A man who appears to be a neo-Nazi demonstrator has been arrested for hanging antisemitic banners, including swastikas and racist messages, along a bridge on Interstate-4 in Orlando, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said on Wednesday, September 13. Jason Brown, 48, from Cape Canaveral, has been charged with criminal mischief.
Officials said Jason claims to be a member of antisemitic and extremist group ‘Order of the Black Sun.’ He allegedly hung the banners across a fence on June 10 without written permission, which is a violation of state law.
According to Anti-Defamation League, “Order of the Black Sun (OBS) is a small neo-Nazi network primarily based in the state of Florida. The group distributes propaganda and holds in-person demonstrations to spread their white supremacist ideology. OBS was formed in early 2023 by long time affiliates of Florida’s overlapping white supremacist network.”
‘We are committed to upholding the laws of our state’
“Florida is a law-and-order state. Today’s arrest demonstrates Florida’s commitment to protecting residents from attention-seeking extremists,” said Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Executive Director Dave Kerner, according to Fox 35 Orlando. “On behalf of Colonel Gary L. Howze, II, and the nearly 2,000 FHP State Troopers who enforce our state law 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, thank you, Governor DeSantis, for working to rid this state of intimidation, vitriol and hate directed towards people of faith, and for empowering law enforcement to do the same.”
In a statement, State Attorney Andrew Bain said, “We are committed to upholding the laws of our state, including those designed to protect our travelers on roadways. These supposed demonstrators obstructed state roadways and tried to intimidate our community with hate symbols. The actions taken were reprehensible, and we will prosecute these Neo-Nazi demonstrators and pursue justice to the fullest extent of the law.”
At present, Jason is reportedly being held at the Brevard County Jail on a $500 bond. Jail records revealed that he was previously arrested on charges of domestic battery and aggravated assault.