Members of the Detroit Police Department are being criticized for accompanying a group of self-described Nazis over the weekend at the city’s Pride parade.

Activists reacted in alarm on Saturday after being informed that the Nazi group had been given a permit to protest at the Pride event. According to The Detroit News, police were assigned “to keep the protesters and attendees apart as they marched through the festival.”

“Our police, when they should be protecting us, are protecting Nazis,” one protester could be heard complaining in a video on Twitter.

After videos of the Nazi march circulated on social media, activists criticized the police for not taking a stand. Others pointed out that the officers were only following orders.

Watch the videos and read some of the comments below.

Where was Detroit Police when armed Nazis were marching with their NAZI FLAG shouting Homophobic slurs, anti-black racism, and white nationalism you ask?

Serving and Protecting THE NAZIS pic.twitter.com/aArqZ2CuRp

— StanceGrounded (@_SJPeace_) June 9, 2019

Today at Motor City Pride, a friendly LGBT+ event, Detroit PD escorted Nazi's in full uniform outside of the entrance to the festival. Detroit PD bruised those that tried to intervene (see below) and allowed this to happen. pic.twitter.com/lDcbemzhek

— marc (@marcklock) June 9, 2019

The Detroit community has known for weeks that this might happen, and almost every queer I know was prepared to fight.

You wanna know why these cowards had a police escort? Bc otherwise today’s headlines would be “Nazis Get Teeth Kicked In By Queers.” https://t.co/r0sZZqick3

— Mari Brighe— A Slutty, Clumsy Legend (@MariBrighe) June 9, 2019

I have a report from a friend at the parade that at least some of those police escorted the Nazis to the parade, made them pay their $5 entrance fee … and then sent them away. And if this is true,it is awesome.

— Michelle Belanger (@sethanikeem) June 9, 2019

This is why cops have no place at Pride.

Cops literally wear rainbow pins while providing state protection to protectors waving Nazi flags.

No cops at Pride. Ever. #NoCopsAtPride https://t.co/2JYjRjeQEG

— Aditya Mukerjee, the Otterrific 🏳️‍🌈 @ JSConf EU (@chimeracoder) June 9, 2019

Appalling that Detroit PD ALLOW Nazis, period, let alone at Pride. America, get your shit together- we just marked the 75th anniversary of D Day where we eradicated nazi rule. Fer fucksakes. https://t.co/iHJls4YZkZ

— Stephanie Belding (@stephbelding) June 9, 2019

It’s 2019 and cops are escorting Nazis through a pride celebration. Disgusting pic.twitter.com/M3oK4ZQj5O

— Harley Clark Davidson (@devinclark_) June 9, 2019

See I'm having an even harder time with this when I just saw a video of police protecting actual, armband wearing Nazis who decided to march through a Pride celebration.

— 🏴Antifa Trash Panda🏴 (@kittystryker) June 8, 2019

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