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VB: The Internet Anti-Fascist: Tue, 6 July 99 — 3:52 (#293)
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Tue, 13 Jul 1999 13:22:30 +0200
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Vera Bjurling <[email protected]>
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Ämne: The Internet Anti-Fascist: Tue, 6 July 99 — 3:52 (#293)
______________________________________________________________________
The Internet Anti-Fascist: Tuesday, 6 July 99
Vol. 3, Numbers 52 (#293)
______________________________________________________________________
SUPPORT THE COEUR D’ALENE ANTI-FASCIST ACTIONS:
Anti-Fascists Have Free Speech Rights Too!
“…Only one thing could have stopped our movement — if our
adversaries had understood its principle, and from the very
first day, had smashed with the utmost brutality the nucleus
of our new movement…” — Adolph Hitler
People who oppose fascism — whatever their other views — should
support the upcoming Coeur D’Alene anti-fascist actions against the
Aryan Nations rally.
The latest fascist murders in Illinois by a gunman linked to the World
Church of the Creator shows us what fascism is still capable of. The
attacks on Swedish anti-fascists show that fascism remains an
international phenomenon. The “Hoffman Wire” report openly confesses
that Coeur D’Alene fascists initiated violence against anti-fascists at
the 3 July rally. (Reports on these three events are included in this
issue below.)
Different forces in the anti-fascist movement have criticisms of the
coalition calling the counter-action.
One group targets the anarchistically-inclined Anti-Racist Action. They
fail to note that ARA chapters are autonomous, and that the activity
and errors of one chapter do not reflect fixed international ARA
policy. They also criticize some past tactical errors made by local ARA
groups. The critiques may be accurate, but what group in history has
not made similar tactical errors? Indeed, no army General with full
staff support has been exempt from similar after-the-fact criticisms;
how then can be reasonable expect the younger forces in ARA to be
perfect in every regard and in every action?
Using past errors ARA chapters may have made against the Coeur D’Alene
action does not move anti-fascist understand forwarding; it is simply a
rationalization to abstain from direct action.
Another critique of the Coeur D’Alene counter-demonstration comes from
some anarchists. They object to the “party” character of groups like
Radical Women or the United Front Against Fascism. This standing
anarchist tendency is reflected in past calls by Neither-East-Nor-West
New York head Bob McGlynn for people to “boot the left” from the anti-
fascist movement and the subsequent broadcast of McGlynn’s call by the
“Fifth Estate” newspaper.
This “anti-party” ideology is a minority even within the anarchist
movement; the action McGlynn attacked was one initiated by the
newspaper anarchist newspaper “Love and Rage;” the equally-anarchist
Libertarian Book Club of New York endeavored to set up a debate between
McGlynn and myself. Sadly, history shows that the anti-party group
tends to engage less in open democratic discussion and more in what the
women’s liberation movement denounced as “trashing.”
Certainly the anti-party forces have the right to present their views;
but having presented them they also have an obligation to defend them
against critique. Unfortunately, the “anti-fascism” of this tendency
often seems to consist of little more than attacking anti-fascist
actions and urging people to stay away or even attack the organizers.
The recent arsons at California synagogues and Illinois killings make
anti-fascist actions especially important at this time.
The Coeur D’Alene counter-demonstration deserves the support of anti-
fascists everywhere, regardless of our other views on anarchism, the
socialist feminism of Radical Women, or the politics of any of the
other initiators.
Hitler understood the tactics of fighting fascism far better than those
anti-fascists who criticize ARA and the others mobilized in Coeur
D’Alene.
Conditions differ widely between Weimar Germany and the U.S. today, so
we need not advocate that anti-fascist use the “utmost brutality” that
Hitler thought necessary. Nonetheless, both Hitler and the mobilizing
anti-fascists understand the importance of Coeur d’Alene and the need
for ongoing resolute anti-fascist action.
