In October 2021, the mural of Arthur Ashe in Richmond’s Battery Park was vandalized with advertisements for the white supremacist group Patriot Front. The graffiti was removed after the park was temporarily closed but some community members of the Battery Park neighborhood felt unsafe.
Months later, the media outlet Unicorn Riot was able to identify the perpetrators through leaked video that Patriot Front members intended to keep private. PF members uploaded a video of them defacing the Ashe mural that was seen to the public. Soon afterwards a federal lawsuit was filed from Battery Park residents. To date, no criminal charges have been filed to any of the Patriot Front members for this vandalism.
On Wednesday, the slow-moving civil suit held its first hearing in Richmond. Lead counsel Glen Allen (yes, that’s his real name) gave his arguments on a motion to dismiss. Allen was joined by Bradley Mars, who silently sat on the defendant’s side. Walking into the courtroom were four other defendants who did not identify themselves or stick around for questions. Those four were most likely five of the Patriot Front members who have been named and have Glenn Allen as their lawyer. In total, 28 parties were named in the suit, including 19 John Does, PF members not yet identified. Nathan Noyce, Aedan Tredinnick, Daniel Turetchi, Thomas Dail, and Paul Gancarz are the five people represented by Glen Allen.
Glen Allen began his argument by saying that his clients’ actions were an unfortunate and regrettable incident. However, this incident was not spur of the moment; this was a deliberate event that had planning. Furthermore, Patriot Front continues to have acts of vandalism around the country for their white supremacist group, including recent incidents in Richmond.
One of the lawyers for Battery Park residents, Arthur Ago, said that it was a months-long campaign in Richmond leading up to the defacement of the Ashe mural.
Allen was wearing a suit that was too big for him. He was terminated by Baltimore as a contract attorney in 2016 when it was discovered that he had connections to the white supremacist group National Alliance. That might be the last time he wore that suit. He was ill-prepared for the hearing. He complained that his phone was not allowed in the courtroom and was confiscated. His pants kept falling down; was his belt confiscated too?
Federal Judge Hannah Lauke kept shutting him down while he gave his argument. “I’ve read your brief,” she said to him condescendingly as Allen repeated arguments that were already given to the court.
Allen argued that the damage was only subjective. “The park was closed. How is that subjective?” said Judge Lauke.
Allen contended that the plaintiffs suing Patriot Front only did so after fear stoked from a third party like the Southern Poverty Law Center. Allen unsuccessful sued the SPLC after he lost his job and has long held a grudge against the SPLC.
Judge Lauke nearly held Allen’s hand, the senior citizen lawyer, throughout the hearing. Allen was attempting to raise alternative theories instead of focusing on the purpose of the hearing, which was to argue if the established facts should dismiss the lawsuit.
At one point, Allen exclaimed to Judge Lauke, “I’m not persuading you very well.” I don’t think that Judge Lauke was persuaded at all. Allen might have had a better day in court if he didn’t bother to come at all.
Allen further implicated his clients in more crimes. “Do they not have a right to put up stickers?” Allen asked, with Judge Lauke responding, “They don’t have a right to put stickers on a stop sign.”
Judge Lauke slowly broke it down for Allen, “Don’t you concede that stickers mean different things? A smiley face is different from a middle finger.”
Judge Lauke attempted her best to explain to the clueless attorney why his clients are being sued for racial harassment, not charged with assault.
This lawsuit brought on by Battery Park residents won’t stop hate groups that can change their name like Sons of Virginia Active Club that protested outside of Diversity Thrift. This lawsuit will attempt to punish individuals that can be identified and keep future hate groups the ability to recruit through vandalization like Patriot Front did in Battery Park.
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