16 June 20 • 2019
jn

Neo-Nazi Disruption

Police keep groups separate at
Motor City Pride Festival.

D

uring June 8-9, Detroit hosted 
its Motor City Pride Festival, 
the largest pride event in 
the state of Michigan. The festival is 
a place for the community to come 
together and celebrate gay pride, but 
members of the National Socialist 
Movement (NSM) had other plans.
Media sources reported the neo-Na-
zis were seen walking through the 
parade wearing all-black uniforms 
flagged with swastikas, carrying 
weapons and demonstrating Nazi 
salutes.
According to the ADL, the 
NSM, headquartered in Detroit, 
is the largest neo-Nazi group 
in the U.S., though it only has a 
few hundred active members. It 
calls for a “greater America” that 
would deny citizenship to Jews, 
non-whites and members of the 
LGBTQ community.
At the Pride Festival, one white 
nationalist was photographed 
straddling and appearing to uri-
nate on an Israeli flag lying on the 
ground.

Sam Dubin, founder of the 
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan 
Detroit’
s NEXTGen Detroit Pride, 
is no stranger to this type of 
anti-Semitism and discrimination.
“
As gays, Jews and gay Jews, we 
have historically been discriminated 
against,
” he said. “I’
m confident that 
when we stick together and rise above 
the hatred, that’
s when we have the 
most power to combat anti-Semitism 
and homophobia.
” 

Carolyn Normandin, regional direc-
tor of Michigan’
s ADL, doesn’
t want 
this behavior to become normalized in 
our society.
“We will continue to make our 
presence known that we fight this 
kind of hate in all forms,
” Normandin 
said. “We will not give in to people 
who have these vile and disgusting 
thoughts.
”
The Detroit Police Department held 
a press conference June 10 addressing 
the situation. Many people from the 

community believed police officers 
were escorting NSM members through 
the parade, but that was not the case.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig said 
their No. 1 goal was to maintain peace.
“To any critics that thought we were 
escorting them, we were simply keep-
ing the two groups separate,
” Craig 
said.
The police department was also 
informed through its intelligence unit 

that five members of the NSM were 
carrying guns. The members were 
taking advantage of open carry with 
two of them holding long guns and the 
other three carrying handguns.
Craig clarified that a member of 
the NSM did not actually urinate on 
the Israeli flag despite what images 
may show. “We advised him that if he 
did urinate on the flag, he would be 
arrested.
”
However, members of the NSM 
destroyed both the Israeli flag and 
rainbow pride flags. 
“I applaud the men and women of 
Detroit Police Department,” Craig saif. 
“They showed dedication and profes-
sionalism in order to maintain 
peace.” ■

See related stories on pages 6 and 10.

jews d
in 
the

CORRIE COLF STAFF WRITER

FACEBOOK 

Members of the National Socialist Movement disrupt-

ed the Motor City Pride Festival parade.

THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF CHARITY IS 
TO HELP PEOPLE HELP THEMSELVES.

JVS appreciates all of our sponsors whose contributions 
impact lives in our community. Thank you!

PRESENTING SPONSOR

Kenwal Steel Corporation*

LUNCHEON UNDERWRITER

LSG Insurance Partners*

AWARDS UNDERWRITER

Annette and Jack Aronson*

GOLD LEVEL SPONSORS

Conway MacKenzie, Inc.

Edw. C. Levy Co.*

Huntington Bank*

SILVER LEVEL SPONSORS

Anonymous

Hadas and Dennis Bernard*

Brightwing*

Comerica Bank

Couzens Lansky*

Diez Group

EHIM

Sue Ellen Eisenberg 
& Associates PC

Fifth Third Bank

Henry Ford Health System*

Jaffe Counsel PLC

Lisa and Brian Meer*

Ina and Murray Pitt

Pogoda Companies

Star Trax Events/Geoff 
Kretchmer & Jody Lipton

Fran and George Stern* 

Taubman

The Suburban Collection

Lori and Alan Zekelman*

MEDIA SPONSOR

Crain’s Detroit Business

VIDEO UNDERWRITER

Evolution Media

BRONZE LEVEL SPONSORS

BERLINE*

Penny and Harold Blumenstein

Bodman PLC

Robyn and Bob Canvasser*

David Carroll

DTE Energy Foundation

Emily and Josh Eichenhorn

Farbman Group

Nancy and Jim Grosfeld*

Carl Gross/Globe 
Midwest Corp.*

Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss PC*

Maddin Hauser Roth 
& Heller PC

Northwestern Mutual - Troy

Princeton Management*

Stephanie and Jared 
Rosenbaum*

Schechter Wealth

Bea and Paul Schwarzbaum*

The Sam Bernstein 
Law Firm PLLC

Tri-County Beverage Co.

Wayne Industries

COPPER LEVEL SPONSORS

Ascension*

BELFOR/TPG

Butzel Long*

Carol Craine*

Greenleaf Trust*

Honigman LLP

Jill and Lee Hurwitz

imageOne

Linda and Tom Klein*

Lipton Law

Lisa London*

Anne and Jeffrey Mendelson*

MotorCity Casino

PCE Systems

Rebuild Group

Leah and Daniel Rosenbaum*

Denise and Michael Tobin*

Wolverine Packing Co.

CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS

Berger Realty Group

Faye and Paul Blatt*

Broner Glove & Safety

Chemical Bank

CIBC Bank USA

Clark Hill PLC*

Detroit Jewish News

Dickinson Wright PLLC*

Seth Frazier and 
Gale Thompson

Beth Gotthelf and 
Steven Miesowicz*

Andrea and John Kessler*

McDonald Hopkins LLC

Plante Moran Cresa*

Shapack Law Group PLC*

Simmons and Clark Jewelers*

SMZ

Synergy Capital Solutions

Tama Budaj Raab PC CPAs

Tapper’s Jewelry

Wallside Windows*

SUPPORTING SPONSORS

Alerus Retirement 

Amerisource Industrial 
Supply

Amherst Partners LLC

Baker Tilly 

Baron’s

Ellyn and Jon Davidson

Suzi Dell, Jodi Neff 
and Leslie Ruby*

Dominion Real Estate 
Advisors LLC

Feinberg Consulting*

Susie and Steve Feldman

Joan and Jerry Frohlich

Fuse45

Gateway Travel

Granite Networks, Inc.

Anne and Eugene 
Greenstein

Judy Greenwald*

Harley Ellis Devereaux

Doreen Hermelin

Sue and Ron Hodess

Helene and Art Indianer

JARC

Jewish Federation 
of Metro Detroit

Carolyn Koblin

Lisa and Hannan Lis

 
Jorin Rubin PC*

R. Gross PC*

Alexandra and 
Ryan Mollen*

Muchmore Harrington 
Smalley & 
Associates, Inc.

Pappas Financial

Dr. Mark Saffer

Sandy Schuster*

Signature Associates

Standard Wonder Group

Vesco Oil Corporation

The WW Group, Inc.*

York Properties, Inc. 

*JVS PARTNERS 

 ARE GENEROUS 

 SPONSORS OF BOTH 

 STRICTLY BUSINESS 

 AND TRADE SECRETS

A JVS Human Services Fundraising Event

