Advertisement

Detroit Red Wings looking at ‘legal action’ after logo used by white nationalists in Charlottesville

The Detroit Red Wings have issued a statement saying the NHL franchise was “not associated” in any way with white nationalists in Charlottesville, Va. after several were seen carrying shields bearing the club’s logo.

Images appeared on Twitter on Saturday of people carrying shields bearing the Red Wing motif as they were on their way to the Unite the Right rally, which was scheduled to begin at noon.

READ MORE: State of emergency declared as white nationalist protests turn violent in Virginia

The Red Wings were quick to respond with a statement, saying the team is “exploring legal action.”

Story continues below advertisement

“The Detroit Red Wings vehemently disagree with and are not associated in any way with the event taking place in Charlottesville, Va.,” the team said. “The Red Wings believe that hockey is for everyone and we celebrate the great diversity of our fan base and our nation.”

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

An estimated 2,000 to 6,000 people were to attend the rally to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee from a public park on Saturday.

READ MORE: White nationalist groups clash with counter-protesters night before thousands expected at far-right rally

Among the protesters were a group that refers to themselves as the “Detroit Right Wings,” the hockey website Russian Machine Never Breaks reported. The group is said to be based out of Michigan.

On their Youtube channel, the group said that they would be attending the Unite The Right rally.

The protest did not take place after the situation turned violent. Police began to arrest the supremacists on “unlawful assembly” charges.

Story continues below advertisement

The state’s governor, Terry McAuliffe, declared “a state of emergency to aid state response to violence at Alt-Right rally in Charlottesville.”

Advertisement

Sponsored content

AdChoices