Masked Group Carrying White Supremacist Banner Rallies In Greenwich

GREENWICH, CT — Masked demonstrators claiming to be from the neo-Nazi group NSC-131 descended upon Greenwich this past Saturday for a rally which lasted for about an hour, according to police.

"Officers were aware of their arrival and on scene," Greenwich Deputy Police Chief Mark Zuccerella said via email. Police did not name the group. "The group did not break any laws and left without incident. The reported reason for their protest was related to an assault between teens in Byram Park a few weeks ago."

According to police, officers responded to Byram Park at 8:25 p.m. on April 9 on a report of a large group of juveniles and young adults who gathered after hours.

As the group was being dispersed, police said, officers found a teenage girl who had been assaulted. The girl was taken to the hospital where she was treated for minor injuries, police said.

Video of the assault was shared to social media and it went viral. Police were working to confirm if racial overtones were part of the assault, Greenwich Time reported. Text on the video, which appears to be from Snapchat, reads, "She said the n word [and] got hopped."

Police later announced they had identified all suspects involved and would be making arrests.

A posting from NSC-131 on the social media outlet Telegram on April 28 shows photos of the rally in front of Greenwich Town Hall.

"We would remind the legislators of Connecticut and District Attorney Paul J. Ferencek that the best remedy for NSC 131 is proper punishment for minorities that ruthlessly attack our people," the caption on the post reads. "Hate crime charges or we’ll be back."

Demonstrators held banners which read, "New England Is Ours, The Rest Must Go," and "Anti-Whites, FAFO," which is an acronym for "F— Around and Find Out," according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

The ADL says NSC-131 is a neo-Nazi group based in the New England region with chapters around the country.

"NSC-131 members consider themselves soldiers fighting a war against a hostile, Jewish-controlled system that is deliberately plotting the extinction of the white race," the ADL says on its website. "Their goal is to form an underground network of white men who are willing to fight against their perceived enemies through localized direct actions."

First Selectman Fred Camillo issued a statement following news of the group's rally in town.

"[On Saturday], a group from out of state came to Greenwich to protest an incident from a few weeks ago. The Greenwich Police Department was aware that they were coming and monitored the situation until they left," Camillo said.

"Whatever this group’s misguided intent or its reason for being here, none of the participants committed a crime. The right to free speech must be respected, no matter how unsavory that speech, balanced with the rights of Greenwich residents and our commitment to public safety. To assure public safety was maintained, an additional police presence was maintained throughout the protest," Camillo added.

Last fall, recruitement flyers for the group were found in Greenwich.

In March 2023, hate literature was distributed in several Stamford neighborhoods.