Latest news with #FacesofHate
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Nazi protestors demonstrate against anti-racism film in Howell
HOWELL, Mich. (WLNS) — A group of men holding swastika flags and yelling slurs were spotted in Howell Thursday night during the screening of an anti-racism documentary called 'Faces of Hate.' This incident comes a few months after a similar group of men were seen back in November waving Nazi flags and protesting against a showing of 'The Diary of Anne Frank' play at the American Legion. Jeffrey Amayo, a construction worker, says he was invited to the screening of the film and approached one of the men holding the flags. 'He barged into the theater, they pushed him out, and I decided to get in his face, and just tell that he's a joke,' said Amayo. 'You know, let him know that a Black man is telling you you're a joke, and I made him afraid.' Amayo says this incident hits close to home. 'I grew up in West Bloomfield, Farmington Hills,' said Amayo. 'I was a victim of racial harassment and racial violence, and I decided to put my foot down. No more. No more.' The film, 'Faces of Hate,' tells the story of an ex-white supremacist who changes his racist ideology. Tyler Deperro, the owner of Historic Howell Theater, says a man came inside earlier that day upset about the film. 'And then later on as the movie was ending,' said Deperro. 'That group came back around 8 o'clock across the street with their Nazi flags and yelling slurs.' Julie Ohashi, co-founder of Stand Against Extremism (SAGE) Livingston County, the group that sponsored the documentary says, the film was what caused the extremist to show up. 'We did receive verbal abuse. Threats of direct physical violence,' said Ohashi. 'They're saying things like, you know 'race mixers are the death of the white race,' and 'stop killing white children,' 'end white genocide.'' Ohashi says SAGE combated against the protestors the best way they could. 'The response was to drown them out in any way we could, just play really loud music,' said Ohashi. 'Yell over top of them, but we didn't want them to have the platform.' Although the event ended on a sour note, Ohashi says the screening was a success, with 100 people viewing the documentary. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'The Faces of Hate' premieres at the Historic Howell Theater
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — A new documentary is diving into a difficult part of Livingston County's history—its connections to the Ku Klux Klan—with a personal twist. The film is called 'Faces of Hate,' and it premiered Thursday night at the Historic Howell Theater, now streaming on Amazon Prime and Roku. Howell—and Livingston County as a whole—have historic ties to the KKK. 'Despite what people might be saying in terms of the media or the government, there really is a problem here in terms of racism and, you know, white supremacy in general,' said Daniel Wheeler-Pfau, a volunteer at the event. 'And that is something that hopefully this film will help individuals see.' The film follows the story of Jason Barker, a former extremist convicted in 2001 for assault and ethnic intimidation against a black man in Brighton, MI. Danish journalist Steffen Hou was writing a book about hate in America when he came across Barkler and decided to make him the subject of a film. The documentary was filmed over the course of nearly a decade—including Barker's time behind bars—and details his journey from hate to redemption as he uncovers how his extremist views stemmed from a troubled childhood. Hou hopes the film provides a new perspective to those with a narrow outlook on diversity. 'By the end of the film, you can actually see a physical change in him and for the better, obviously,' says Adam Moyer, the film's producer. 'But you will see something at the beginning that is frankly, you know, frankly, a little bit scary. And by the end, there's this incredible loving human being that looks happy and healthy.' The premiere included armed guards at the front of the theatre in case of backlash against the film—and it turns out that those armed guards may have been important. Video obtained by 6 News shows several masked individuals holding Nazi flags gathered outside of the theater engaging in a confrontation with other people present. There have been no reports of violence known to 6 News at the time. This is the third time in the past 6 months have demonstrated in Livingston County. 6 News will update you when we learn more. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
