Police said that 31 people were taken into custody by the Patriot Front, a white nationalist group, near an annual LGBTQ+ event in Coeur d’Alene.
At an afternoon news conference, Chief Lee White of Coeur d’Alene Police stated that the suspects were arrested on suspicion of conspiring to riot. One of the suspects was Thomas Ryan Rousseau, a man with the same surname as Patriot Front’s Dallas-based founder.
White stated that police were informed in recent days by a number of groups that they planned to disrupt Pride in the Park. This annual event highlights civil rights struggles for the LGBTQ+ community.
He said that dispatchers received a report from 20 people who were in a UHaul vehicle on Saturday afternoon. This increased staffing and raised awareness.
The suspects were wearing masks and shields and “looked like an army”, the chief stated, quoting the caller who reported suspicious activity.
White stated that police pulled over the vehicle ten minutes after U-Haul reported at 1:38 p.m. U-Haul and arrested 31 people wearing “similar clothing”.
He said that suspects were located in several states including Texas, Utah and Idaho, South Dakota, Illinois. Arkansas. Wyoming, Washington, Oregon, and Virginia.
White stated, “They came to riot.”
The chief suggested that law enforcement might have been less effective in protecting Pride in the Park participants without the citizen’s report about masked people in U-Hauls.
He stressed that the suspects allegedly had plans and gear for disruption. White stated that he didn’t believe the arrest operation would have been as successful.
The chief stated that federal law enforcement partners were in touch with local police regarding the matter. There had been rumors about groups arriving at Coeur D’Alene equipped with firearms, bear mace, and edged weapons.
The chief stated that one smoke grenade was discovered among the suspects’ possessions. White stated that suspects were seen loading the U-Haul at a nearby hotel earlier in the day.
The chief stated that two other suspects were also present at the Pride events. They were each cited separately for disorderly conduct and trespassing, and they were released. He said that both suspects were from Oregon.
North Idaho Pride Alliance, an organizer of Pride in the Park, advised supporters to be aware of their surroundings on Saturday.
It thanked the community for hosting a successful 2022 event.
The police department stated that they were preparing for Pride, but did not provide any specific information about groups planning to riot.
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Patriot Front is a white nationalist “hate group”.
