MLS commissioner refutes report of far-right extremists at NYCFC matches

MLS commissioner Don Garber on Sunday refuted reports of the presence of white nationalists and far-right extremists at New York City FC matches.

Garber answered questions during halftime of D.C. United's tilt against Atlanta United about a report by freelancer Robert Silverman in the Huffington Post alleging the routine attendance of fans affiliated with far-right groups at NYCFC home matches.

"We have strong relationships through our clubs with our supporters, and the issue that I read about in the Huffington Post is not behavior that's taking place in our stadiums," Garber told Jonathan Tannenwald of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "It's the view that some fans have about other fans. And our job is not to judge and profile any fan. It is to manage how our fans are both interacting with each other, and how they're behaving at our stadiums.

"So, at this point, that's how we're going to address the situation. The last thing this league is going to do is start getting into profiling who people are and what their backgrounds are. That is a slippery slope that is not something that we're going to engage in," Garber added.

The Huffington Post reported earlier this week that several NYCFC fans have reached out to members of the club's front office expressing concern about the presence of white nationalist supporters at home matches. According to emails obtained by the Huffington Post, the team admitted in 2015 it was aware of the issue.

According to the report, NYCFC supporter Irvin "Irv" Antillon is among a group of fans connected to far-right and white nationalist organizations. Antillion was present in Charlottesville, Va., for the Unite the Right rally and was a member of the militant wing of chauvinist group Proud Boys.

Antillon was charged with four counts of assault and riot in the second degree following an Oct. 12 melee, during which Proud Boys members attacked protesters outside the Metropolitan Republican Club in New York City.

"I can assure you that if anybody is misbehaving, regardless of what their backgrounds are, and regardless of what their political affiliations are, there will be a zero tolerance policy that we will continue to enforce," Garber added.