Neo-Nazi protester charged with assaulting Nashville bartender with flag

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Canadian protester reportedly carrying a Nazi flag was charged Sunday night for using the flagpole to hit a downtown Nashville bartender who had just been fighting with members of the neo-Nazi protest group.

The Metro Nashville Police Department reported 29-year-old Ryan Scott McCann, of Ontario, Canada, was part of a group of neo-Nazi protesters carrying Nazi flags and spreading white supremacist rhetoric at Broadway and 3rd Avenue on Sunday, July 14, “to the displeasure of passersby.” A number of officers, aware of free speech issues, stayed close by and watched the group’s actions.

Officials said the group left Broadway and headed south on 3rd Avenue, but as they walked, a 19-year-old bar employee got involved in a fight with the protesters. As the parties separated, McCann was reportedly seen hitting the 19-year-old in the face and ribs with the flagpole.

According to police, McCann was charged with felony aggravated assault and disorderly conduct. A judicial commissioner ordered he be held on an $81,000 bond, which will require a source hearing before a Davidson County judge.

As for the bar employee, he was arrested on misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and resisting police, authorities said. His bond was set at $2,000.

“Chief John Drake condemned the hate being spread by the Neo-Nazi group,” Metro police said in a statement Sunday night. “He expressed his appreciation to the MNPD officers who spent their late afternoon/early evening monitoring the group’s activities.”

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This news comes just over a week after more than 100 people, believed to be part of Patriot Front, marched through the streets of downtown Nashville , covering their faces with masks while holding shields and Confederate flags.

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