HOWELL, Mich. (WLNS) — A group of people were seen waving Nazi flags in two Mid-Michigan cities, including outside of a performance of a play about the Holocaust, on Saturday night. 

Many people carrying flags with swastikas on them were first seen in front of the American Legion Post in Howell while the Fowlerville Community Theater performed “The Diary of Anne Frank” inside.

A member of the Howell American Legion Post said the group had recently heard about rising antisemitism and thought people could learn from the play. The theater group had been performing it for two weeks before Saturday’s incident.

Becky Frank, a cast member who played Anne Frank’s mother, was troubled by the display.

“It was upsetting,” she said. “Just knowing the character I was playing, knowing a lot of the research that I did on my character.”  

Brandon Johnson, director of the play, said he has never experienced anything like that before. 

“It kind of surprised me to have something that I was doing and had my name on getting protested,” he said.

Laura Goldtwait, commander at the Howell American Legion, said she believes the group was there to intimidate people, something the legion doesn’t stand for. 

“I’m at a loss, honestly,” Goldtwiat said. “Both personally and as an organization.”

Witnesses say after the group left Howell, they made their way to downtown Fowlerville. One witness said the men had their faces covered with masks that read 1488, a symbol of white supremacy. 

Alex Sutfill, who was driving downtown with his wife at the time, said he called the police after seeing the group. 

“There was a group of people at the four-way intersection in downtown that had swastika flags and American flags,” Sutfill said.  “They were sticking their arms up and yelling, ‘Hail Hitler’ and ‘Hail Trump’ and everything like that.” 

Peter Damerow, who confronted the group, said members told him to go back to his country. 

“They looked at me and one of them said,” said Damerow. “No this is Pureville now, and we’re here to make sure it stays pure.”

He said he thinks the group was emboldened by the current political climate.

“I really felt like they felt comfortable enough to do this because of Trump’s reelection and what they said to me at the stop light made that quite clear,” Damerow said.

Though the night was interrupted, the Fowlerville Community Theater said it was able to finish performing the play. Performers aid they were just happy to represent history.