A poster on Reddit's r/Orlando forum noticed the sticker had been placed recently right in the center of the mural, covering the Pulse logo. A member of the Orlando Weekly staff also saw the vandalized mural independently.
The sticker, which has since been removed as of Thursday afternoon, bears identifying information for misleadingly-named group the Patriot Front, identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a "white nationalist hate group." According to the SPLC, the group was formed in the aftermath of the deadly “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, and like their not-so-distant cousins the neo-Nazis, they also call for the formation of a white ethnostate.
Additionally shitty and no-doubt-related news came from the Center's Facebook page that their phone lines had been cut yesterday, that all but put them out of commission.If you want to make a donation to support the Center's mission to promote and empower the LGBT community, their online donation page is still working just fine.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, Patriot Front has been incredibly active in Central Florida over the last year. As recently as April 25, the far-right group distributed propaganda at University of Central Florida that read: "To ourselves and our posterity" and "Life liberty victory." The group also distributed propaganda in Cocoa Beach two days earlier that read : "Our tradition is revolution" and "Not stolen conquered."
From March 27 to 29, literature from the group was also found scattered in St. Petersburg, Tampa and Ocala.
Keep an eye out for nonsense like this and be safe, everyone.
This article was originally published at our sister publication Orlando Weekly.
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This article appears in May 14-20, 2020.