Officials Condemn White Supremacy March Planned In Princeton

PRINCETON, NJ — Local officials are expressing their disgust over a planned march on Saturday by the white supremacist group the New Jersey European Heritage Association.

The march is scheduled to take place in Princeton at Palmer Square at noon on Saturday. (See Related: White Supremacy Group To March In Princeton Saturday)

"There is no place for bigotry in New Jersey. Hate has no home here nor will it ever. New Jerseyans are stronger than hate, better than hate, and will always oppose hate," tweeted Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly Craig Coughlin.

Princeton Mayor Liz Lempert also tweeted on Wednesday, "We stand in opposition to this twisted attempt to spew hate."

Palmer Square Management, which is an organization for the local businesses in the area, noted they were not "consulted nor did we authorize any activity by any group on the Square."

"We have the utmost confidence in local authorities to handle the matter and protect the best interest and safety of the general public," said Jamie Volkert, director of marketing for Palmer Square Management.

Princeton Police also previously noted they have not received any formal requests for permits or been formally advised by any organizations of a scheduled protest.

"However we are aware of the potential for various types of gatherings this weekend and will prepare as appropriate," Princeton Police Sgt. Frederick R. Williams said.

Some groups went as far as to blame the racist march on President Donald Trump's administration.

"The promotion of a racist and white supremacist group should not be tolerated in our communities. This march is just a symptom of the spread of white supremacist ideology nationwide that has occurred under the Trump administration. The bigoted views expressed by groups like the New Jersey European Heritage Association do a disservice to the welcoming community that New Jersey truly is. This is just a painful reminder of the extreme divisiveness that characterizes the current political climate at the national level," said James Sues, Executive Director of CAIR New Jersey.

A counter-protest is also being organized by Central Jersey Democratic Socialists of America, along with a local rapid response group, the Industrial Workers of the World General Defense Committee (IWW GDC), and Socialist Party USA (SPUSA).

For more information on the Central NJ DSA counter-protest, click here.

There is no place for bigotry in New Jersey. Hate has no home here nor will it ever. New Jerseyans are stronger than hate, better than hate, and will always oppose hate.

I stand with Mayor @lizlemp in opposition to white supremacy & the disturbing march planned for this weekend. https://t.co/s7l7CilwJJ
— Speaker Craig Coughlin (@SpeakerCoughlin) January" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/SpeakerCou... 10, 2019

White supremacists planning march in P'ton this Sat. @PrincetonPolice aware & taking necessary precautions to ensure safety. Counter-protesters should keep safe distance & avoid direct confrontation. We stand in opposition to this twisted attempt to spew hate. @accessprinceton
— Liz Lempert (@lizlemp) January" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/lizlemp/st... 9, 2019

(Image via Spencer Platt / Staff / Getty Images: Anti- racist protesters demonstrate against a gathering of self-described conservatives on Independence Mall on Nov. 17, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.)

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