Demonstrations at the Capitol: What’s required to rally

PIERRE, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – Several South Dakota residents continue to process what they saw on the streets last weekend.

A group of demonstrators displaying a swastika flag shocked onlookers both on the streets of Deadwood and in Pierre on the Capitol steps.

First Alert Investigator Beth Warden looked into requirements for demonstrations and more on the group that showed up unannounced.

The group taking credit for the demonstration is called the Blood Tribe.

While we know there was no permit application for the gathering, we looked into what the State Capitol requires and what happens if there’s a gathering without one.

Security is under the umbrella of the Department of Public Safety and Highway Patrol, which dispersed the Nazi group. A spokesperson for the DPS is declining an interview to describe how they plan to handle future situations for security reasons.

Some may wonder why the group chose to demonstrate in South Dakota.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, it may have been a matter of logistics, as their leader is currently staying in Montana.

“What folks in South Dakota really need to know about Chris Pohlhaus and his Blood Tribe is that they are a dedicated group of neo-Nazis. They literally and actually want to create a national socialist state in the United States. They want to destroy American democracy and put in their own little fuhrer to rule us all,” said Jeff Tischauser.

Looking at city demonstration permits, according to a spokesperson from the City of Sioux Falls, a permit is required for a group of 25 or more, and if it’s not obtained, there could be Offenses Against Public Peace charges.

Capt, Dusty Pelle with the City of Pierre said if there is a demonstration, law enforcement focuses on keeping the situation from escalating into violence. The focus of any permits in Pierre is about road closures.

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