———————————————————————-
4th OF JULY WEEKEND COEUR D’ALENE NEWS
– – – – –
Counterprotests At the Park
Spokesman-Review
3 Jul 99
Neo-Nazi foes are scrambling to put together an anti-racism
demonstration for today’s Aryan Nations rally in City Park.
Members of the Coalition Against Nazis, United Front Against Fascism
and Anti-Racist Action will pass out pamphlets at the Kiddie Parade
this morning, said Jonathan Crowell of Anti-Racist Action. Those
pamphlets will encourage people to turn out at the bandshell in City
Park at 2 p.m., when Aryan leader Richard Butler has promised a rally.
The trio of groups also plans another rally the afternoon of July 10,
this time in Ramsey Park. That’s designed to counter the parade that
the Aryan Nation’s has a permit to hold along Ramsey Road that morning.
Author Michael Novick and former neo-Nazi Floyd Cochran are both
invited to speak, Crowell said.
– – – – –
Aryans, Activists Scuffle at Rally
Associated Press (no author)
4 Jul 99
COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — Aryan Nations members and human rights
activists scuffled at a downtown park on Saturday while the two groups
engaged in a shouting match before a rally by the racist sect.
Police reported no violence or arrests.
The flare-up occurred when about 80 Aryan Nations members marched into
the city park for a 3 p.m. rally and tried to shout down about 200
counterprotesters from the Jewish Defense League and several human
rights groups who had gathered beforehand.
Police ringed the two groups as their members shouted and engaged in
minor scuffles. The confrontation ended after an hour.
The Aryans are holding their annual convention at headquarters in
nearby Hayden, and have scheduled a march in the area for July 10.
– – – – –
White Separatists Drive Zionists and Communists from Bandshell
The Hoffman Wire
3 Jul 99
COEUR d-ALENE, Idaho — Approximately 100 white separatists who are
here to attend the Aryan Nations World Congress in Hayden Lake,
escorted their leader, 82 year old Richard Butler to the Coeur d¹Alene
Lakeside Park today, and rushed the stage of the municipal bandshell,
which had been occupied by approximately 200 members of the United
Front Against Fascism, ARA and Jewish Defense League (JDL), who were
intent on denying the Aryans a forum.
Before the white separatists had arrived, the day had begun about noon
with a confrontation between JDL leader Irv Rubin and a half-dozen of
his followers from Los Angeles, and Michael A. Hoffman II, a
revisionist author and local resident.
In a repeat of a similar confrontation which occurred in July of 1998,
as Rubin was being interviewed for network television, Hoffman
embarrassed the Jewish leader by asking him, on-camera, why he didn’t
tell viewers about his anti-Arab racism andterrorism. Rubin shouted,
“It’s Michael Hoffman!” and began to spew a stream of epithets, soon
taken up like a chorus by the other JDL members. In a matter of moments
the Communists and Zionists, 200-strong, were chanting “No Nazis” at
Hoffman, while the TV cameras rolled.
Hoffman held his ground, however, and during a lull in the chanting
shouted, “Hey Rubin, what about Baruch Goldstein?” a reference to the
JDL member who slaughtered 40 Palestinians at a Mosque in Hebron.
Hoffman then resumed his interviews with the media and retailed a
laundry list of terrorist acts he said the JDL had perpetrated.
Later he gave interviews to reporters concerning the legitimacy of
white separatism and the aspiration for a white Republic in Idaho. At
approximately 2:15 p.m. the Aryan Nations’ contingent arrived, to be
faced by a crowd twice their number, including masked ARA members, who
have been implicated in the 1995 arson of the home and office of
revisionist publisher Ernst Zundel, in Canada.
Another 200-300 Idaho residents and tourists were gathered to observe
the confrontation and seemed to have little sympathy for the assembled
Communists and Zionists (north Idaho has a majority white population,
some of whom are refugees from anti-white racism and hate crimes in so.
California).
As the Aryans approached the stage, the tense scene was remarkable for
having no visible police presence. A handful of policemen were
sprinkled around the far periphery of the park, but not a single
uniformed officer was close enough to prevent a melee or violence. This
meant that for the first time in recent memory, white rights’ marchers
were responsible for their own defense.
