Sen. Jon Tester (pictured), Sen. Steve Daines, Gov. Steve Bullock and Rep. Ryan Zinke co-wrote an open letter denouncing a neo-Nazi march planned for their state. | AP Photo Montana officials denounce planned neo-Nazi march Top politicians from both parties say their state is 'no safe haven' for white supremacists.

Montana elected officials of both parties on Tuesday condemned a neo-Nazi march planned to take place in their state next month, warning there would be “no safe haven” for white supremacists within their borders.

Montana Sens. Jon Tester, a Democrat, and Steve Daines, a Republican, partnered with Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock and GOP Rep. Ryan Zinke in an open letter addressed to “fellow Americans” uniting against “attacks on our religious freedom.” (Zinke was recently selected by Donald Trump to be interior secretary.) Neo-Nazis have harassed the state’s Jewish population, laying plans for an armed march next month in the town of Whitefish.


“We stand firmly together to send a clear message that ignorance, hatred and threats of violence are unacceptable and have no place in the town of Whitefish, or in any other community in Montana or across this nation,” the governor and lawmakers wrote, joined by the state’s GOP attorney general, Tim Fox. “We say to those few who seek to publicize anti-Semitic views that they shall find no safe haven here.”

Whitefish is known as the home base of neo-Nazi leader Richard Spencer, whose National Policy Institute drew widespread censure last month after he opened the group’s conference in Washington, D.C., with a cry of “Hail Trump! Hail victory!” and a Nazi salute.

The publisher of the Daily Stormer website, a haven for white supremacists, on Monday reportedly offered to scrap plans for an armed march in Whitefish next month on condition that local activists agreed to refrain from targeting a business owned by Spencer’s mother.