Neo-Nazi protests before Broadway musical about anti-Semitism

Audiences eagerly awaited the premiere of the sold-out Broadway classic, displaying neo-Nazi chants and banners that misled the show’s subject matter.

The group was identified as the National Socialist Movement by the musical’s producers. The group is the largest membership-based neo-Nazi group in the United States and is known for its “violent anti-Semitic rhetoric” and “its racist views.” According to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The musical “Parade” premiered on Broadway in 1998 and will return in 2022 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theater in Midtown Manhattan after an acclaimed concert production. Frank was falsely accused of murdering her 13-year-old girl named Mary Fagan in 1913 in Georgia. After Frank’s sentence was commuted, he was murdered by a mob lynching.

The trial, which historians believed contained false testimony, and the anti-Semitic media coverage of the time led to the creation of the Anti-Defamation League, which still exists today. Frank was also granted a posthumous pardon in his 1986, and the Georgia History Center erected a landmark in his 2008 honor.

Members of the National Socialist Movement outside the theater criticized the ADL, claiming Frank was a “pedophile”. Social Media footage of his protests quickly went viral, sparking outrage online.

“If any doubts remain about the urgency of telling this story at this moment in history, last night’s meanness should put it to rest. The play’s producers said in a statement Wednesday. “We stand behind the brave Broadway cast who bring this important story to life every night.”

Ben Platt, who plays Frank, said in a video message that the first preview of the show was “so amazing and special,” until he saw a video showing the scene outside the theater.

“Naturally, the news that there were some protesters at our show went viral, and it’s kind of[was]a stamp on the evening in terms of public perception of the night. Pratt.” won a Tony Award in 2017 for his role in ‘Dear Evan Hansen’.

Pratt said the group “annoys some of our regular customers” and spreads “the anti-Semitic rhetoric that led to this whole story in the first place.”

“If you don’t know about it, I encourage you to look up the story, and most importantly, come see the show.” It was a reminder that we are telling this particular story and how art, especially theater, can be special and powerful…to tell this particular story and carry on Leo’s legacy. ”

In recent years, anti-Semitism has surged in the United States. According to a survey by the American Jewish Commission, more than 80% of U.S. Jewish adults say anti-Semitism has increased in the past five years. Two-thirds of the Jewish adults surveyed said they had seen or been the target of anti-Semitic remarks or threats online. And 43% of survey respondents said they view anti-Semitism in the US as a “very serious problem.”