Columbus LGBTQ director praises law enforcement for reaction to alleged Proud Boys threat
The leader of a Columbus LGBTQ advocacy organization says a well-known hate group tried to disrupt one of their events last week.
Police haven’t confirmed to the Ledger-Enquirer the presence of the hate group, known as the Proud Boys, but the ColGay Pride director sent a letter of thanks to area law enforcement agencies, praising them for keeping their event peaceful.
In his Oct. 2 letter addressed to Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson, Columbus Police Department Chief Freddie Blackmon, CPD Sgt. Mark Scruggs (the department’s LGBTQ liaison) and Middle District of Georgia U.S. Attorney Peter Leary, ColGay Pride director Jeremy Hobbs wrote, “Today I am so pleased to say that our great city and all the wonderful agencies, officers and leaders helped stop a neo fascist, extreme right wing, white supremacist terrorist group called the Proud Boys... from doing harm” at ColGay Pride’s Family Fun Hour, conducted Oct. 1 on the median at the 1100 block of Broadway in downtown Columbus.
That event was scheduled in place of ColGay Pride’s monthly Drag Queen Story Time, which Hobbs told the L-E in September was moved to an online-only event after disruptions from unidentified hecklers — one with a bullhorn, another with a microphone — prompted police officers to be twice called to the scene.
No arrests or charges were made from the incident, but it caused enough concern for Hobbs to meet with Blackmon and Scruggs and for ColGay Pride to hire two off-duty police officers to provide security for the next event.
Turns out, the Oct. 1 Family Fun Hour had many more than that. In his letter, Hobbs estimated “several dozen officers and other agents” patrolled the area.
“If there was ever a time the LGBTQ+ community could fathom that Columbus doesn’t care about them,” he wrote, “that has been proven to be false.”
Hobbs described the scene in his letter: “When the ‘Proud’ boys showed up hiding their face and walking the streets with about a dozen members while videoing their descent upon us, they knew they had stepped into the wrong city. Officers quickly surrounded us and stood firm while other officers followed them in pursuit. It was obvious the PB’s meticulously planned their attack on our event, but they had no idea what they were facing with the intricate and meticulous planning our city to counter their attack.”
The Southern Poverty Law Center lists the Proud Boys as a hate group.
‘They tried to intimidate’
In an emailed interview Thursday with the L-E, Hobbs explained the evidence that the hate group referenced in his letter is the Proud Boys.
“They all wore the bluish or black polos that they’re notorious for and the yellow (bandana) masks,” he said. “There was about 20 at the event coming from different areas . . . passing out brochures. “
Approximately 150 ColGay Pride members and supporters attended the event, Hobbs said.
No direct threats were made against members or supporters, he said, but “they tried to intimidate with their march around Broadway and sat over at Billiards on the patio and stared right at us. This caused anxiety for some of our members.”
The police presence included “about 100 officers on foot, SWAT vehicle and ATVs, Hobbs said.
Confirming the concern
FBI Atlanta office spokesman Tony Thomas told the L-E via email Oct. 3 the FBI can’t confirm or deny whether it’s involved in an investigation but the bureau “is aware of the situation” regarding the Oct. 1 ColGay Pride event and “is in communication with local authorities.”
CPD spokeswoman Brittany Santiago didn’t answer the L-E’s questions about whether the department has investigated or is investigating the incident and whether any arrests or charges were made. No police report was available before publication.
Santiago, however, acknowledged in an Oct. 4 email to the L-E, “We provided increased security in the downtown area due to the incident surrounding the September 3 event.”
Another CPD official, Vannessa Rocha in the department’s records office, acknowledged the existence of an investigation when she emailed the L-E this reply to the newspaper’s request for any available reports about the Oct. 1 incident: “The material you seek is not subject to disclosure, in that the matter is pending investigation and will not be available for release until such prosecution has become final or otherwise adjudicated.”
Leary, in an email to the L-E from a Middle District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office spokeswoman, wrote, “While we are unable to confirm or deny any investigation related to possible threats to the ColGay PRIDE event at this time, the sincere letter of appreciation from Mr. Hobbs is a good opportunity to underscore that local, state and federal law enforcement working in Columbus and across the state of Georgia are doing everything within our collective power to protect all citizens and ensure that everyone can freely and safely exercise their first amendment rights. Hate has no place in Middle Georgia or elsewhere.”
Henderson wasn’t reached for comment before publication.
“I would like to add a special thanks to Chief Blackmon, Mayor Henderson and Mark Scruggs for bringing the matter to our attention and including us on the information that they had about the possible PB attack on October 01,” Hobbs wrote. “To all those who were present on October 01, you have my sincerest thanks and admiration for preventing a terrorist attack on our community members.”
In an Oct. 4 Facebook post, ColGay Pride asked the public for video or photos of the Oct. 1 event to help identify the people who threatened the Family Fun Hour.
“Currently organizations are trying to unmask and figure out who these people are so they can be identified and the properly charged with misconduct and violent disruption,” the post says.
