Demonstrators With Nazi Flags Show Up in Howell Township Outside Play, 'Diary of Anne Frank'

Nazi demonstrators in Howell (Screenshot from WLNS video)

Masked demonstrators with Nazi flags showed up Saturday night in Howell Township outside a community theater performance of the "The Diary of Anne Frank," a play about a young Jewish girl and her family who were hiding in the Netherlands during the Nazi occupation in World War II.

The play was at the American Legion Devereaux Post 141 on W. Grand River Avenue.

Craig Mauger of the Detroit News reports:

Bobby Brite, past commander of the American Legion Devereaux Post 141, recorded video of the demonstrators who, he said, were present outside the Howell Township venue for about 30 minutes while the play, which documents the experiences of a young Jewish girl and her family during the Holocaust, was ongoing.

About 10 people were part of the pro-Nazi group that showed up in the legion's parking lot at about 7:30 p.m. and eventually moved across the street, Brite said. They were in their 20s and all wearing masks, Brite said.

Howell was once known as the KKK capital of Michigan.

The incident comes as antisemitic incidents are on the rise, particularly after the Israreli war started in Gaza.