Protesters Rally Against Hate

Demonstration in response to white nationalist posters found in Twin Ports

DULUTH, Minn. – A protest on the street in Downtown Duluth as people rallied against hate in the Twin Ports community. This after posters from a white nationalist group were posted in Duluth and Superior earlier this month.

“United by Love” is the message protesters want to spread in Duluth.

They demonstrated in response to recent fliers posted by the Patriot Front, an organization the Southern Poverty Law Center calls a hate group, and who believes people in North America are being pushed out by non-European immigrants and that people of color are not Americans.

At the corner of Lake Avenue and Superior Street, people gathered with signs, broadcasting a message that all are welcome here.

They say the Twin Ports is a diverse community where people of all backgrounds must come together and peacefully assemble to stop hate.

“What we’re going to do is walk in dignity and by deescalating that kind of hate, that maintains our dignity and I think that’s what’s really important,” said community activist Michele Naar-Obed. “We will remain unified, diverse, and dignified.”

Anti-Communist fliers were recently found in Leif Erikson Park and near UW-Superior.

The Patriot Front organization has posted on Twitter that the group is responsible for posting the fliers.

An organizer of the protest against hate tells us even if people are not personally offended by the posters’ message, they should be concerned that an organization with a record of hate speech has attacked a group in the Northland.

“There’s an old IWW saying, injury to one is injury to all. If you attack one group of people that affects everybody,” said Lucas Dietsche of Lake Superior Socialist Action, who helped to organize the protest.

Protesters have replaced the “Better Dead than Red” fliers with posters that say “United by Love.”