White Supremacists Filmed Making Nazi Salutes During Drag Story Hour

White supremacists in New Hampshire attempted to intimidate patrons attending a drag story hour by making Nazi salutes and chanting "Off our streets" outside a cafe where the event was being held.

Far-right activists, dressed in black and khaki and wearing face coverings, protested outside the Teatotaller cafe in Concord as drag queen Juicy Garland read story books to a small group of children and parents.

Drag story hours have been targeted by conservatives and far-right activists across the U.S. as part of the ongoing culture wars against the LGBTQ+ community.

In a video shared online by Garland, the white supremacists can be seen performing Nazi salutes in unison while shouting "sieg heil," a victory chant used in Nazi Germany. One can be seen banging on the cafe's window and the group then chant "Off our streets."

Garland shared the video with an accompanying tweet, which said: "We've got some verified Nazis today. Golly, I didn't order those."

The 31-second clip has been viewed more than 4.8 million times since Garland shared the video on Twitter on June 18.

Garland told Newsweek: "Despite the unprovoked threat of violence and disruption, we were able to make sure that the kids who attended were safe and their families were comfortable.

"We still had our full story hour, which was centered on families as it took place on Father's Day.

"We do this to share positivity and inclusion with the community of Concord, NH. I love promoting literacy to kids. Nothing could have made me want to do this more."

Teatotaller Cafe owner Emmett Soldati told Newsweek: "Teatotaller is proud to be NH's queer hipster oasis. For the last decade, we've hosted events for all ages that have been embraced by the Seacoast and now our Concord community.

"These includes countless drag shows and story hours that are always a big hit. These events provide fun, safe, and educational experiences for everyone as well as opportunities for local drag performers.

"Only recently has there emerged a small band of self-identified white supremacists who have disrupted these events to gain clout.

"They have not and will not deter us from continuing to provide a safe and enjoyable environment for all Granite Staters to be proud of and recognize they belong here. The community support makes us stronger. We look forward to seeing folks at our next show."

On Twitter, Soldati said the cafe has hosted shows and story hours for a decade and that he intends "to host them for decades to come."

The people protesting outside the cafe were later identified as members of the National Social Club-131 (NSC-131), which has previously protested drag story hours and has called for "pro-white political activism" on its Telegram channel.

NSC-131 has bragged on Telegram that it has built a network of nationalists across New England and has carried out numerous stunts in a bid to build its profile.

New Hampshire Department of Justice spokesperson Michael Garrity told New Hampshire Public Radio that an investigation into the far-right activists had been launched.

He added: "Our Civil Rights Unit is certainly aware of this incident and is actively working with Concord Police and our law enforcement partners to look into it further."

Newsweek has contacted Garrity and other Concord officials for comment via email.

The targeting of the event at the Teatotaller Cafe is not an isolated incident and comes amid rising tensions across the U.S. For example, in 2022 members of the far-right Proud Boys group aggressively disrupted a drag queen event held at the San Lorenzo Library in Alameda County, California.

Proud Boys, some of whom wore shirts with AK-47s on them, yelled homophobic and transphobic slurs and accused the hosts of being "pedophiles."

Drag performances have become part of the culture debate within the U.S. with many Americans now believing they should be limited to adults only.

According to an April YouGov poll, while the majority of Americans believe drag shows should not be banned, 50 percent said they should be restricted to people 18 and over.

The poll found 25 percent of all U.S. adults surveyed believe drag shows should be allowed for everyone with only 14 percent saying they should be banned.

Gay, lesbian, and bisexual people were far more supportive, with 53 percent wanting drag shows to be available to all, 34 percent saying they should be for adults only, and only 2 percent wanting them banned.

In contrast, 22 percent of heterosexual people believe drag shows should be allowed for everyone, 52 percent want them restricted to people 18 and older and 15 percent wanted them banned outright.

Democrats and independents were generally supportive of drag shows, although a majority of both groups wanted them restricted to people aged 18 and older and a small minority wanted them banned.

The majority of Republicans (58 percent) want drag shows restricted to adults only and 25 percent wanted them banned altogether. Only 8 percent believe they should be allowed for everyone.