Over the past week or so, white supremacists have made several headlines across the region. They’ve apparently felt comfortable enough to slither away from their dingy basements and harass unsuspecting North Texans out in public.
Texas is no stranger to right-wing extremism and anti-government sentiment: The state is a hotbed for MAGA rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Even still, this week’s headlines stood out in the worst way possible.
“It sure seems like North Texas and the Dallas area is facing a surge of these kinds of events, protests and just general activities,” said Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism.
Texas led the nation last year for distributions of white supremacist propaganda, according to the Anti-Defamation League. Antisemitic incidents here jumped by nearly 90% from 2021 to 2022.
Beirich delivered a gloomy forecast when it comes to this breed of hate.
“This may simply be a harbinger of the future for the rest of the country, frankly, because … these very hardcore groups — the Active Clubs, the Patriot Front, the Proud Boys, other types of neo-Nazis — have sure been showing up in public in ways that they haven't been in the past,” she said. “And I think that it's just going to get worse in 2024.”
Buckle up, y’all. Here are four headlines from this week in North Texas neo-Nazi news.
Neo-Nazis Dine at Torchy’s Tacos
The Observer reported earlier this week that a group in Nazi attire, including a man with a red swastika armband, ate at a Fort Worth Torchy’s Tacos. The Oct. 8 incident went viral after customer Jessica Gregorio posted a video of the hatemongers to TikTok.Gregorio recalled that one of the men said “white power” while walking by: “I let him know that I was a proud Jew. He responded by telling me that's why we're getting blasted in Israel.”
Torchy’s has since issued a statement condemning the incident.
Beirich is struck by how much open neo-Nazi activity is happening in North Texas.
“These people seem incredibly emboldened, especially in regards to the taco place: walking into a restaurant, fully dressed up in Nazi garb, and not seeming to be concerned in the least,” she said.
@dropdeadgorjessx ♬ Oh No - Kreepa
Antisemitic Flyers Strewn Across DFW
Racist and antisemitic literature has littered North Texas in recent weeks, including flyers that were reportedly discovered in Prosper and Allen in late September.The neo-Nazi trash heap has unfortunately continued to grow.
Roughly 250 antisemitic flyers were left on windshields at the Botanic Garden in Fort Worth on Sunday, according to WFAA. Employees quickly gathered and discarded the propaganda, and the garden’s CEO issued a statement lambasting hate speech.
“Probably from the same A-Holes that ate at Torchy’s,” one Reddit user wrote of the flyers on Tuesday. “It’s so sad that Nazis are still a thing in 2023.”
Neo-Nazis Protest Outside Pro-LGBTQ+ Church
Fort Worth wasn’t the only city forced to put up with neo-Nazis this weekend.Dallas was dealt its own dose of hate on Sunday when an antisemitic group, possibly the same one that dined at the Cowtown Torchy’s, posted up outside an LGBTQ+-friendly church. Members waved Nazi flags and held hateful signs in front of the Cathedral of Hope in Oak Lawn, according to WFAA.
"They were basically saying, 'Kill all Jews and gays,’" a clergy member at the church told that outlet. "We have a message of hope, and we’re going to continue to be present, continue to worship and will not be intimidated by these right-wing fascists."
White Supremacist Welcomed by GOP Activist
The infamous white supremacist Nick Fuentes seems to be getting pretty dang cozy with Lone Star Republicans. The Texas Tribune reported on Sunday that far-right activist Jonathan Stickland, a former state representative, had hosted Fuentes late last week at his office near Fort Worth, where he runs the far-right Pale Horse Strategies PAC. The PAC has ties to some of the state's top Republican officeholders, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.Kyle Rittenhouse, who in 2020 fatally shot two Black Lives Matter protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, also entered the premises that day. Republican Party of Texas Chair Matt Rinaldi went inside, too, but claimed he was there for a separate meeting and didn’t know that Fuentes was in the same building.
Fuentes is a Holocaust denier and self-described “proud incel,” which refers to the extremely misogynistic involuntary celibate movement. He dined with former President Donald Trump last year and has been linked to two staffers of U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar, an Arizona Republican.
This sort of thing never used to happen, Beirich said. There’s been a major shift, one that’s “completely unacceptable.”
“It certainly doesn't help when political figures play footsie with these people,” she said. “It just sanctions them and makes them feel that their activities are mainstream.”
