INDIANA – Nazi political party applications were being handed out by men wearing Nazi flag armbands in Indiana this weekend, according to a viral post on Twitter.

Twitter user @GoldvesterCos shared a picture of the two men on Saturday, saying they were handing out anti-Semitic pamphlets and “Nazi political party” applications in Henryville, Indiana, a small town around 20 miles north of Louisville.

The picture shows the men, dressed in white shirts with armbands bearing the Nazi flag, standing by a table covered with papers.

The flag of Nazi Germany, which consists of a black swastika in a white circle over a red background, has become one of the most potent symbols of hate worldwide and has been adopted by white supremacists, especially neo-Nazis, since the end of the Second World War, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

“Nazis in Henryville, Indiana today,” the tweet said. “Handing out anti-Semitic pamphlets and ‘nazi political party’ applications.”

Alongside screenshots of the Facebook profiles of two men and a woman, @GoldvesterCos added: “The woman was there too and apparently one of them is a marine. I’m so disgusted these people live here.”

Dylan Anderson, one of the men identified in the tweet, confirmed to Newsweek that he was one of the men pictured wearing the Nazi armband.

“I was exercising my First Amendment right of freedom of speech and right to peacefully assemble,” he said.

“Multiple people came over under their own will and ask questions and took literature and pamphlets. We were polite and we were not rude or used foul language or racial slurs. I have just as much rights as anyone else to voice my opinions.”

The woman, when contacted by Newsweek, said she has “no idea” who the men in the picture are. Her Facebook page was later taken down. The other man identified in the tweet added: “I have no idea who they are.”

@GoldvesterCos, who did not want to be identified by her real name, told Newsweek that photos of the applications and pamphlets were circulating on community Facebook groups.

“I think everybody in our town is shocked to learn that we could be neighbors with Nazis,” she said. “Maybe they have the right to their beliefs, but we also have the right to speak against them and let the ‘American Nazi Party’ know that they’re not welcome here and do not represent our town.”

Another picture of the men in Nazi armbands was also shared on Facebook by Kris Warning, who said she went down to Clark State Forest on Saturday after hearing about what was going on there.

“My day started so well… and then someone posted that Nazis were recruiting and spreading the word just minutes from my house… so I went for myself,” she wrote.

“I talked to the young man, who’s belonged for six months. He was accompanied by a marine veteran who served for four years, and a woman who shared they are residents of Henryville.”

Warning added: “When asked if something recent prompted their recruiting on public space, he replied it was because things are so bad recently. Right now I am sitting in my car crying because of this…that in 2020 mixed “race” people - my own children - have young minds thinking they are not worthy of society and there is potential for hate crimes against them.

“If you are a person in this country who believes racism is not a factor in society today - then you feed on this picture. TODAY! It’s 2020 people and racism and bigotry is alive and well. This is not just a white and black issue people.”

Karen Miller Munk took a photo of the applications being handed out after heading down to the area on Saturday.

The applications said “American Nazi Party” and “Official Supporter Application” on them, while pamphlets included one with the words “BE PART OF THE SOLUTION” emblazoned over a swastika and other that included anti-Semitic drawings.

She told Newsweek she headed down to the area and saw a man and his son standing near a folding table at the park’s main entrance.

“People were honking and driving by yelling and telling them to leave. My husband walked up and asked what they were doing and the father stated [he was] ‘spreading the word of white power,’” Munk said. “The father said he was a Marine. The mother showed up bringing the guys lunch. She was mouthy. The guys were there to spread the word, she was there to confront non-believers. They were told to leave. They refused. Cops were called out and determined that since it was public property, that they weren’t doing anything wrong.”

Munk added that after police left, “tons of cars and trucks started showing up” as word got out on social media. “They stayed approximately an hour and went home,” she added.

Warning and @GoldvesterCos’s posts quickly spread on Saturday night, attracting hundreds of comments and reactions.

Many condemned the men in the picture, saying they were “traitors” and noting that the Nazis had lost the Second World War

“They are defiling the memory of young Americans who died in WWll fighting Nazis. They are traitors,” one Twitter user wrote.

“Can’t get more anti-American or anti-humanity than this,” another added.

Another person wrote: “What’s with all the love for being on the losing side? My great-grandfather crewed in a Lancaster bomber fighting for the cause of justice and freedom and this is what people do with his service? Shame on them.”

And another added: “Both of my grandfathers gave up the best years of their youth to rid the world of these a$^holes. They are spinning (in) their graves. What. The. Actual. F%*k.”

One commenter noted that the men in the picture had been emboldened by President Donald Trump’s rhetoric. “Trump gave this the green light. He welcomes it. We have so far to go,” they wrote.

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office in Indiana, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the Anti-Defamation League have been contacted for comment.

This article has been updated with additional information and comments from @GoldvesterCos, Karen Miller Munk and Dylan Anderson.

Indiana   Nazi   Swastika

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