Residents of Placerville, California are up in arms after a group wearing attire bearing the name of the far-right extremist group, Proud Boys, was allowed to crash a Christmas toy drive and take photos next to police vehicles, according to The Sacramento Bee.

Placerville has about 10,000 people but made national news on Saturday when members of the Proud Boys shared photos and videos of themselves overrunning a Christmas event created to provide toys to underprivileged kids.

Police chief Joe Wren and city manager Cleve Morris have since released a statement denying that the police department has any affiliation with the hate group and denouncing their actions at the event on Saturday.

But the message has done little to tamp down the furor over what happened at the toy drive.

@placervillepd You should be ashamed of allowing white power hate sign photo ops in front of a patrol car and police tent.

This is despicable, an absolutely unacceptable display of hatred and indecency. pic.twitter.com/eqYyFNwJSl

— matt beatty (@mooncowboy) December 7, 2020

According to local news outlet KCRA, police were assisting with the Marine Corps Toys for Tots event that was run in the town square on Saturday and Sunday.

But on Saturday, a group of about 20 people in Proud Boys attire showed up at the event wearing sweatshirts emblazoned with the words "Hangtown Proud Boy" and featuring the city's official logo, which is a noose.

Historians say the town was the site of many hangings in the 1800s. The town changed its name from Hangtown to Placertown in 1854 but has never changed the official logo, despite public anger over it in recent years.

The sweatshirts had an image of a noose hanging from a tree.

Video of the Proud Boys shows them crashing the event and taking photos while flashing a white power hand sign that has become popular within far-right circles in recent years.

“It’s not the city logo, but it’s some take on the term ‘Hangtown.’ It’s unfortunate. We’re gonna have this conversation on the city logo and the noose,” Placerville Mayor Michael Saragosa told The Sacramento Bee in a phone interview before bashing the group.

“We do not want the Proud Boys here in Placerville. Their presence is actually making it very uncomfortable for tourists and businesses alike. If they really wanna help us, don’t show up in a group wearing Proud Boys outfits and throwing up signs as if they were a gang around town,” he added.

Toys-For-Tots

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