The rise of hate, bigotry, and racism seems unstoppable in many countries, especially in America. But a recent incident in Las Vegas, Nevada, might prove otherwise and remind us that there are still people who haven’t forgotten history. It all began when a man showed up at the Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival. The issue? He was wearing a bright red shirt featuring the Schutzstaffel logo. There was a small emblem on the front left chest and a much larger one printed across the back. While not everyone immediately recognizes it, the Schutzstaffel, or SS, was an organization created and led by the Nazis under Hitler.
Naturally, many attendees who knew what the symbol stood for were not happy. In a video shared by user DUMBBITCHH0UR on the VegasLocals subreddit, you can see the man being surrounded and pushed back by the crowd. Some people and security staff stepped in to keep things from escalating into full-on violence, but the crowd still made it clear that his presence wasn’t welcome.
As the man was herded out of the venue, angry shouts rang out. Some in the crowd even threw food and drinks at him. He was eventually escorted away, with what appeared to be a security personnel speaking to him as the video ends.
Many Redditors were not impressed by the man’s decision to show up wearing such a shirt. It’s still unclear whether he actually understood the meaning behind the logo he was displaying, but either way, there wasn’t much sympathy or understanding for him in the comments. One Redditor summed it up simply: “Went out looking for a fight and got one.”
Another pointed out how the man first fell on his backside, and for a moment, everyone around him looked unsure whether to help him up or stomp him into the pavement. Plenty of users directly criticized him for daring to wear a Nazi symbol in a punk setting. One comment read, “What a moron. Especially considering one of the best punk bands ever, Dead Kennedys, literally has a song called ‘Nazi Punks F*** Off.’”
Some people noted they weren’t at all surprised by how the Las Vegas punk fans reacted. One user wrote, “Punks are some of the most understanding, conscientious, and courteous people I’ve ever met… unless you’re a Nazi. Then they’re going to f*** your day up. For anybody to wear that shit and think they’re safe walking around the street is a total dumbass… to go to a punk show, though, is a special kind of stupid.”
