A memorial to the victims of the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando has been defaced with white supremacist stickers.
The stickers from the group Patriot Front were found on a memorial mural on the walls of LGBT+ aid organisation The Center on Mills Avenue in Orlando, Florida.
Patriot Front has been designated a “white nationalist hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The hate group’s manifesto states: “An African may have lived, worked, and even been classed as a citizen in America for centuries, yet he is not American. He is, as he likely prefers to be labelled, an African in America.
“The same rule applies to others who are not of the founding stock of our people as well as to those who do not share the common unconscious that permeates throughout our greater civilisation, and the European diaspora.”
The group was formed after the deadly “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, during which a counter-protester was shot and killed.
A Reddit user discovered and posted pictures of the vandalism at the Pulse nightclub massacre memorial on the r/Orlando subreddit.
They wrote: “I was eating tacos next door to The Center (an LGBT organisation) and wanted a photo of this mural.
“I took a picture then noticed something was covering the [Pulse logo]. I walked up and it was a sticker of a man with a gun and an American flag type background.
“Under it gave a website for the group Patriot Front. I was upset someone would vandalise the mural, ripped it down and threw it away… I didn’t Google the group until I got home then found out they were white supremacist.”
They added: “Stay safe Orlando and f**k these guys. Rip down any stickers you see like this.”
Just days before, The Center also had its phone and internet lines cut by vandals, although it is unclear whether the two incidents are related.
The Center wrote on its Facebook page: “We are sad to see any hate, especially in Orlando.
“Sadly, The Center’s Pulse mural had a sticker from a known white supremacist group placed on it. Another sticker was found near the front of the building.
“We are unclear if the spray-painted tags and the phone/internet lines being cut are related but we are being vigilant. All of Orlando knows that hate never wins.”
In the June 12, 2016, Pulse nightclub shooting 49 people were killed, with most of them being part of the LGBT+ community, and countless others were affected.
The Patriot Front stickers have been removed from the mural as of Thursday afternoon, May 14.
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