Kenneth Leland Morgan case: Is it legal to dress like a Nazi in US? Law explained as GiveSendGo started for Athens man
Kenneth Leland Morgan dressed up as a Nazi, some days before Halloween, leading to an altercation outside a bar in Athens, Georgia, after which he was arrested.
A man dressed as a Nazi in Athens, Georgia, days before Halloween, was placed under arrest. A video of the incident went viral online, where some women were seen confronting the man, before one tried to take the armband with the swastika on it. At this point, the man hit the woman across her face, the video showed. The individual in the Nazi costume has been identified as Kenneth Leland Morgan.
While Morgan's Nazi outfit was slammed by far-right political commentator Nick Fuentes, it gained support from many other quarters online. “One person on X wrote, “You can hate the Nazis or you can love them, but this guy has every right to wear this outfit if he pleases . It’s called freedom of speech. If you don’t want him in your business just refuse him. But he shouldn’t be charged for anything when it was a women who attacked him,” a person said on X.
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Another remarked, “That’s the truth, although I am not a nazi and 100% against any form of racism, we live in America and if we want a free country then everyone should be able to express themselves no matter if we agree or not.” Yet another added, “Dressing up as a demon or the devil for Halloween is infinitely worse than dressing as a Nazi, yet nobody has a problem with that.”
Is it legal to dress up as a Nazi in the US?
The pushback from free speech enthusiasts has come because the First Amendment technically protects dressing up as a Nazi as freedom of expression. Thus, there is no federal law which makes it illegal.
There are some states which prohibit the display of Nazi symbols, like Virginia and New York, but no such rule exists in Georgia, making Morgan's actions legal as per the laws of the state as well.
Notably, Kenneth Leland Morgan's arrest has not stemmed from him wearing a Nazi costume, but rather due to the physical altercation with the woman outside the bar. Hence, he faces charges of aggravated assault and simple battery and has been placed on a bond of $1500.
While Morgan's choice to dress up as a Nazi was not illegal, it comes at a politically charged time in the US. Recent chat leaks of Young Republicans showed their alleged love for Nazis, as per Politico. Vice President JD Vance also recently asked people to stop calling those they disagreed with ‘Nazis’.
GiveSendGo started for Kenneth Leland Morgan
With many championing Morgan's freedom of expression, a GiveSendGo account was also started to help out the man who chose to dress up as a Nazi. A person sharing the page's link on X, wrote, “If convicted, Kenneth Morgan could face a lengthy sentence simply for defending himself against people who attacked him for his clothing. Please donate if you can, and RT if you can't.”
“People in SS uniforms are being assaulted for their fashion choices and are responding in self-defense. Video footage often shows multiple people shoving people in SS uniforms around before their left arms are yanked by women, throwing them off balance. They typically respond instinctively by swinging their right arm. These incidents do not appear to be intentional assaults at all, much less felony aggravated assaults,” the page noted.
It intended to help Morgan with the current charges he's facing. “People in SS uniforms are being unjustly arrested by police, likely because all eyewitnesses say that they strike women unprovoked. They can be held without bond in jail and face felony charges of aggravated assault. Help protect the rights of people in SS uniforms to nonviolent free expression and self-defense by donating!,” the account added.
The GiveSendGo profile aims to raise $271,000 and has managed $1,416 already at the time of writing.
