Athens Pride organizers condemn group displaying Nazi symbols during PrideFest parade

Organizers of Athens PrideFest are condemning a group of individuals who displayed Nazi symbols and shouted hateful rhetoric during the city's annual Pride celebration Saturday.

According to Elliot Williamson, executive director of Athens Pride and Queer Collective, the incident happened during the Pride parade as thousands of attendees gathered downtown for the event.

Williamson said the parade had already begun when organizers were alerted to a group of seven or eight men dressed in red and black who were carrying a swastika flag and shouting antisemitic, racist and anti-LGBTQ slurs.

"They were shouting hateful Nazi language," Williamson told CBS News Atlanta. "Hateful, despicable language."

The group was first spotted near the parade route around the downtown area, according to Williamson. Organizers responded by deploying a banner known as a "hater blocker," which participants use to shield marchers and attendees from protesters.

Williamson said the group eventually moved away from the parade route and toward the Classic Center area. He said some members of the group made contact with people participating in the parade but did not cause significant injuries.

According to Williamson, officers with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department were monitoring the event throughout the day.

"There were police directly by them alongside the parade route," Williamson said. "When we were further out, they were constantly driving by to monitor, and even when we were on the Firefly Trail, there were bike cops who drove by as well."

Despite the disruption, Williamson said organizers were proud of how attendees responded.

"They hurt morale around the parade briefly," he said, "but overall I'm proud of how our community handled the situation."

In a statement, Athens Pride and Queer Collective said the group's appearance was intended to intimidate participants but failed to overshadow the event.

"Their appearance was intended to intimidate, divide, and spread fear, but it failed to overshadow the overwhelming spirit of joy, solidarity, and love that defined our community celebration," the organization said.

The organization also condemned what it described as white supremacist, antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ hate speech.

"Let us be clear: these actions were not expressions of opinion; they were acts of intimidation rooted in ideologies responsible for genocide, violence, and the ongoing dehumanization of marginalized people," the statement said.

CBS News Atlanta has reached out to the Athens-Clarke County Police Department for information about any extremist group connections or ongoing investigations connected to the incident. 

Be sure to check back for updates.