The dearth of policemen may have been a reaction to strong criticism of
the police force after last month, when national headlines were made
after a riot squad opened fire to quell a party by vintage car
fanciers.
The Aryan Nation’s group announced their intent to appear at the
lakeside facility after the city of Coeur d¹Alene denied their permit
to parade on Coeur d’Alene’s main street (the ruling is being appealed
by the Boise chapter of the ACLU). No permit is required to assemble in
the city park.
Brandishing swastika flags, SS uniforms, and in some cases spiked
helmets, the lead contingent of Aryans arrived and exchanged insults
with the Zionists and Communists occupying the bandshell.
By about 2:30 pm, with the entire Aryan entourage now present, the
frontline of burly Aryans rushed the stage and quickly cleared it of
their opponents. A stunned Irv Rubin was seen turning pale in horror
after suddenly finding himself amidst some one hundred neo-Nazis,
skinheads and Klansmen.
The Aryans tore down Rubin’s JDL banner, which is emblazoned with a
clenched fist against a “star of David” background, and replaced it
with a swastika flag. Rubin and his followers hurried to the lawn.
For the next half hour the Aryans gloated, gave stiff-arm salutes and
chanted “sieg heil,” as their befuddled and demoralized foes mingled
impotently on the grass. 82 year old Richard Butler stood at the edge
of the stage smiling and waving.
At approximately 3:05 p.m. the Aryans gave the order to disperse. As
others headed toward their vehicles, some Aryan Nations’ members
refused their leaders¹ orders to depart and lingered, seemingly eager
to fight.
One member of the Aryan contingent appeared to be under the influence
of drugs. He exposed himself and repeatedly attempted to pick fights,
including with local white people. Attempts by Aryan Nations officials
to persuade their comrade to leave were to no avail.
Local whites also complained of the behavior of members of a Ku Klux
Klan group from Texas, who were rude and obnoxious toward Idaho
residents who had, out of simple curiosity, asked them courteous
questions.
There were virtually no non-whites present, except for two men who
resembled American Indians, who were part of the Aryan Nations’
contingent.
Idaho is sometimes criticized in the national press as a “haven” for
white separatists, but it has again proved itself user-friendly for
freedoms of speech and assembly, in a state which has, since its
inception, offered sanctuary to independent thinkers and non-
conformists, in keeping with the values Americans traditionally
celebrate on Independence Day.
One doesn’t have to be a neo-Nazi or a skinhead to wonder if perhaps
the ghosts of the Coeur d’Alene miners smiled upon the history that was
made today. It was one hundred years ago, in the summer of 1899, when
almost the entire population of the white mining towns of the Silver
Valley in Shoshone County, Idaho, were arrested en masse and garrisoned
in the modern world’s first concentration camp, by black troops
dispatched by the Federal government.
a car-bomb exploded at approximately 10:30 am on monday the 28th of
june in the stockholm suburb of nacka. in the car was an antifascist
and his eight year old son. the bomb sent both occupants to the
hospital with serious injuries; the shock wave sent them flying
several meters through the air. shears of glass penetrated the young
boy’s eyes. mother and companion to the two, stood and looked on in
horror. months of nazi threats had been realised.
———————————————————————-
THE LATEST NEWS ON WHAT FASCISM STILL STANDS FOR
Nazi Terror Attack In Stockholm
AntiFascistisk Aktion-Stockholm
29 Jun 99
this is the culmination of a series of nazi harassment directed against
antifascists in the stockholm area. we know that the number of active
nazis in the stockholm area capable of such a deed is extremely
limited. their numbers can be counted upon two hands – no more. this
is also but one in a series of fascist deeds in the past months aimed
at society in general, ranging from weapons thefts and bank robberies
to the execution-style shooting of two policeman.
afa-stockholm sorrows for our injured comrade and his young son. at the
same time we want to make it perfectly clear that we will neither be
threatened by, nor accept such behaviour. our goal is, and will always
be, to meet fascism both ideologically and physically, wherever it may
arise, in whatever form.
solidarity with all victims of fascism!
no pasaran!
