A Leading Figure at Portland's Alt-Right Protests Defects, Says Dressing as a Spartan Warrior to...

A Leading Figure at Portland’s Alt-Right Protests Defects, Says Dressing as a Spartan Warrior to Fight Antifa Was “a Horrible Mistake”

A popular figure among the crew of right-wing extremists known as the "alt-right" left the movement shortly after a June event in Portland, citing racism and violence that he could no longer condone.

John Turano, known by the moniker "Based Spartan" for his Greek-inspired warrior costumes, tells Portland State University's student newspaper, the Vanguard, about his defection this week in a detailed story about far-right activity.

Based Spartan was an iconic figure among alt-right protesters, whose movement is defined by cheeky nationalism, street violence and dressing in costumes. Turano came to the rallies clad as an ancient warrior, complete with a Roman centurion's helmet with red, white and blue plumes in the crest. His cohorts called him "the beserker of Berkeley" after he fought with antifascist protesters this spring in Berkeley, Calif.

Turano, who lives outside Los Angeles, tells the Vanguard he realized that the movement he was aligning himself with didn't reflect his values at a June 4 "Free Speech" protest in downtown Portland, an event held in the wake of a double slaying on a MAX train. That event, organized by Vancouver, Wash.-based vlogger Joey Gibson, drew more than 1,000 counter-protesters appalled at the group's decision to taunt and provoke a city grieving the deaths of two men killed in an apparent hate crime.

Read more: http://www.wweek.com/2017/07/30/a-leading-figure-at-portlands-alt-right-protests-defects-says-dressing-as-a-spartan-warrior-to-fight-antifa-was-a-horrible-mistake/