SLO mayor condemns ‘racist hate speech’ after masked men display white pride banner
For at least the third time in four months, masked men have been spotted displaying a “white pride” banner in San Luis Obispo County — an act that San Luis Obispo Mayor Erica Stewart condemned “racist hate speech.”
On Saturday, two men holding a banner reading “White men unite” stood in front of the San Luis Obispo Fire Department’s Station No. 1 on the corner of South Street and Broad Street in San Luis Obispo, as a third man took pictures.
The sign featured Nordic runes associated with Nazis and white supremacists as well as the word “blackshirts,” a term using during World War II by Italian Fascists.
Saturday’s incident came just weeks after a split San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution denouncing racism, bigotry and hate speech.
Stewart took to social media Saturday to denounce the men’s “racist behavior and hate.”
“In San Luis Obispo, we believe in the power of unity, acceptance, and love. Our vision is a city that is welcoming, inclusive, and safe for all,” Stewart wrote in an Instagram post accompanied by a video. “We stand firmly against racism, bigotry, and discrimination of any kind.”
Stewart, who is San Luis Obispo’s first Black mayor, emphasized the men’s actions are not representative of the San Luis Obispo community.
“This is not who we are or what we believe,” she said.
On social media app Nextdoor, community members also decried Saturday’s incident.
“It is sad that these cowards chose to use our very 1st amendment enshrined in the most important document of our founding, to spread their racist ideology,” one Nextdoor user wrote. “But it is their right to display their immaturity and ignorance,”
‘White pride’ banners seen in SLO, Templeton
Masked men first appeared on the Highway 101 overpass at Vineyard Drive in Templeton in April with an “Embrace white pride” banner.
More than 100 people gathered at the Vineyard Drive overpass May 10 for a Rally Against Hate event celebrating acceptance and diversity.
Then, on May 13, four masked men held a sign on the Vineyard Drive overpass that read “Embrace white pride.”
Following the second banner, a group of Templeton residents urged the Board of Supervisors to take action.
On June 6, the board passed the anti-racism resolution in a 3-2 vote. Supervisors pledged in the resolution to combat hate speech and “continue working with state and local agencies to enforce laws and policies meant to ensure safe travel on our freeways, sidewalks and roads.”
It’s not clear if the men seen Saturday in San Luis Obispo were connected to the groups spotted in Templeton in April and May.
How to report hate crimes
In May, the Civil Rights Department launched California vs. Hate, a free hotline providing resources for those who witness or experience hate crimes.
San Luis Obispo residents can report hate crimes or hate-related incidents through the San Luis Obispo Police Department forms.slocity.org/Forms/hateincidentreporting, or by calling 805-781-7312.
