According to reports in the mainstream media (1, 2), members of the National Socialist Movement (NSM) distributed flyers on Saturday in a Westside neighborhood in Grand Rapids. The flyers contained text accusing African-Americans of being responsible for increases in gun violence, praise for Adolph Hitler, and an invitation for an upcoming “White Unity BBQ” to be held in Cadillac Michigan on July 17th. Last year's BBQ in Cadillac was met by protests organized by the Lansing group Direct Action!, but no plans have been announced for a similar protest this year, although the National Socialist Movement's Michigan chapter warns attendees to expect a police presence due to protests. Police forces around the country regularly protect white supremacist groups holding public meetings and often violently attack protestors that try to disrupt the meetings.

The Grand Rapids Police Department was called to the intersection of Tamarack and Webster after an angry resident confronted the nazis and chased them shouting “you're wrong, you're trash, get out of our neighborhood.” The GRPD informed the members of the NSM that they were violating a city ordinance that prohibits the posting of flyers on private property. The NSM members left, and according to a discussion of the incident on a white supremacist bulletin board, were disappointed that the police did not afford them their customary level of protection.

This is the third time in the past two years that such flyers have been distributed in Grand Rapids. For the past two Februarys, Grand Rapids has been targeted by the National Alliance (1, 2) and in May of this year flyers were distributed in Spring Lake and Grand Haven advertising a “whites only” picnic. All of the incidents have been the subject of multiple articles in the local corporate media, who seems eager to report on the racist views espoused by small groups with minimal followings rather than looking at the systemic racism that exists in a variety of social and governmental institutions.