These are the faces of a group of 31 white supremacists accused of planning a violent riot during a pride parade.
Instead, the uniformed suspected members of Patriot Front ended up bound by cable ties, and ordered onto their knees as they were forced into submission.
The 31 men were spotted packing into the back of U-Haul van by a resident of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, on Saturday afternoon.
They tipped off police who later described them as being ‘like a little army’.
The band of homophobes sported matching uniforms, with shields, a smoke grenade, shin guards and an operations plan.
It is believed they intended to commit mass violence at the Pride in the Park event.
Police chief Lee White said: ‘It is clear to us based on the gear that the individuals had with them, the stuff they had in their possession, the U-Haul with them along with paperwork that was seized from them, that they came to riot downtown.’
It later emerged that only one of those arrested was from Idaho – in total 11 states were represented.
Among those held by police was Mitchell F Wagner, 24, from Florissant Missouri, who was alleged to have defaced a mural of famous black Americans in St Louis.
The group’s founder Thomas Ryan Rousseau, from Grapevine Texas, was also taken into custody on charges of conspiracy to riot.
Patriot Front is a white supremacist group who believe their ancestors conquered the US and left it entirely to them.
Jon Lewis, a George Washington University researcher who specialises in homegrown violent extremism, said the group’s tactics involves identifying local grievances to exploit, organising on platforms like the messaging app Telegram and ultimately showing up to events marching in neat columns, in blue- or white-collared-shirt uniforms, in a display of strength.
Though Pride celebrations have long been picketed by counter-protesters citing religious objections, they have not historically been a major focus for armed extremist groups.
Mr Lewis said anti-LGBTQ rhetoric has increasingly become a potent rallying cry in the far-right online ecosystem.
‘That set of grievances fits into their broader narratives and shows their ability to mobilise the same folks against ‘the enemy’ over and over and over again,’ he said.
The Pride party managed to pass without incidence.
Mayor Jim Hammond said ‘hate and violence has no place’ in the city.
The full list of those arrested: Jared Boyce, Nathan Brenner, Colton Brown, Josiah Buster, Mishael Buster, Devin Center, Dylan Corio,, Winston Durham, Garret Garland, Branden Haney, Richard Jessop, James Julius Johnson, James Michael Johnson, Connor Moran, Kieran Morris, Lawrence Norman, Justin O’leary, Cameron Pruitt, Forrest Rankin, Thomas Rousseau, Conor Ryan, Spencer Simpson, Alexander Sisenstein, Derek Smith, Dakota Tabler, Steven Tucker, Wesley Van Horn, Mitchell Wagner, Nathaniel Whitfield, Graham Whitsom, and Robert Whitted.
.
