During the Nevada Republican Caucus on Feb. 23, 2016, two people dressed in Ku Klux Klan garb held signs in support of Donald Trump outside Cimarron-Memorial High School. One sign read, “President Trump put up that wall!” The other stated, “Trump. 2016. Make America Great Again!”
According to an NBC News affiliate in Las Vegas, many people used social media to complain about the Ku Klux Klan presence. Senator Pat Spearman stated she was concerned and this was not something that should be taking place in today’s society.
A Nevada resident, Julius Davis, stated his routine is to go to the high school to jog and when he entered the drive to park his vehicle, he looked toward the entrance of the building and saw what he thought were white cones. Davis was shocked to see two men dressed in full Ku Klux Klan garb, complete with red capes.
As Davis approached the sidewalk, he spotted a Caucasian man removing a Klan member’s hat and depositing it into the garbage. The Klan member, without his hat, was described as a “white man, with dusty gray hair and a long beard.” He calmly walked over to the trash and retrieved his hat. Approximately eight Metro law enforcement members were present and encircled the men. A representative from the caucus repeatedly requested the men leave. She repeated herself many times before an officer intervened.
The Ku Klux Klan members spouted “they were American citizens and they had every right to be there.” They were practicing their First Amendment rights to support their “future president, Donald Trump!” Prior to returning to his vehicle, Davis took a picture of the scene with his cell phone.
He told the reporter it was an emotional experience. He had heard of the Ku Klux Klan from family members who resided in the South (Southern U.S.) and had seen pictures before, but “never did he expect to see something like this in Nevada.” He posted the image on Facebook after he returned home.
By Cathy Milne
Edited by Leigh Haugh
Sources:
NBC News 3 Las Vegas: Men dressed in KKK clothing stand in front of Cimarron High School caucus location
Interview with Julius Davis: Via telephone on Feb. 23, 2016, at 9:48 p.m. PST
Image Courtesy of Julius Davis – Used With Permission
Featured Image Courtesy of Thomas Hawk’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License