Police Arrest U-Haul Full of 31 People Who Planned Pride Riot

Police in Idaho were able to stop a U-haul full of white supremacists just a block away from an LGBTQ Pride in the Park event.

How did the police find out about the U-Haul?

The U-Haul van was occupied by 31 men wearing white balaclava facemasks, navy shirts, and khaki pants. Their similar attire is what led a concerned citizen to call the police, claiming that they saw over two dozen men loading into the back of a U-Haul, "looking like a little army."

We received a telephone call from a concerned citizen who reported that approximately 20 people jumped into a U-Haul wearing masks, they had shields, and ‘looked like a little army,’

Authorities were already on high alert after receiving several tips from the community throughout the week of potential threats to the 6th annual Pride in the Park events as well as related events in and around the downtown area.

Witnesses captured the exact moment on video

According to Coeur d'Alene police, the U-Haul was pulled over within 10 minutes of receiving the tip.

When police lifted the door of the U-Haul they were met by 31 individuals in a van who were equipped with shields, shin guards, and riot gear. Authorities say at least one individual had smoke grenades.

All 31 people were arrested and charged with conspiracy to riot. Police say numerous individuals had "paperwork" that "appeared to be very similar to an operations plan that a police or military group would put together for an event."

Who are these people believed to be affiliated with?

Police say that while the group's affiliations have yet to be confirmed, it is believed that they are all tied to a group known as the "Patriot Front." Multiple sources describe the Patriot Front as "a white nationalist hate group" that formed from a very similar far-right group in the wake of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia back in 2017.

Sources say one of the major reasons for the hate group's rebrand came "after one of its members plowed his car into a crowd of people protesting a white-supremacist rally in Charlottesville in 2017, killing Heather Heyer and injuring dozens." That group's founder was reportedly among those arrested according to the Washington Post.

Out of all of the individuals who were arrested, only one was from Idaho. The rest of the individuals were from 11 other states including Texas, Arkansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Illinois, Utah, Washington, Oregon, Virginia, Idaho, and South Dakota.

More charges are likely to come. Keep up with the full story here via the Washington Post.