Nearly two dozen neo-Nazis and fascists swarmed a nonprofit library in Rhode Island Monday night, interrupting a book reading with slurs and swastikas.
“We held a peaceful celebration of the Communist Manifesto tonight for 45 minutes, until it was interrupted by a crowd of fascists and Nazis,” the Red Ink Community Library in Providence posted on its Twitter page.
“They showed up on our sidewalk, banged on our glass windows, shouted horrible slurs, and attempted to assault our members,” the organization tweeted.
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The Monday book reading was meant to commemorate the anniversary of the Communist Manifesto—also known as “Red Books Day.”
But a reader was suddenly interrupted when a mob banged on the doors and windows of the library, continuously shouting “commie scum.” The disruption—which was captured on the library’s livestream—continued for several minutes.
In the footage, a group of protesters holding a banner with a large swastika and multiple images of SS bolts can be seen standing along the front windows of the library.
“This is scary, guys,” a library worker tells the demonstrators.
While it’s very dark, the Nazis can be seen yelling obscenities at the group inside the library, who keep the doors closed. Then, the Nazis begin chanting, “Commie scum, off our streets!”
“What’s the bigger threat, a few people peacefully reading a piece of literature you may disagree with, or people pounding on windows, raising hell in the street and making threats? You make the call,” a Twitter user posted.
“It was terrifying,” Red Ink Community Library’s co-owner David Raileanu told The Daily Beast. “It was a situation where we quickly identified the fact that there were people outside wearing clothes and carrying symbols of fascist and Nazi insignia. There were far more of them than there were of us.”
In a video that was posted on social media by Red Ink’s other co-owner, Alexander Herbert, the group of protesters give the Nazi salute to the camera as they shout “white power!”
“We appreciate and value the support of our neighborhood. Their voices helped to drown out the hatred,” the library posted on its Instagram page.
Eventually, Providence police showed up and ordered the 20 or so demonstrators who had assembled outside to leave, according to ABC6 Providence.
The Providence Police Department did not immediately respond to The Daily Beast’s request for comment.
“While we knew of and wanted to highlight the relevance and importance of the Manifesto today, we did not want it to be so stark, so ugly,” the library said.
“We had no foreknowledge or anticipation that we would be interrupted by violence and hatred. So, as soon as it started happening, there was a tremendous sense of fear and anxiety in the room,” Raileanu said. “It was a very difficult emotion to parse at the time. Looking back, I am very proud of the calm and the poise that was shown by the group that was here last night. Everybody maintained their focus and their resilience. So, nobody was baited into the violence that the disruptors clearly wanted, and everyone was able to stay safe.”
The Nazi demonstration caused a stir online, where users pointed out that some people in the crowd had on face masks with “131” stitched on them, a potential reference to NSC-131, a white nationalist organization that has a history of vandalism within the Boston area. Another person wore a face mask showing the Sonnenrad, a black sun that has been utilized by neo-Nazis.
“These are the NSC Nazis who came to disrupt a small Red Book reading,” a Twitter user posted. “This is a wake up call for all of Providence RI, it is time to start organizing/preparing better, we must defend our community from this threat. Support @RedInkPVD, a small library we must defend.”
In a statement, Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee said, “There is no place for hate in our communities or our state. The video showing a group waving Nazi flags last night in Providence is unacceptable and disgusting. I stand with those condemning last night’s acts.”
The Red Ink Community Library is a nonprofit that focuses on “developing, informing, and empowering a prominent and energetic working class,” according to its website. The organization claims that it provides equal access to “historical, economic and political material” and serves as a leftist source in the community.
“Red Ink Community Library aims to become a nexus of radical and revolutionary thought…for people of all backgrounds, ethnicities, and sexual orientations,” the website explains.
Red Ink owners say a forum about the incident will be held Friday, Feb. 25. They want community members to discuss how to prevent and handle any future attacks.
“I was very worried that somebody might get hurt. I was more broadly concerned for the community that now had to accept the fact that there was a crowd of at least 20 or maybe 30 Nazis on their streets,” Raileanu said. “I’m trying to do my best to make sure that as many people as possible are aware of what happened and the reality of the situation.”
