Man used multiple identities to recruit people to storm Alaska gay pride event
The 53-year-old expressed interest in Donald Trump and Nazi imagery on social media
A man who was charged with attacking a group of activists with pepper spray attempted to recruit others to “storm” gay pride parades in Anchorage, Alaska.
Bret Maness walked into a non-violent protest training event last month at the Anchorage Community House and attacked 11 people with pepper spray. Prosecutors last week described Maness as a white supremacist and insisted that others would get hurt if he was released while awaiting trial.
During Maness’ initial court hearing, Assistant District Attorney Hazel Blum said: “The potential victims in this case are basically anyone who has a worldview that Mr. Maness does not agree with.
“He also has a history of posting, of being a presence on white supremacist websites, Nazi websites, anti-LGBT websites.”
Maness frequently posted about his interest in President Donald Trump and expressed support of Nazi imagery as well as white supremacist language on his social media accounts.
It’s now been revealed that Maness, using multiple identities, attempted to recruit supporters to “storm” an upcoming gay pride event in Anchorage, Anchorage Daily News reports.
As police searched for Maness after the pepper attack, the 56 year old was posting comments urging people to join supremacist groups at upcoming pride parades. One comment posted on an Alaska radio station website by someone named ManessLaw Paralegal read: “Be sure to join the Spenard Stormers at the gay parade.”
Another post by the same commenter urged people to “join the Anchorage Stormers Book Club” at the PrideFest parade in downtown Anchorage on June 16, 2018.
Maness was also associated with the Spenard Stormers and Anchorage Stormers groups. The Spenard Stormers’ group bio reads: “Spenard Stormers don’t let a gay parade go by w/out trouble” alongside a link to a YouTube video posted under Maness’ name.
A coordinator for the Anchorage PrideFest event revealed that organisers have always provided security for the parade, and this year will be no different.
Prior to his arrest, Maness was best known as a singer in the city’s heavy metal scene as well as for shooting a killing a man in 1997.