A group of individuals carrying Nazi flags staged a demonstration outside a community theater performance of “The Diary of Anne Frank” in Livingston County, Michigan, showcasing blatant antisemitism. The incident occurred outside the American Legion Post 141 in Howell, where masked men brandishing Nazi flags reportedly hurled antisemitic and racist slurs during the play.
According to witnesses, the display left many attendees shocked and appalled. Army veteran Bobby Brite mentioned that the audience, consisting of 75 people, felt fearful and had to be escorted to their vehicles, highlighting the distress caused by the demonstrators.
The Fowlerville Community Theatre, responsible for the production, emphasized the play's focus on the real individuals who perished in the Holocaust. The cast and crew aimed to portray their story authentically, but the presence of protesters outside intensified the sense of fear and uncertainty reminiscent of those in hiding during the Holocaust.
Expressing their commitment to provoke thought and emotion through storytelling, the theater group hoped that recounting Anne Frank's narrative would contribute to preventing historical atrocities from recurring.
Local authorities, including the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, were contacted for additional information regarding the incident. The Detroit News reported that the demonstrators dispersed after being instructed to vacate the legion post's parking lot, engaging in a brief verbal exchange with patrons across the street.
The Anti-Defamation League's regional office in Michigan condemned the far-right extremists' actions, denouncing their glorification of Hitler and display of Nazi symbols outside an establishment hosting a play centered on Holocaust victims.
Livingston County has witnessed previous instances of racism, with White supremacists marching through Howell earlier in the year. Recent data from the ADL indicated a tripling of threats against Jews in the US following the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, with a surge in hate crimes targeting various communities.
“The Diary of Anne Frank,” a poignant account of a Jewish girl's experiences during World War II, has been widely read and adapted across different mediums. Anne Frank's tragic fate in a concentration camp serves as a stark reminder of the Holocaust's horrors.
Despite efforts to commemorate Anne Frank's legacy, incidents of antisemitism persist globally. Amsterdam, where Anne Frank hid during the war, witnessed vandalism of a statue dedicated to her, and recent violent clashes involving supporters of an Israeli soccer team were condemned as antisemitic by Dutch authorities.
