White Supremacists routed by enormous Anti-Racist demonstration at US Capitol

By Daryle Lamont Jenkins, One People's Project

WASHINGTON DC, August, 24--Anti racists from around the country, fed up with the now commonplace rallies from the neo-Nazi National Alliance, came out in force and countered their latest rally, which this time was on the grounds of the US Capitol Building. The counterdemonstration capped an entire week of anti-fascist activity in the DC area.

Immediately after the National Alliance announced their intentions, a number of organizations mobilized to counter them. This was the sixth racist rally in the past two years in the Northeast area, two of them happening in York, Pa., and the fourth sponsored by National Alliance to take place in Washington. As was the case with the last rally on May 11, there was the promise of a white power rock concert which the location and time would only be divulged to those who attended the rally. This is what beefed up their numbers to 250 last time and that is what many attributed to the numbers they had today, which some have put at 300. That number was matched however, some have suggested beaten, by the anti-racist groups that came out, many of them facing the National Alliance for the first time in the recent series of rallies. As well as Anti-Racist Action and the International Socialist Organization, both the mainstays against the National Alliance, Progressive Labor Party, Refuse and Resist! The Center for New Community, the Human Rights Campaign, and others participated. According to reports, Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello endorsed the initial call this week.

The day's events were not the beginning of activities against the Nazis. ARA reported that they had been able to uncover the neo-Nazi meeting places and rendezvous points, where they met them and engaged in a series of actions. Three hours before the rally began, there was a report that in Baltimore some buses carrying neo-Nazis was attacked and damaged. A number of the hatemongers were injured in the melee, one reportedly having to be tended to by paramedics. Tina Edwards, of Cadillac, MI, known as "Labrat" on the Stormfront website was reported there as saying she and her fellow racists were on these particular buses and because of the action were unable to attend the rally. No anti-racists were harmed, but approximately 26 arrests were made. Reportedly, none of the people arrested were a part of the assault on the racists, and were simply in the area afterwards.

The National Alliance coordinated with their participants that they will meet on the parking deck of Union Station, which is where the anti-racist demonstrators began to congregate. Many of the neo-Nazis drove to the meeting spot Charles John Juba, National Director of Aryan Nations, was seen driving a white 15-passenger van loaded with people, reportedly the only one of the Aryan Nations contingient with a driver's license. Other neo-Nazis came by cab or simply walked. The plan was for the neo-Nazis to march to the Capitol Building. As they marched, they were met by the counterdemonstrators who shouted and made liberal use of their middle fingers as the racists responded with Nazi salutes. That action ran counter to a plea to his people by National Alliance Deputy Coordinator Billy Roper. On discussion boards, and emails, Roper urged those that would be participating not to bring any Nazi symbolism, as they wanted to prevent that from the media making that the focus of their march. That plea was largely ignored, as evidenced not only by the salutes, but also from the Nazi flags and uniforms seen.

A number of familiar faces were also seen, among them Juba, August Kreis, also from Aryan Nations, and radio show host Hal Turner, whose run for congress was once promoted on the air by fellow radio show host Sean Hannity, who over the past year became even more open about his racist associations that he long denied, once he was fired from his job as a realtor at Coldwell Banker.

Keystone State Skinheads associate Keith Carney was also seen at the march. On probation in Philadelphia for his role in posting National Alliance decals on a Korean War memorial, it is unclear at press time if he had violated the terms of his probation by his appearance here.

Not seen at the march however, was Bill White. Over the past three months White and his friend reputed Nazi Erica Hardwick (who also was not seen at the march), had been accused of spreading disinformation about not only anti-racists but former colleague Keith Carney. The result of this was them incurring the wrath of both sides, and threats from the neo-Nazi side in particular had been directed towards them. A post on DC Indymedia from someone who said they were White, noted that they were not going to attend the rally. Indeed, the first reports of the rally published on his website were based solely on what he said he saw on television news reports. There was however, a person that raised a few eyebrows within the anti-racist side of the rally because he was wearing a T-Shirt that read "Innocent Bystander," a shirt commonly seen worn by Bill White. A few vague responses by the person made the concern of him even greater, but people basically stayed away from him.

As the march progressed towards the Capitol Building, there were a number of tense moments. There had been two arrests by the time the march made it a block to the Capitol. The police routed the anti-racist demonstrators away from the marching neo-Nazis, and that caused a few to verbally lash out at the police. A few racists had strayed away from the main group and they were met by some of the Black Bloc who pummeled them. No arrests were made in this incident.

As the neo-Nazis found their place on the South end of the Capitol Building (with the back of the Statue of Freedom atop the Capitol to them), the anti-racists stood across the street near the reflecting pool. A number of tourists watched out of curiosity and asked what was happening. One person, a Navy member stationed in Oceana Naval Air Base in Norfolk, Va., attempted in a discussion with some anti-racists to turn it into a freedom of speech issue, and that he is defending everyone's right to be there, saying "That's what's great about America."

A member of ARA countered that notion. "You have nothing to do with me being here," he said, noting also that he did not ask him or the military to go into other countries and attack working class people there. I am here because I wanted to be.

Besides the aforementioned "Innocent Bystander," there were some other questionable people about on the anti-racist side. One person in particular actually attempted to wander through the crowd with a Hal Turner T-Shirt on. He and his friend were called out immediately. He tried to jump over the barricade towards the neo-Nazis, but was stopped by police thinking he was one of the anti-racists. Despite pleas by the anti-racists to send him back over the barricade, once the police realized he was one of the racists, be was sent around the demonstration and out of the area. There was a point, however, where the police broke from him and soon the racist and his friend were surrounded by the Black Bloc. After being punched, kicked, maced and struck with a skateboard, the two racists eventually ran into the construction area on the property of the Prettyman Courthouse.

The Nazis left the Capitol grounds forty minutes before their permit expired. They marched back to Union Station where anti-racists caught up with them and repeated the same stance as earlier in the day of dueling epithets and shouting. Within the half hour all parties dispersed throughout the city, although some incidents were reported. One incident involved a person identified as one of the participants in the National Alliance rally getting punched in the face while his companion had his glasses snatched off his face. The companion was the same person affiliated with World Church of the Creator who while in York, PA was attacked there and had his "White Man's Bible" taken and burned.

At the time of this writing, there were reports of a possible anti-racist counterdemonstration to take place outside an armory in Towson, MD. That was where it was discovered the neo-Nazis planned to have their rock concert. There was also one bit of disinformation posted on DC Indymedia which attempted to "report" that 600-800 racists marched to 150 anti-racists, but that was quickly discounted by both the media and those that were there. That number however did end up at the same time it appeared on Indymedia on Bill White's website as well. SOME VEHICLES SEEN GOING TO UNION STATION

The following vehicles had drove into the National Alliance meeting place at Union Station. The people inside the vehicles were identified as possible participants in the racist rally. All information that follows is to be used with the utmost responsibility. In other words, don't go out there and do something stupid with the info that can cause yourself grief.

White Van, PA Lic. #DVNO750. This was the vehicle Charles John Juba was driving. May be a rental.

Black Dodge 4x4 PA Lic. #AVM 4601

Ford Escort LX WI Lic. #SCS 134

PARTIAL INFORMATION

Unknown Vehicles

MA Lic #838 3ZI

WV Lic. #30(or O or D)H 182

Unknown States

Ford Contour SLR 675

Ford Taurus K77WC

Black VW J99 O6C (temp tags)

Any video, pictures or other materials that can help identify the neo-Nazis that attended this rally would be appreciated. Please send to One People's Project, PO Box 82019, Columbus, OH 43202. By email, subverter-AT-onepeoplesproject.com