PORTLAND, Maine — Over a dozen individuals from the neo-Nazi group known as the Nationalist Social Club, or NSC-131, held a rally in Portland Saturday, ending with a physical altercation between them and counter-protesters.
Portland police were seen on video pulling out what looked like a gun or a taser to separate the crowd. The NSC-131 members left the scene shortly after officers broke up the scene.
The group was seen in multiple locations in downtown Portland chanting, making Nazi salute gestures, and holding a sign that read: "Defend White Communities."
The individuals were seen in Portland's Old Port, Monument Square, and in front of city hall.
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting hate, NSC-131 is a neo-Nazi group based in New England. The group is known to target LGBTQ+ communities, as well as Jewish and anti-fascist groups.
According to a Portland Police Department news release, the group was involved in confrontations with the public. The group also yelled hateful slurs at those passing by.
No reports of serious injuries were reportedly filed with the police.
While the group was in front of city hall, a confrontation required the police to get involved. Officers reportedly broke up an altercation and the group walked down Congress Street with their banner put away.
One counter-protester who wished to not be named said NSC-131 members grabbed his sign and punched him.
"I met up with a couple friends who are interested in opposing this hate speech and when we got there we saw them standing in front of city hall," the person who was in the physical altercation said.
The person said that after police broke up the altercation the police took no statements and let the NSC-131 members leave without asking any questions.
Portland police representatives did not respond to NEWS CENTER Maine's follow-up questions.
The person said they were punched by NSC said the group was calling them homophobic slurs; the person described their group of friends as mostly queer.
NSC members also reportedly yelled the N-word at a Black man who was filming them.
Brandon Aull, who is a musician and radio personality, said he decided to film and say something as he grew up in Saco, and wanted to stand up for people of color in Maine.
"Over the years there have been times I had experienced something that was uncomfortable... Hearing it sucks and feels terrible, but I am a confident and joyful person and that is something they can only hope to be," Aull said.
Aull said the fact that most of the NSC-131 members wear masks and hoods makes it frustrating to track them down.
"These could be people you work with under those masks... people in positions of power and you don't know what they have harboring inside them," Aull said.
Police said no arrests were made.
If you want to report known hate groups showing up in Maine, you can report it to the Anti-Defamation League.
This is a developing story and will be updated when more information is available.
