When actors at the community theater in Fowlerville, Michigan, took the stage on Saturday, against a set designed to resemble a dark, cramped attic in 1940s Holland, they couldn’t have imagined that history would repeat itself right outside their theater doors. That evening, a small group of masked neo-Nazi demonstrators gathered in the parking lot outside a performance of "The Diary of Anne Frank," waving swastika flags and shouting antisemitic slogans.
Videos shared on social media show a group of about 20 protesters chanting, with some even justifying the murder of the 15-year-old Anne Frank in Bergen-Belsen, alongside shouts of "Heil Hitler" and "Heil Trump."
Shocked onlookers, along with cast members who later heard about the scene, blamed the rise of neo-Nazi visibility on President Trump’s recent election victory, saying it emboldened extremists to "feel safe enough to come out and protest." Police swiftly intervened, positioning themselves between the demonstrators and theatergoers, eventually guiding the protesters to the opposite side of the street.
"It was scary; I won’t lie," said Chuck Pierman, president of the community theater. "But really, the show must go on." The performance, organized by the American Legion, did continue to its conclusion, though no further shows are currently scheduled.
The actors themselves learned of the protest only during intermission. "That moment made the story feel much more real than we’d expected. The protesters’ presence offered a small glimpse of the fear and uncertainty felt by those who lived in hiding," the production team said in a statement.
This incident joins the recent wave of antisemitic incidents sweeping the U.S. According to the Anti-Defamation League, the number of antisemitic acts in the country has doubled over the past two years. Michigan alone – a state with a significant Muslim population – recorded 267 incidents in 2023, a sharp increase from 111 the previous year.
For the local Jewish community, the episode was a stark reminder that the fight against anti-Semitism is far from over. Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin, a Jewish Democrat from Michigan who will soon be sworn in as a senator, tweeted: "Now more than ever, it’s vital to push back against hatred, especially on the local level. To the American Legion for offering their venue for a performance about Anne Frank: Thank you deeply. To the few masked, Nazi-flag-waving haters: Nazis always lose."
One audience member, a 57-year-old war veteran, said the demonstrators were "the most cowardly people I’ve ever met," describing the protest as "utterly disgusting." He added that he still hoped it was possible to win the fight for Holocaust remembrance and values of dignity and equality "even if the road ahead is long and full of obstacles."
Michigan’s Anti-Defamation League branch also released a statement: "We are appalled by these right-wing extremists who praised Hitler and displayed Nazi flags outside the theater. We stand with the American Legion and local residents who know that hate has no place in their community."
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