(Photos courtesy of ABC News)
The nearly 3 dozen people arrested for what police say was a plan to riot at an Idaho gay pride event have all bailed out of jail.
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, police chief, Lee White, says the 31 men arrested Saturday in a U-Haul truck full of tactical equipment and even a smoke grenade were members of the hate group, Patriot Front. They were from states across the country as far away as Virginia, and they include several people from Washington and Oregon. They were all dressed similarly, including white masks on their faces and hats with what’s believed to be the Patriot Front insignia.
White says they also had a written plan of attack, which he confirmed called for a column of people to enter the park where the pride event was being held until they met a barrier of resistance. It was believed they would then deploy the smoke grenade and make their way to the downtown business district.
White says the 911 call from the citizen who reported seeing the men loading up the truck with weapons and riot gear would give any reasonable officer an indication trouble was coming. “As it turns out, the stop occurred less than a quarter-mile from City Park,” White says, “I have no doubt in my mind that had that van stopped at the park or much nearer the park that we still would have ended up in a riot situation.”
White says he and others in his department have received a number of threats following the arrests. He made clear that any group, no matter what their politics, whether alt-right nor Antifa, would face the same treatment if they had plans to incite violence. White was asked about claims that law enforcement agents were embedded with the group, saying he wants to make it clear that all arrested were members of Patriot Front and not secretly Antifa members nor federal agents. White also says he doesn’t know why they’d target Coeur d’Alene with pride events across the country, and he hopes people will see this as a “one-off” and will continue to come enjoy their city.
The men now face misdemeanor charges of conspiracy to riot. They were allowed to return home but will have to come back for their court appearances.
