The air in Leith, ND is an uneasy mix of relief and anxiety, as citizens nervously wait for the trial of the white supremacists who were trying to take over their town.
Craig Cobb and Kynan Dutton are scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 13, after being arrested in November for threatening Leith residents with guns during an “armed patrol,” according to a report by the Bismarck Tribune [1]. The felony charges of terrorizing could land the duo in prison for up to 35 years.
Cobb, who was deported from Estonia for trying to establish a Nazi group and is currently wanted in Canada for inciting hate, settled in to Leith two years ago with seemingly benign intentions. In August, however, it was uncovered [2] that his true motive was to buy plots of land and give them to fellow white nationalists, with the ultimate goal of creating an Aryan enclave.
As Cobb’s supporters began to move in and flags with swastikas were raised around the town, the citizens of Leith, with support throughout North Dakota, immediately mobilized to halt them.
An anti-hate protest in September attracted hundreds of people [3] from around the region, who peacefully demonstrated against the planned invasion (see video above). An organization called UnityND [4], which works to combat injustice and hatred, has fundraised to pay the legal costs that the city of Leith now faces. Even former North Dakota Gov. Ed Schafer recorded a personal video message of encouragement.
Despite the strong showing of support, Leith residents are ready for this negative attention to end for good and return to their quiet lifestyle.
"All people want is a peaceful, quiet place to raise their family,” John Parker, an oilfield worker who lives in nearby Elgin, told the Tribune.
Even with Cobb and Dutton behind bars, however, their presence is still felt throughout the city. The plots bought by Cobb still belong to him and other neo-Nazis to whom he has sold land. On Dec. 17, the Tribune reported that city officials are moving to condemn Cobb’s properties [5] after a 30-day order to get water and sewer service expired on Saturday.
Dutton’s girlfriend, Deborah Henderson, still lives in Leith with her three children. In the Bismarck Tribune, Henderson clarified that she does not consider herself a terrorist or a neo-Nazi, but rather that she is “just a separatist.” In her eyes, however, their efforts have come to an end.
From jail, Cobb said he plans on “leaving his property in Leith to nationalist parties in Greece, France and Hungary in an attempt to carry on the Leith movement.”
Stay tuned for more on Leith. To learn how you can support the citizens of Leith, click here [6].