donald Trump, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) — have also stayed silent on the matter.
“I’ll be dammed if Nazis and Proud Boys waltz through our City and spew such repulsive speech,” Florida state Sen. Janet Cruz wrote on Twitter. “Words have power and we will NOT accept this in our backyard. All of us must stand up and make clear that we reject this bigoted display.”
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) was the only featured speaker at the conference who openly condemned the group’s presence outside the convention center. “This is a disgusting act of hateful anti-Semitism and doesn’t belong in Florida, our nation or anywhere across the world,” he tweeted. “We stand with our Jewish community and against this hate. It must end.” (Meanwhile, alt-right conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec, who also attended, bizarrely claimed the neo-Nazis were, in fact, liberal protestors. “There are now actual Neo-Nazis outside of Turning Point protesting the event,” he wrote on Twitter. “Got a little closer and yup, they are definitely leftists.”)
The display also drew comment from Florida Holocaust Museum chairman Mike Igel. “Carrying the Nazi flag, or that of the SS, the unit responsible for some of the worst atrocities of the Holocaust, is an indefensible act of pure hatred,” Igel said in a statement. “This isn’t about politics or religion. It’s about humanity.”
According to Tampa-based media outlet Creative Loafing, flyers handed out by the group were published by the Goyim Defense League — an organization the Anti-Defamation League describes as a “small network of virulently antisemitic provocateurs led by Jon Minadeo II of Petaluma, California” known for spreading “antisemitic myths and conspiracy theories” through social media and highly coordinated public stunts.
In a statement, Turning Point USA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet said the group “condemns those ideologies in the strongest of terms” but claimed there was little event organizers could do to remove the racist protesters from the vicinity. “Since these individuals were located on public property, our security attempted to, but was not permitted to remove them,” Kolvet said, adding: “They have nothing to do with TPUSA, our event, or our students.”
From Rolling Stone, July 26, 2022