A small group of about 7-10 young men dressed in black and waving a swastika flag made an appearance in downtown Howell Thursday.
The group with the swastika flag congregated in the area along Grand River Avenue in front of Coratti’s Pizzeria Bar and Bocce; a similarly sized group of counter protesters was congregated by the Historic Howell Theater. The two groups shouted at each other across Grand River Avenue.
A screening of “Face of Hate,” a documentary about Jasen Barker, a former Livingston County resident who was active in the Klan movement and who later renounced his racist ways after spending time behind bars, was taking place at the theater.
Barker was convicted of aggravated assault and ethnic intimidation for the 2001 assault of Arthur Williams III, a Black Michigan State Police trooper who was off duty. Barker and his cousin, who was also convicted in the crime, beat up Williams at a bar in Brighton because he was dancing with a white woman.
After spending time behind bars, Barker renounced his racist ways.
The screening of the documentary, which was filmed over the course of a decade by filmmaker Steffen Hou, was sponsored by SAGE — Stand Against Extremism Livingston County.
This is the third time in the past 6 months that a group of young men waving Nazi flags have appeared in the area. In July, they appeared in downtown Howell, and on the Latson Road overpass over I-96. In November, they appeared at the American Legion Hall in Howell Township to protest a performance of “The Diary of Anne Frank.”
