Hiwaymen and Shieldwall Network Flop in Little Rock
A member of the neo-Confederate Hiwaymen took to the steps of the Arkansas state capitol at a rally Saturday to denounce abortion as a Nazi tactic used to promote eugenics.
A few feet away, Johan Carollo led members of the neo-Nazi Shieldwall group in taunting counterprotesters.
鈥淪ix million more! Six million more!鈥� they chanted, making a reference to the frequently cited estimate of Jewish people killed in the Holocaust.
The rally in Little Rock on March 9 had been advertised as a pro-Second Amendment and anti-abortion gathering of the two groups. While signs waved by members of both covered those topics, the rhetoric was decidedly anti-abortion from the Hiwaymen and confusing from Shieldwall, which seemed mostly interested in taunting the counterprotesters.
About 25 members of the Hiwaymen stood on the capitol steps as clouds gave way to sunshine throughout the afternoon. About a dozen people wore the black of Shieldwall, although some, such as Carollo, were former members of the Traditionalist Worker Party聽(TWP) and the National Socialist Movement听(狈厂惭).
For Billy Roper, the head of Shieldwall, the turnout was about average for him 鈥� less than promised and less than overwhelming.
Overall, the turnout of people and groups fell short of the pre-event hype. Both the League of the South聽and the Knights Party, a Christian Identity-focused Ku Klux Klan organization run by infamous racist Thomas Robb, promoted the rally.
Neither showed up.
In the days leading up to the event, the Hiwaymen promoted the gathering, but didn鈥檛 mention Roper. And except for a few visible arguments between members of the two groups, there was almost no interaction between the Hiwaymen and Shieldwall members. Save for two visitors from Minnesota who were touring the capitol and seemed amused by the demonstration, the general public had no presence at the rally. It turned into the racist groups and counterprotesters shouting and blowing air horns at one another.
The Hiwaymen, waving 鈥淭rump 2020鈥� and Confederate flags, took the high ground, manning the steps of the capitol building. In front of the barricades at the foot of the steps stood Roper鈥檚 Shieldwall crew. Between them and a crowd of about 25 counterprotesters were Little Rock and state capitol police.
The noise from the horns and the yelling back and forth made it tough for anyone to hear what was being said. But one speaker on the steps, a woman, talked about abortion and other topics for nearly 40 minutes.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 say his name, but we call out Lucifer,鈥� she said to no discernable reaction from the crowd.
Billy Sessions, a member of the Hiwaymen known for appearing shirtless in Facebook live videos, announced a run for president amid what sounded like a stand-up comedy routine.
鈥淵鈥檃ll look like a messed up Brady Bunch out there,鈥� Sessions said of the Shieldwall members. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 always get along, but we are kind of a family.鈥�
Carrollo took the verbal lead for Shieldwall, relegating Roper to almost spectator status.
鈥淚 want to thank you for joining us to celebrate George Lincoln Rockwell鈥檚 birthday,鈥� Carollo said. The rally fell on the 101st birthday of George Lincoln Rockwell, the founder of the American Nazi Party.
Carrollo was a member of the neo-Nazi group the Traditionalist Worker Party. TWP fell apart in March 2018, and NSM was thrown into turmoil聽last month when a black civil-rights advocate took over the organization.
As a counterprotester shouted, 鈥淣azis go home,鈥� Carollo decided to correct the historical record.
鈥淭he Nazis disbanded in 1945,鈥� Carollo shouted into a bullhorn. 鈥淲e鈥檙e fascists. Get it right.鈥�
The rally proved to be the latest meeting point between the Hiwaymen and Roper鈥檚 organization. Both were at a rally in Bentonville, Arkansas, in March 2018聽that coincided with the national 鈥淢arch for Our Lives.鈥�
Roper鈥檚 crew numbered roughly nine people that day, while across the way from them stood the Hiwaymen, a group of NRA members and a posse of Three Percenters聽called the Freedom Crew.
Around 2:30 p.m., the rally started to wind down. The crowd of counterprotesters dwindled to a handful of people. Carollo led the Shieldwall contingent in a group Nazi salute. Then the police escorted the black-clad neo-Nazis across the street to their cars.
The Hiwaymen continued on for about another 45 minutes before winding down and leaving the capitol.
The neo-Nazis held a swastika-burning that night and a birthday party for Rockwell on private property. Police were called in before the night ended to break up the celebration.
