FBI Joins Investigation into White Nationalists Accused of Planning Idaho Pride Riot

Georji Brown | AP

This weekend local law enforcement arrested 31 men on charges of conspiracy to riot during a Pride event in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho.

An alert resident contacted police when they saw what "looked like a little army," of men wearing masks, carrying shields, and other equipment pile into the back of a U-Haul truck, resulting in police to pull the truck over 10 minutes later.

Images of the men being arrested showed them dressed in similar gear comprised of masks, blue shirts, khakis, as well as riot gear including shields and shin guards. Police found at least one smoke grenade and papers that appeared to outline a plan for the pride event and a map of downtown Coeur D'Alene. 

“It is clear to us, based on the gear that the individuals had with them, the stuff they had in their possession in the U-Haul with them, along with paperwork that was seized from them, that they came to riot downtown,” said Lee White, Coeur D'Alene police chief.

The 31 men charged with conspiracy to riot are members of Patriot Front, which is classified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a white nationalist hate group. Patriot Front formed in 2017 following the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. 

The specific Pride event in Coeur D’Alene was among others targeted in online campaigns, according to SPLC research. Only two of the 31 men arrested were from Idaho, the rest came from over ten more states.

Last week, the Department of Homeland Security issued an updated national terrorism advisory bulletin which specifically warned of “increased risk of domestic violent extremism” driven by disinformation shared online, among other threats.

The FBI is assisting with the local law enforcement investigation, according to CBS News.