HOWELL, Mich. — During a performance of “The Diary of Anne Frank” in Michigan, masked individuals displaying white supremacist symbols and waving Nazi flags gathered outside a community theater, according to local authorities.

A small group of protesters gathered with Nazi flags and American flags bearing white supremacist symbols outside American Legion Post 141 in Howell on Saturday, as indicated by a video shared on social media by the veterans organization hosting the production of “The Diary of Anne Frank,” a stage version of Anne Frank’s posthumous memoir.

The Fowlerville Community Theater, responsible for the performance, confirmed the event occurred in a statement released on Monday. They stated they became aware of the “self-identified Nazi protesters” during the play’s first act but were reassured that the situation was under control.

The protesters were asked to leave the venue, and the audience was made aware of the events during the intermission for safety reasons, according to the theater troupe.

“Our cast was performing on stage in character during intermission when they learned about the situation. While many were understandably shaken, they managed to complete the performance with resilience and professionalism,” the troupe stated. “Our production highlights real individuals who lost their lives in the Holocaust, and we strive to narrate their story as authentically as possible.”

“On Saturday night, the reality hit us harder than we anticipated; the presence of protesters outside offered a small perspective of the fear and uncertainty experienced by those in hiding,” the troupe expressed. “As a theater, we aim to evoke feelings and provoke thought. By showcasing Anne’s account, we aspire to avert the repetition of past horrors.”

Details of the Protest

The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office reported approximately five protesters outside American Legion Post 141 on Saturday. Initially, they entered the organization’s parking lot but were later asked to exit the premises, as stated by the sheriff’s office.

According to deputies, the protesters departed the area soon after individuals began recording their actions, and no arrests were made.

“The demonstrators then moved across the street, waving flags with Nazi symbols,” the sheriff’s department announced in a news bulletin. “An argument ensued when someone approached them. However, no physical altercation occurred, and the parties eventually dispersed.”

A representative from American Legion Post 141 informed WLNS-TV that the organization believed the play would serve as an educational experience given recent reports of increasing antisemitism. They also streamed a live Facebook video on Saturday, capturing the scene as deputies intervened, with one protester claiming they were exercising their right to free speech.

Witnesses reported that the protesters shouted antisemitic and racist insults. Bobby Brite, a former commander at American Legion Post 141, told WXYZ TV he filmed the episode and recounted how the demonstrators responded with hateful remarks when he confronted them.

“People were astonished and outraged,” he expressed to the television network. “Out of the 75 attendees of the play downstairs, around 50 or 60 felt unsafe leaving the venue. We had to provide them escort to their cars. No one in America should experience that.”

Howell, a city of over 10,000 residents located in Livingston County, is situated about 55 miles northwest of Detroit. This county has witnessed similar incidents of antisemitism and racism this year.

On the same day, another group of four protesters was seen waving Nazi flags in Fowlerville, a village approximately 10 miles from Howell.

Earlier in July, about a dozen protesters with Nazi flags marched through Howell, chanting “Heil Hitler.” On that same day, a subsequent demonstration occurred at an overpass, with participants recorded chanting: “We love Hitler. We love Trump.”

In August, another similar protest took place in Brighton, located just southeast of Howell, which drew public condemnation from several local businesses.

Overview of ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’

“The Diary of Anne Frank” is derived from the writings of Anne Frank, a Jewish adolescent who documented her experiences while her family concealed themselves from the Nazis during their tenure in the Netherlands. The family was apprehended in 1944, and Anne succumbed to typhus in a concentration camp.

After the war, her diaries were retrieved and given to Otto Frank, the sole survivor of her family. They have since been published in over 70 languages.

The diary has inspired several cinematic and stage adaptations, and its writings frequently serve as an introduction to the Holocaust for middle and high school students.

Condemnation from Advocacy Groups

The incident provoked outrage from the Michigan chapter of the American Defamation League (ADL), an organization dedicated to fighting antisemitism.

“We are appalled by the far-right extremists praising Hitler and brandishing Nazi flags outside of an American Legion hosting the play ‘The Diary of Anne Frank,’ and we support American Legion 141,” they stated.

“The people of Howell Township know that hate has no place in their community,” the ADL stated on Monday via X.

The Michigan Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group in the United States, also condemned the protest.

“We denounce this exhibition of neo-Nazi hatred and stand with all who are combating the increasing intolerance and division in society that we are seeing across the nation,” CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid said in a Tuesday statement. “Local, state, and national leaders in religious and political spheres must reject all efforts to foster racism, antisemitism, or any other kind of discrimination.”

Walid emphasized that CAIR has consistently denounced neo-Nazi activities throughout the country, as noted in a recent news release.

Following the attacks on Israel by Hamas on October 7 of last year, incidents targeting Jewish and Muslim communities have dramatically increased across the U.S. The ADL reported over 10,000 antisemitic incidents in the year after the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict, according to YSL News.

At the same time, CAIR recorded over 8,000 anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian incidents in 2023, with nearly half occurring in the last three months of the year. In the first half of 2024 alone, almost 5,000 cases of discrimination were documented by the organization.