Groups of neo-Nazis and white supremacists spread antisemitic, white supremacist and anti-LGBTQ messages outside of Disney World and in the nearby Orlando area on Saturday, in the latest examples of rising antisemitism in the U.S., officials said.
A group of about 15 people wearing clothing and bearing flags emblazoned with Nazi insignia demonstrated outside the entrance to the Disney Springs shopping center, according to Orange County Sheriff's Office, who said deputies were dispatched to the scene around 10:40 a.m.
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According to the Anti-Defamation League, a civil rights organization dedicated to countering extremism, participants carried antisemitic, white supremacist and anti-LGBTQ flags and signs. The group consisted of members of the neo-Nazi groups Order of the Black Sun, Aryan Freedom Network and 14 First, a now disbanded group that has been absorbed into the National Socialist Movement, the largest neo-Nazi group in the U.S., according to the ADL.
The extremists dissipated after about two hours, and no arrests were made, according to the sheriff's office.
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Representatives for Walt Disney World did not respond to requests for comment Sunday afternoon.
The iconic theme park has been embroiled in controversies this year, garnering criticism for abolishing its diversity, equity and inclusion programs earlier this month, facing a legal challenge from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and encountering backlash from some Disney devotees for closing its famous Splash Mountain ride in January due to its incorporation of characters from the 1946 film “Song of the South,” which featured racist stereotypes.
