LaBeouf, Rönkkö, And Turner Say Neo-Nazis Defaced Their Artwork
“At this stage, we feel morally compelled to name them, as the circumstances mean this is a matter of wider public safety”
The day after Donald Trump’s inauguration, a political art installation by Shia LaBeouf, Nastja Säde Rönkkö, and Luke Turner was put up on a wall outside the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens. It was quickly removed about a month later, after becoming a "threat to public safety"; moved to a wall outside El Rey Theater in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where it was, too, halted due to gunfire in the surrounding area; and then again to an unknown location. Today, LaBeouf, Rönkkö, and Turner put out a statement explaining what, exactly, went down at the original location, and, unsurprisingly because of the climate we are living in today, neo-Nazis are to blame.
“Today we are identifying Joseph Hutchins (aged 32) and Maigann Hutchins (aged 31) of Kingston, Tennessee as the neo-Nazis who stole the HEWILLNOTDIVIDE.US flag and defaced our artwork with anti-Semitic material on March 10, 2017,” the statement reads. It explains that Tennessee authorities have yet to bring either of the two to justice despite their despicable actions and antisemitic motivation. “At this stage, we feel morally compelled to name them, as circumstances means this is a matter of wider public safety.”
Anyone who glanced at the “He Will Not Divide Us” livestream during its short-lived time knows that, over time, it became a breeding ground for the far-left and Trump supporters. It was removed from the Museum of the Moving Image due to the number of neo-Nazis present, but, during the time it was up, as one of our writers explains, it succeeded “as a lens into certain subsets of our fractured political landscape.” It brought discussions held online in person and provided a snapshot of just how radical the climate has gotten.
According to the “HWNDU” website, the project was adopted by Le Lieu unique in Nantes, France, back in October. It’s really unfortunate that it wasn’t able to thrive on American soil.
You can read the full statement from LaBeouf, Rönkkö, and Turner, below.
Today we are identifying Joseph Hutchins (aged 32) and Maigann Hutchins (aged 31) of Kingston, Tennessee as the neo-Nazis who stole the HEWILLNOTDIVIDE.US flag and defaced our artwork with anti-Semitic material on March 10, 2017.
Disturbingly, the authorities in Tennessee have so far failed to show the will to bring the perpetrators of this hate crime to justice, despite boasts online about their actions, their anti-Semitic motivation, and the fact that they lied to police.
At this stage, we feel morally compelled to name them, as the circumstances mean this is a matter of wider public safety.
Joseph Wayne Hutchins is a serial offender, with multiple arrests and convictions, including for domestic assault, theft, vandalism, and failure to appear. He is a supporter of neo-Nazi hate group the Traditionalist Worker Party.
Maigann Elizabeth Hutchins is a nurse, registered by the Tennessee Board of Nursing under her maiden name, Maigann E. Fitzgerald, license number 87533.
She is particularly active online, using the handles @ShariaLawlz and Lady M to spread her extreme racist and anti-Semitic beliefs. As a self-described Nazi, she unambiguously praises Hitler and denies the Holocaust.
We consider it a matter of public safety that Maigann’s neo-Nazism be known, since her occupation as a nurse puts the health and wellbeing of some of the most vulnerable people in society at risk.
We hope that bringing attention to this will finally result in the authorities pursuing the matter, and affirm that there can be no place in society for neo-Nazi hate crimes.
We hope that bringing attention to this will finally result in the authorities pursuing the matter, and affirm that there can be no place in society for neo-Nazi hate crimes.
