Police detained 31 members of the Patriot Front hate group after they were spotted piling into a U-Haul truck wearing riot gear
white supremacist group Patriot Front
The men were standing inside the truck wearing khakis, navy blue shirts and beige hats with white balaclavas covering their faces when Coeur d’Alene police stopped the U-Haul and began arresting them on the side of the road on Saturday.All 31 were charged with conspiracy to riot, a misdemeanour, White said. The men were going through the booking process on Saturday afternoon and were scheduled to be arraigned on Monday, he said.
Police found riot gear, one smoke grenade, shin guards and shields inside the van, White said. They wore arm patches and logos on their hats that identified them as members of Patriot Front, he said.Police learned about the U-Haul from a tipster, who reported that “it looked like a little army was loading up into the vehicle” in the parking lot of a hotel, White said. Officials spotted the truck soon after and pulled it over, he said.