Richard Butler Leads Fellow Aryans Down the Streets of Coeur d'Alene

For the third year, racist leader Richard Butler led his Aryan Nations group through downtown Coeur d'Alene.  During the parade, Butler used a megaphone to shout racist messages from his perch high in a white convertable.  He was flanked on either side by two children, and about three dozen supporters followed along behind the car.  Protesters lined the parade route, however, their numbers were significantly diminished from previous years.  Pastor Bob Hasseires, with the Spokane Diocese Episcopal Church, showed up to support the Coeur d'Alene Churches Against Racism.  He and his followers sang along the parade route, trying to send a mesage.  There was another message being sent on Sherman as well.  City street sweepers followed closely behind the aryans, symbolic (as one officer described it) of sweeping the aryans out of town.  The message was not lost on aryan supporter Vincent Bertollini, who recently bought Butler a new home.  "Oh sure, get this dirt off the street, we'll clean up after you."  Butler himself claimed the crews were there to clean up after the horses.  He said he couldn't have been happier with the parade.  "I thought it was great! We had more supporters than detractors."  All in all, the parade ended quietly... with no scuffles or arrests.  Within half an hour Sherman Avenue was back to normal, that is, until next year, when Butler says he plans to do the same thing all over again.