Nearly two dozen neo-Nazis stop outside synagogue on march to Wisconsin Capitol
Member of the white supremacist Blood Tribe at the Wisconsin Capitol on Nov. 18, 2023 Photo by University of Wisconsin student
By Lauren Markoe November 19, 2023
On a march from the University of Wisconsin-Madison to a city park Saturday nearly two dozen neo-Nazis stopped outside a synagogue building and the Capitol grounds, where they shouted “Israel is not our friend” and “there will be blood.”
The university’s Hillel issued a rare statement on Shabbat: “Today’s hate-filled antisemitic march and the open carrying of weapons by an extremist group requires us to speak up.”
Much of the group’s midday march was captured on video by bystanders who posted to social media and shows the group waving flags emblazoned with swastikas and giving what’s known as the “Hitler salute.” One video posted to X showed the group at the Gates of Heaven, a university-owned building which is no longer used as a synagogue, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
“They were yelling stuff about Israel — Israel is committing genocide,” said a Jewish upperclassman who saw the marchers at the Capitol. The student, who requested anonymity for fear of backlash, said the group’s “there will be blood” chant prompted him to call the police because it sounded like a call for violence and he noticed only two officers on bicycles nearby. He said police told him that they were keeping an eye on the group, who wore red shirts with “Blood Tribe” written across the back. He said he saw no organized counter-protest but heard passersby yelling “F— off at the group and flipping them off.”
Hillel in its statement thanked the university and local law enforcement for monitoring the marchers and enhancing security on and off campus. It opened its building Saturday afternoon to any student who wanted to “process the day’s events” with staff.
?#BREAKING: A Extreme Neo-Nazi Group, called the Blood Tribe, has been Spotted Marching on the streets carrying Swastika Flags
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) November 18, 2023
?#Madison | #Wisconsin
Numerous witnesses have reported seeing a group of roughly two dozen individuals wearing full red shirts with black pants,… pic.twitter.com/deijebk8l4
The Blood Tribe, according to the ADL, is a growing “hardcore” white supremacist group founded two years ago which sees itself as “the last remaining bulwark against the enemies of the white race.” Members of the group, which claims chapters across the U.S. and Canada, follow Christopher Polhaus, a former Marine who last year moved from Texas to Maine and is building a retreat for his followers there.
Elected and university officials strongly condemned the march.
“To see neo-Nazis marching in our streets and neighborhoods and in the shadow of our State Capitol building spreading their disturbing, hateful messages is truly revolting,” Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement.
“The presence of this hateful group in Madison is utterly repugnant,” university Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin said in a statement. “I am horrified to see these symbols here in Madison. Hatred and antisemitism are completely counter to the university’s values, and the safety and well-being of our community must be our highest priorities.”
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30