– – – – –
[Smith, Chicago] Shooting Suspect Known As Outspoken Racist
Evan Osnos and Diane Struzzi (Chicago Tribune)
5 Jul 99
[One or more ftp supplements will be posted in the future on this
fascist attrocity and the groups linked to Smith. — tallpaul]
One day last November, a crowd of 500 residents and students in
Bloomington, Ind., marched through town in opposition to a campaign of
racist leafleting during the previous months.
As it snaked its way down the college town’s main boulevard, the group
faced a lone protester who was carrying a placard that read, “No hate
speech means no free speech.”
The bearer of the placard was Benjamin Nathaniel Smith, a North Shore
native and 1996 graduate of New Trier High School. Smith, then a
sophomore at Indiana University, acknowledged he was responsible for
the pamphlets, according to people who knew of him on campus.
On Sunday, Smith, who also was alleged to have distributed racist
literature earlier this year in Wilmette, the town where he grew up,
emerged again: He was charged in an arrest warrant with the shooting
death of a student in Bloomington, and police say that incident is
linked to a three-day string of shootings in two states that appear to
be racially motivated.
Late Sunday, federal and Chicago authorities said the search for Smith
ended with his death in Downstate Salem, Ill.
While it remains unclear why a student from the North Shore turned to
the white power movement, a paper trail over the past two years and
interviews with people who knew him indicate that he was committed to
the cause.
Smith, 21, was a former member of the World Church of the Creator, a
white supremacist group based in East Peoria, Ill. The group advocates
white power, though it does not condone violence, according to group
leader Matt Hale.
In April, Smith was charged with littering by Wilmette police in
connection with the distribution of racist fliers there. After a June
appearance at the Cook County Circuit Courthouse, Smith argued that
his campaign was protected by the 1st Amendment.
“They’re saying we can’t put out this literature,” Smith, whose case
was pending, said in an interview with the Tribune at the time. “Well,
the Constitution says we can.”
Smith’s parents now live in Northfield, and his mother, a former
Wilmette village trustee, is a real estate agent, said neighbors and
town officials. His family declined to comment Sunday.
Smith was enrolled at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
from fall 1996 to spring 1998. After one run-in with police,
authorities said, Smith wanted to be called “Erwin Rommel,” the noted
Nazi tank commander.
Since arriving in Bloomington in the spring of 1998, after withdrawing
in February of that year from Illinois, Smith had attracted citywide
attention. Calling himself “August Smith,” he quickly earned the
reputation as a fierce proponent of “separation from non-whites,” as
he wrote in a June 1998 letter to the school newspaper, the Indiana
Daily Student.
“It is true that the fliers were racially-oriented,” he wrote, “but to
label them racist, bigoted or prejudiced demonstrates bias.”
Originally an English major, Smith later switched to criminal justice,
according to Richard McKaig, vice chancellor and dean of students in
Bloomington.
McKaig said he called Smith into a meeting not long after he arrived on
campus, in response to complaints that Smith had distributed hate
literature on school grounds. After their meeting, McKaig said, Smith
directed his activities to the community at large.
“There was nothing odd in his demeanor, except for his divergent
views,” McKaig said. “He didn’t indicate any interest in violence in
what he was doing. He just wanted people to know what he was doing.”
In his yearbook entry from New Trier High School, Smith wrote “Sic
Semper Tyrannis”–or “Thus ever to tyrants,” said to be the words of
John Wilkes Booth after shooting Abraham Lincoln. The phrase also
appeared on a T-shirt worn by Timothy McVeigh on the day he bombed the
Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.
In the Bloomington community, Smith was well-known as a fierce racist
whose public views had made him the object of resentment, several
people who knew of him said Sunday.
According to residents at 2 Touchdown Terrace, the apartment complex
where Smith lived until about two months ago, he was public in his
beliefs but did not provoke physical confrontations.
