Brighton businesses close, allege intimidation from white supremacists

BRIGHTON — A third white supremacist demonstration has taken place in Livingston County, this time near a stretch of businesses in Brighton on Saturday, Aug. 17.

Those businesses are decrying the display, which involved less than a dozen members of a group that seemed to resemble demonstrators in Howell last month.

According to Spencer Goller, who owns Brighton Coffeehouse and Theater with his mother, the demonstrators "intimidated" customer and crew members throughout the day.

More: Trump to visit Howell on Tuesday, one month after controversial demonstrations

In a video posted to social media , Goller said: "If you've been downtown today ... you may have noticed there is a white supremacist protest happening pretty close to our building. ... They are on the sidewalk, it is public property, so they do have a right to protest and we do support the right to protest, however, we do not support this particular message and we certainly do not support the kind of crew and customer intimidation that's been happening all day. We're hoping this situation can get resolved quickly and peacefully."

In response to a follow-up email from The Daily, co-owner Amy McEwen Goller declined to comment.

A photo circulating on social media, including a post from 2 Dandelions Bookshop , reads: "Hate has no home in Brighton. The demonstrators today are not a representation of our community and we stand united in our commitment to be a welcoming place for all."

More: 'We love Hitler. We love Trump.' As Trump rallied in GR, white supremacists chanted in Howell

Forest and Fillies, a nearby boutique, closed down.

"We regret to inform you that we will be closing the store for the day due to a hateful demonstration taking place nearby," the business wrote on Facebook . "We believe that hate has no place in our community, and we want to ensure the safety and well-being of our employees and customers."

Forest and Fillies owner Jacki Wolverton provided a statement to The Daily via text on Monday.

"Amidst the demonstration, a number of individuals passed by my store, making disparaging remarks and gestures that deeply troubled me. This decision (to close) was made in opposition to a message that contradicts both my personal values and the principles that my business upholds, as well as a judgement call to eliminate any concern of potential hostility towards my employees.

"The welfare of my employees is my primary concern, and I stand firm in my decision Saturday. It is disheartening to receive criticism for my actions, as I approach my responsibilities as a business owner with the utmost seriousness. I want to make it unequivocally clear that any form of hate directed towards any group will not be tolerated within the confines of my business. Those who know us, shop with us, or follow us online understand that inclusivity and kindness is at the core of everything we do."

In an email to The Daily on Monday, Brighton Police Chief Brent Pirochta said the department received some calls about the demonstration, but did not get any reports about intimidation or threats. Officers made contact with the group and asked them not to obstruct traffic or businesses, he said.

Officers did not ask the demonstrators if they were from Livingston County.

According to Pirochta, the city only requires a permit for canvassers or solicitors, so the group didn't need one.

In a written address to the community, Brighton Mayor Kristoffer Tobbe said the group had a constitutional right to gather peacefully, which he and other elected officials are "sworn to uphold and defend."

"I personally believe that all lives are sacred and should be cherished, and that our Brighton community stands for tolerance and acceptance and is defined by the people who live here, our local merchants, and the friends and visitors who come to enjoy the warm and welcoming atmosphere that has made Brighton a gathering place for over 150 years," he wrote.

The demonstration came the same day former president Donald Trump announced he will deliver remarks on crime and safety at the Livingston County Sheriff's Office in Howell on Tuesday, Aug. 20.

More: Trump to visit Howell on Tuesday, one month after controversial demonstrations

The planned visit to Howell is Trump's sixth to Michigan, a key battleground state, this year. Howell made headlines statewide during Trump's visit to Grand Rapids in July — his first rally since an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania — when white supremacists, some of whom voiced support for the former president , organized demonstrations there.

One group chanted "Heil Hitler" during a march that lasted about half an hour, according to city officials. There were about a dozen participants, with faces covered and signs in hand, gathered on the lawn of the Livingston County Historic Courthouse.

The demonstrators marched down Grand River Avenue to the lawn of the Howell Carnegie District Library before a library board member confronted them and told them to leave. They proceeded to their cars while being monitored by the Howell Police Department, which confirmed several of the demonstrators came from outside the community, including counties Saginaw and Macomb.

A second demonstration, which saw participants waving flags with a swastika, the term "KKK" and other antisemitic messaging, took place on the I-96 and Latson Road overpass, according to photos and video posted in a community Facebook group . It was not immediately clear whether the demonstrators were the same as those who marched downtown, but both groups had masks and outfits similar to those who participated Saturday in Brighton.

In video of the July incident, demonstrators repeatedly chanted: "We love Hitler. We love Trump." They also flew a Trump flag.

According to reporting from The Washington Post , a Trump spokeswoman strongly denied a link between the campaign event Tuesday and the demonstrations last month, calling the accusation “absurd.”

But the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris has concerns.

“The racists and white supremacists who marched in Trump’s name last month in Howell have all watched him praise Hitler, defend neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, and tell far-right extremists to ‘stand back and stand by.' Trump’s actions have encouraged them, and Michiganders can expect more of the same when he comes to town next week,” Harris’s Michigan Communications Director Alyssa Bradley said in a statement, according to The Post.

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Livingston County has long had a complicated history with racism , ever since Robert Miles, once a Grand Dragon of the Michigan Ku Klux Klan, settled on a 70-acre farm in Cohoctah Township, just north of Howell.

“President Trump will travel to Howell to deliver a strong message on law and order, making it clear that crime, violence, and hate of any form will have zero place in our country when he is back in the White House,” Leavitt wrote to The Post.

In response Saturday's demonstration, the Community Unitarian Universalists of Brighton, located at 3333 S. Old US-23, will host an interfaith gathering from 3-4 p.m. on Tuesday.

The group's sanctuary will be open for "prayers, meditation, hymns and mutual support," and the lobby will be open for "political networking and action planning" Voter registration materials will also be available.

"As a congregation committed to honoring the inherent worth and dignity of every person, CUUB believes in the power of community to create a more just and equitable world," the organization wrote in a press release. "The interfaith gathering will provide a space for participants to connect."

Learn more at cuub.org .

— Contact reporter Tess Ware and editor Cassandra Lybrink at newsroom@livingstondaily.com.

This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Brighton businesses close, allege intimidation from white supremacists