Atlanta Police Department Interim Chief Darin Schierbaum has a clear message for right-wing extremist groups coming to the city: violence and intimidation will not be tolerated.
“When you look around the country, you certainly see the Proud Boys that have disrupted a number of Pride events around the country. This puts those on notice, when they try to bring that to this area, it won’t be tolerated,” he said at an LGBTQ Crime Victims Vigil hosted by the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office Tuesday.
This warning comes after several LGBTQ Pride events across the nation have been interrupted by extremist groups. Earlier this month, police in Idaho arrested 31 men associated with the far-right Patriot Front after discovering plans to riot at a public Pride event. In North Carolina, members of the Proud Boys were among protesters who entered a library to intimidate attendees of a Pride Storytime event.
“There’s a clear line between peaceful protest and intimidation and what we saw across the country and other events,” Schierbaum said. “If anyone, regardless of who you are, is thinking to come into the city to disrupt individuals celebrating Pride or celebrating any other events, and they do it so with a heart of hate, and not on the side of the First Amendment, this police department will hold you accountable.”
No violent incidents involving right-wing extremist groups have occurred at Pride events this month in Atlanta, but people seen wearing gear and holding a flag with the Proud Boys name and logo appeared at an abortion rights protest near the State Capitol on Saturday.
The Proud Boys have not had an active presence in Georgia in recent years, with the exception of members who participated in “Stop the Steal” protests at the State Capitol in the weeks following the 2020 presidential election. The Proud Boys at the Capitol in 2020 were not local and included leader Enrique Tarrio, who faces sedition charges in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack.
Interim Chief Schierbaum is openly gay, and he is the second person to serve as Atlanta police chief who identifies as LGBTQ.
“You see a department that values diversity,” he said. “That value shows up in our investigations. It appears when we respond to calls. It appears when we support victims of crime. And so I see a department that embraces diversity that personifies diversity and therefore protects it throughout the city.”
Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin warning of a heightened risk of threats in the U.S., noting that “recent attacks have highlighted the dynamic and complex nature of the threat environment.”
“In the coming months, we expect the threat environment to become more dynamic as several high-profile events could be exploited to justify acts of violence against a range of possible targets,” the bulletin states. “These targets could include public gatherings, faith-based institutions, schools, racial and religious minorities, government facilities and personnel, U.S. critical infrastructure, the media and perceived ideological opponents.”
Schierbaum said anyone holding any viewpoint has the right to peacefully protest, but he draws the line at violence.
“Listen, we are about protecting the First Amendment,” he said. “You look back on Saturday, we had a lot of people on both extremes that were peacefully here in the city. But I can’t close my eyes to the fact that I saw some groups across our country not do that, and I am glad and I commend everyone that came into our city and protested peacefully on Saturday, and that’s all we ask everyone.”
— Staff writers Chris Joyner and Jozsef Papp contributed reporting.
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