Cops Help Masked Proud Boys Terrorize Kids at NC Pride Event
Deputies fist bump Proud Boys as they escort them into the library to scream obscenities at families with toddlers
Bring out the drag queens!
According to patrons at a Pride story event in the Pine Valley branch of the New Hanover, North Carolina library system, a group of 15 masked men terrorized them yesterday with the active assistance of sheriff's deputies, forcing families with children as young as 17 months old to flee through a side door, and preventing the library from being used for its ordinary purpose for as long as 90 minutes.
According to local news reports, deputies responded to a demonstration at the Pine Valley library where a group of four parents brought a reported six children under seven years old to listen to library staff read stories about diverse families.
Then, according to parents and witnesses, all hell broke loose.
They say the families and other library patrons were terrorized by a group of “Cape Fear Proud Boys” who deputies escorted from the parking lot into the library and up to the door of the reading room. Multiple witnesses report that the demonstrators shouted obscenities through the door and screamed, “Bring out the drag queens! Bring out the drag queens!”
Library staff say the event did not include drag queens.
Library patrons on Facebook report that deputies fist bumped the protestors and engaged in casual banter with them while they created a disturbance that ended the reading and forced librarians to hustle the parents and children out through a side door for their safety.
Sheriff’s office denies allegations of unprofessional conduct and dereliction of duty. Eyewitnesses say the sheriff is lying.
According to a statement the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook, nothing happened at all. The sheriff posted that the Pride event was completely orderly and that he fulfilled his oath of office:
A Sheriff’s Office supervisor entered the library and positioned himself between the private room holding the reading and the demonstrators. The supervisor instructed the demonstrators that they were not allowed to enter the room. At no time did Sheriff Deputies witness nor did any library staff report any of the demonstrators causing a disturbance within the library or try to enter the private room that was holding the reading. After the reading, all the participants left the library with no incident.
Multiple witnesses agree that statement is false, claiming deputies let the protesters scream through the door and did not try to stop them from disturbing the peaceful use of the library or from terrorizing the families and the performer inside the reading room.
Angie Smith Kahney posted that she saw, “the [New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office] escort the Proud Boys and their klan into the building straight to the room where children as young as 1 were with their parents, while they shouted obscenities and threats.” She adds that the protestors “taunted parents and children” inside and outside the library after the event was over, while still being escorted by deputies who did not act to protect the public.
* The children aren’t driving themselves to the library. Parents have the right to choose what they teach their children. *
Sandra Dawn posted that she “watched these protestors SCREAM at young children and their families as they exited the building. The sheriffs allowed these people to stand within feet of young children and SCREAM at them.”
She asks, “Why on earth did the sheriffs allow these protestors to stand within feet of the doorways and go inside the building and stand outside of the room where the event was held? Why did the sheriffs not require these people to keep their distance?”
Witness Amy Holland says of the Sheriff’s Office statement: ‘This is a lie. At no time did deputies place themselves “between the room and protestors.”
One mother tells reporters she felt blindsided
Emily Jones tells Star News that she took her 17-month-old daughter to the Pride event because she thought a library would be safe and peaceful. “I felt like this story time was really one of the safest places I could take my daughter for a Pride event. I just felt like it’s the library, it’s probably pretty low-risk.”
She says she felt nervous when she saw demonstrators gathered in the parking lot holding signs saying “LGBT is grooming our kids” and “the library is responsible for child abuse.” She added that she wished parents would have been notified prior to the event that safety was a concern.
She did not say what she thought about deputies escorting protestors to the door of the room she was in with her toddler or what she thought about deputies letting those protestors scream obscenities and threats through the door.
Community members express support for the Proud Boys
While community reaction to the Sheriff’s Facebook statement is largely skeptical, some local residents are expressing solidarity with the Proud Boys.
Kevin Rigsbee writes, “Biggest question…. Why was there a “pride story time” for young children? These are kids…. They don’t need this logic shoved down their throats too!”
Pamela Eaton writes, “Sad Childrens minds are innocent! They don’t need to hear this garbage!”
Bruce True writes, “ Public library means open to the public. NO PRIVATE ROOMS ! NO DOUBT THEY WERE INDOCTRINATING LITTLE KIDS”
Those statements and others like them are getting pushback, well represented by Alyssa Rangel, who writes, “The children aren’t driving themselves to the library. Parents have the right to choose what they teach their children. If you don’t want your children to be read pride books, stay home… These beautiful families were just trying to enjoy their day.”
LGBTQ families deserve protection and support from law enforcement
New Hanover County residents have been commenting on Facebook and Twitter that the Cape Fear Proud Boys have been disrupting local school board meetings for months and that the Sheriff’s Office appears to give them wide latitude to bully and harass citizens, often tolerating what appear to be blatant violations of “orderly meetings” and “disturbing the peace” laws. Locals observe that deputies appear to be overly friendly with the Proud Boys, often bantering and laughing with them instead of enforcing the law.
Locals say they believe the Sheriff’s Office is actively biased against LGBTQ people and did not stop the Proud Boys from disrupting the Pride event yesterday because deputies approve of what the Proud Boys were doing. They say that among other things, the fist bumps between some of the deputies and the Proud Boys clearly signal the deputies’ support for the Proud Boys, an avowed white supremacist organization whose leadership is under federal indictment for seditious conspiracy in the January 6 attack in the U.S. Capitol.
Besides open racism against Black people and Jews, the Proud Boys oppose equality for transgender and gay people. Proud Boy members terrorized a different Drag Queen Story Hour event on June 11 at the San Lorenzo Library in Alameda County, California.
At least in Alameda County, the Sheriff’s Office is investigating and has pledged to crack down on the group and work to stop future harassment. New Hanover County residents say that their sheriff’s “There’s nothing to see here, move along” attitude shows them they can’t rely on law enforcement for protection, especially if they’re LGBTQ, Black, or members of other groups the Proud Boys don’t like.
LGBTQ people in North Carolina deserve the active cooperation of law enforcement to keep Pride events safe and to be safe in their own persons at all times.
If the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office chooses to support white nationalist terrorists instead of enforcing the law, then state and federal authorities need to step in fast and take action to stop the collusion and corruption.
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