Nazi Demonstrators Appear Outside MI Play Of 'The Diary Of Anne Frank'

HOWELL, MI — People were seen waving Nazi flags outside a Howell American Legion building that was showing "The Diary of Anne Frank" over the weekend.

The "self-identified Nazi protesters" were outside the American Legion Devereaux Post #141 on Grand River at Highland, where the play was performed on Saturday evening, according to the Fowlerville Community Theater.

A social media video showed several people (five to ten) holding up large Nazi flags outside the post.

"We do have a lot of Americans who have fought and died to preserve our way of life," a man said while recording the social media video. "That being said, we (The American Legion) are certainly against all acts of extremism, acts of hate and hate groups."

Theater staff and the American Legion staff reached out to the Livingston County Sheriff's Office who then sent officers to clear the area.

The audience and cast found out about the demonstrations during an intermission, according to theater officials.

Theater officials said the cast was visibly shaken, but pulled together and finished the play with strength and professionalism.

"This production centers around real people who lost their lives in the Holocaust, and we have endeavored to tell it with as much realism as possible. On Saturday evening, things became more real than expected," the Fowlerville Community Theater statement read. "The presence of protesters gave us a small glimpse of the fear and uncertainty felt by those in hiding."

"We hope that, by presenting Anne’s story, we can prevent the atrocities of the past from happening again," the theater added.