Community cleanup planned to remove white supremacist stickers from downtown area

A community cleanup is planned for 1 p.m. Sept. 10 to remove White Lives Matter stickers from the downtown area.

According to multiple sources, the stickers have been places throughout the downtown area on street signs, utility boxes and more.

Volunteers have been removing the stickers as they are found, but organizers and downtown organizations say more keep appearing.

On Sunday, the group will meet on the 100 block of Central Avenue to start, then gather there again after clean up to chalk downtown sidewalks with positive messages.

In June, the stickers were placed on lamp posts throughout Gibson Park. City staff promptly removed the stickers.

Also in June, two complaints were made to the Great Falls Police Department of similar White Lives Matter flyers being dropped in front of homes.

GFPD said nothing criminal had occurred and they didn’t take further action.

In May, area residents noticed a Confederate flag that had been placed atop the former Cambridge Court building downtown. One of those residents reported the flag to the city.

The city manager’s office said they can’t force anyone to remove a flag on private property, but contacted the property owner, who was unaware of the flag and promptly removed it.

During their Sept. 5 meeting, Commissioner Eric Hinebauch said he’s been in communication with city staff about the white supremacist stickers and graffiti around town.

“We’re not going to put up with that in this community,” he said. “It will not be tolerated in Great Falls.”

GFPD Chief Jeff Newtown told The Electric that officials don’t yet know who is placing the stickers around town, but they are checking available surveillance footage. Newton said that depending on the dollar value of the damage to public and private property, the culprits could be charged with misdemeanors or felony counts.

Volunteers coming to the community cleanup should bring:

  • gloves
  • trash bags
  • paint scraper
  • good off grafitti, available at Aces Hardware
  • chalk

Organizers will have some supplies available but encourage participants to bring what they can.