Neighbors said they believed he was asked to leave his apartment
because the windows of his unit were broken repeatedly. The incidents
were widely believed to be in retaliation for his racist views,
residents said.
“There was never a word of discontent out of his mouth, but you could
tell how his body acted, he was uncomfortable,” said Tyrese Alexander,
a student who lived next door to Smith in the predominantly African-
American housing complex.
Smith called minorities “mud people,” Alexander said.
“I would encounter him when taking out the trash, and when we would
drive up he would roll his eyes and then go into the apartment,”
Alexander said. “He really didn’t have an intimidating presence. We
just thought he was weird and left it at that.”
Another neighbor who identified himself only as David said he
confronted Smith about his hate speech last fall, and Smith responded
by handing him a stack of World Church of the Creator pamphlets,
adding that, “Minorities will cause this society to collapse.”
Elizabeth Sahr, Smith’s former girlfriend, told the Daily Illini on
Sunday: “He is not going to stop until he’s shot dead. He’s not going
to surrender. He’s not going to give up until he leaves this world.”
According to the Associated Press, Sahr told the student newspaper that
during her one-year relationship with Smith, he kept his racist and
anti-Semitic views largely to himself.
“I only found out toward the end,” she said. “He was completely anti-
Semitic, completely racist–especially towards Asians, Jews and
African Americans.”
– – – – –
Church Preaches Gospel of Hate
Corky Siemaszko (New York Daily News)
4 Jul 99
Bigotry plays in East Peoria, Ill. That’s where the World Church of the
Creator is based and it’s where Benjamin Nathaniel Smith, who is being
hunted in the Midwestern shooting spree, practiced his hatred of Jews,
blacks and other minorities.
The head of the congregation is a 27-year-old law school graduate named
Matt Hale who lives with his parents and calls himself the church’s
“pontifex maximus,” or high priest.
But it would be a mistake to dismiss Hale and his followers as
harmless, Holocaust-denying, racists, experts said.
The Anti-Defamation League has dubbed the church “one of the most
violent organizations on the radical right” and suspects church
members are behind a recent rash of synagogue bombings in the
Sacramento, Calif., area.
In an interview yesterday, Hale denied his members were synagogue
bombers. He said that while he does not condone the weekend shooting
spree, he doesn’t condemn the wanted man.
“The white race is under attack and we have to protect ourselves,” said
Hale, the son of a retired cop.
Founded 27 years ago in Florida by Ben Klassen, who was state chairman
of Alabama Gov. George Wallace’s 1968 presidential campaign, the
church claims to have thousands of members across the country.
Their battle cry is “RaHoWa,” which is short for Racial Holy War. And
Hale maintains a Web site where the group’s bigoted views are on
display.
Hale garnered nationwide publicity last week when the Illinois Bar
Association denied him a license to practice law on moral grounds. He
has vowed to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court.
* * * * *
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is
distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a
prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research
and educational purposes only.
______________________________________________________________________
FASCISM:
We have no ethical right to forgive, no historical right to forget.
(No permission required for noncommercial reproduction)
– – – – –
back issues archived via:
<ftp://ftp.nyct.net/pub/users/tallpaul/publish/tinaf/>
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From: Jon Corlett <[email protected]>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: COEUR d-ALENE, Idaho SS Uniformed Aryan Nations World Congress members
brandishing Swastika flags rush Jews and Communists on stage, tear down
JDL Clenched Fist/Star of David Flag; for 30 minutes give NAZI salute
shouting ‘sieg heil’ as stunned Irv Rubin is seen on stage turning pale
in horror, befuddled and demoralized foes mingle impotently on the
grass. / Fascists use car bomb to blow up Anti-Fascist and his eight
year old son in In Stockholm / ‘Erwin Rommel’ enrolls at U of
Illinois; Engages in Genocidal Killing Pogrom ; charged with littering
by Wilmette police; “nothing odd in his demeanor ” / Church Preaches
Gospel of Hate (47 New Chapters in Last Year) / Etc.
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 1999 14:49:21 -0700
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