3 charged after racist fliers found in East Boston
Patriot Front flier near Uncle Sam Plaza.
Similar postings in Arlington
Three men have been arrested after police said they were posting in public places fliers promoting white supremacy.
Fliers displaying the name Patriot Front were posted East Boston before the three were charged with unrelated crimes. Similar fliers were found posted in Arlington on Saturday, Feb. 16, as reflected in this twitter post to the Arlington email list.
Matthew Wolf, 26, of Lowell; Christopher Hood, 20, of Malden; and Tylar Larson, 18, of Rochester, N.Y., face assault or weapons charges, police told various media outlets.
Before the posters in Arlington were removed, images of them show they were placed near Uncle Sam Plaza and Town Hall.
The Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate groups, describes the Patriot Front as "an image-obsessed organization that rehabilitated the explicitly fascist agenda of Vanguard America with garish patriotism. Patriot Front focuses on theatrical rhetoric and activism that can be easily distributed as propaganda for its chapters across the country."
BostonGlobe.com quoted a police spokesman as saying the three men were involved in posting fliers.
3 nabbed Friday
The website reported they were apprehended around 9:45 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15, by an officer who was patrolling the Winthrop Street area after posters supporting the white supremacy group Patriot Front were discovered in the area the day before.
The officer tried to talk to the men, but they did not cooperate, Boston police said.
Wolf was charged with assault and battery after he allegedly slapped an officer’s hand as Wolf went to take his ID from his wallet.
“While speaking with one of the members of the group, who was extremely uncooperative, the male removed his wallet from his pocket," BostonGlobe.com quoted police. "However, when officers reached to obtain what they thought would be the male’s identification card, they were met by the male slapping the officer’s hand away.”
Larson and Hood were arrested for possession of a dangerous weapon.
The three will be arraigned in East Boston District Court on Tuesday, Feb. 19, police said.
NECN: 3 seen with fliers
A report on the cable-TV station NECN says it was unclear whether the three posted the fliers, but they were seen with fliers in their hands.
The NECN report said police were patrolling in East Boston after reports of posters, which were upsetting some residents. While on patrol, officers saw a group of males wearing face masks.
Police then found brass knuckles and a knife in the possession of the suspect's two friends, who were then arrested.
The NECN report noted that some cited the posters' right to free speech.
A man who said he saw the posters said the fliers said: “Keep America American. Report any and all illegal aliens. They are not immigrants. They are criminals. Call: 1-866-DHS-2ICE.”
Mayor Marty Walsh commented on the group’s effort to put these signs up in a part of Boston that is known for its diversity.
"We're working really hard in Boston," NECN quoted the mayor. "There's no place in Boston for that type of rhetoric, and our police department actually is working to get to the bottom of who did this so it doesn't happen to our city again."
Arlington police have been asked for comment.
This ews summary was published Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019.
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