The Vest That Won’t Go Away

Our Town Reno’s social media post yesterday.

Back in 2024, Commissioner Mike Clark’s attempt to direct $10,000 in discretionary funds to the Reno Toy Run blew up in spectacular fashion. The spark? A vest.

More specifically, a “swastika vest” worn by a member of the motorcycle club The Branded Few inside commission chambers — an image that Channel 4 in Reno blasted across the airwaves. Outrage followed fast, and Commissioners Mariluz Garcia and Alexis Hill jumped in to support revoking the funding.

The club, under pressure, promised to remove the symbol from their jackets. That was supposed to be the end of it.

Except… maybe it wasn’t.

Thanks to a sharp-eyed Our Town Reno reader, we now have a recent photo of an individual riding a motorcycle in Reno wearing that very same vest. The one with the swastika.

So, did someone lie? And if so, why? Was the promise to remove the symbol just a political Band-Aid to quiet criticism, with no real intention to follow through? Or does this mean that, despite the public outrage, the symbolism remains proudly on display?

If the vest is still out there, then so is the question: What was all that outrage really for? Optics? Votes? Or actual accountability?

The Reno Toy Run has no affiliation with this group, they have done great work for years and years for local kids, but the promise was made and it would seem the Toy Run could put some pressure on The Branded Few and perhaps have a symbol so polarizing removed as promised.