Nikita Kalin, Russian Antifascist, Found Murdered 03/07/2012
_Early in the morning on February 9, the body of 20 year old antifascist Nikita Kalin was found on the campus of the Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of the Sciences [FIAN] in Samara. He was stabbed sixty-one times and had suffered rib and head injuries. His personal belongings were not taken, indicating that the attack was not a mugging. Police have a suspect in custody who they identified to Nikita's mother off the record as a national socialist activist. Some reports say that the suspected murderer is not currently naming any accomplices in what was likely a group attack. No further information on the attackers has been released.
Nikita was from a working class family, and never kept his antifascist and anarchist views a secret. This tragic news deepens our resolve to oppose fascism and build a world free of racist violence. We extend our sympathy and solidarity to Nikita's family and friends.
Follow the link to make a donation towards Nikita's funeral costs via the Moscow Black Cross.
Neo-Nazi Terrorist Group Discovered in Germany 12/18/2011
On November 4, 2011 two men robbed a bank in Eisenach, Germany. When the recreational vehicle in which they hid in the immediate aftermath was surrounded by police, they set fire to the vehicle and shot themselves. Simultaneously, a woman in Zwickau set her apartment on fire before turning herself in to the police.
The details about that day’s events and the cascade of connections that followed are harrowing. The men, Uwe Mundlos and Uwe Böhnhardt, and woman, Beate Zschäpe, constituted a trio of committed neo-Nazi terrorists that had been underground for 13 years. Wanted for depositing several dummy bombs in public places as well as possessing four live bombs in 1998, the three went underground and formed what has come to be known as the National Socialist Underground (NSU). Throughout its 13 year history this group has most likely been responsible for the shooting of nine migrants of Turkish and Greek descent, the shooting of two police officers, one of which lived, the bombing of a busy street in Cologne in a district primarily inhabited by immigrants, and fourteen bank robberies. (1)
In the month since November 5th, several suspected above-ground helpers of the group have been arrested, detained, or investigated. (2) German antifascists have reacted by staging demonstrations and direct actions throughout the country calling to actively fight and defeat all neo-Nazi structures. (3)
Rose City Antifa believes that the despicable actions of the NSU sadly prove, once again, the capacity of small dedicated groups of neo-Nazis to inflict terror and violence against people despite their relative failure to gain large-scale support. Our solidarity goes out to the families of the victims of the NSU as well as German antifascists confronting the structures of the far-Right.
(1) See: Neo-Nazis Suspected in Long Wave of Crimes, Including Murders, in Germany_
(2) See: New Suspect Arrested in Neo-Nazi Investigation
(3) See: Aufruf: Jetzt auf die Straße gehen! (Translated using translate.google.com)
Rose City Antifascists endorses the West Coast Port Shutdown 12/11/2011
_In support of building a classless, free society Rose City Antifascists is endorsing the December 12 shutdown of the west coast ports. It is paramount that issues of anti-racism are at the forefront of building social and economic equality. Economic policies place a disproportionate burden on people of color.
Locally you can participate in this action by following this link.
Rose City Antifa stands in solidarity with rank and file workers in the quest for economic justice.
Event at PSU Promotes Bigoted Pseudo-Environmentalism 12/06/2011
___On Thursday, December 8, the Portland State University Women’s Resource Center is scheduled to host an event that promotes bigoted narratives under the guise of environmentalism. “The Earth at 7 Billion: Population and the Future of Life on Earth,” is co-sponsored by the Sierra Club and Population Connection, and will feature the films Mother: Caring for 7 Billion, GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, and a talk by John Seager, president and CEO of Population Connection.
GrowthBusters is a prime example of the greening of bigotry. Filmmaker Dave Gardner features several speakers associated with the white nationalist John Tanton (who founded or funds many groups which are featured in the film and promoted on the film’s website). These organizations scapegoat immigrants and people of color for problems as vast and diverse as social strife and pollution, and attempt to inject racist and nativist ideas into the mainstream environmental movement using the frame of “overpopulation.”
As this film aptly demonstrates, it is important to lend a critical eye to pseudo-environmentalist narratives that focus on “overpopulation” as a chief causative factor in environmental degradation as it is a place where far-right, racist groups are finding an ideological toehold. A false assumption underpinning the population myth is that the primary cause of resource scarcity and environmental destruction is that too many poor people, people of color, immigrants, and people in non-industrialized nations are having too many babies. This places blame squarely on the shoulders of those suffering the most devastating effects of white supremacy, colonialism, patriarchy, and other oppressive policies, rather than focusing on the unjust allocation of resources and who actually profits from the systems driving environmental collapse.
Rose City Antifascists believes that screening a film that places the burden of environmental degradation on the poorest, most marginalized communities is in direct contradiction with the PSU Women’s Resource Center’s mission of “advancing social justice” and demonstrates an appalling lack of analysis around the intersectionality of oppression. The WRC was made aware of the information in this article and asked to cancel the event, but they have chosen to move forward with it despite their knowledge of GrowthBusters’ ties to racist groups and promotion of anti-immigrant and neo-Malthusian narratives. Call the PSU Women’s Resource Center events coordinator, Kari McDonald, with concerns at 503-725-2792 or the WRC general line at 503-725-5672.
For more information about GrowthBusters and Dave Gardner, click here.
For a report on bigotry and the environmental movement (Population Connection can be found on page 14 and 15), click here for a PDF.
UPDATE: As of Wednesday, December 7, the WRC has indicated that they have withdrawn their support from the "Earth at 7 Billion" event and will issue a position statement shortly. A brief explanation of their decision can be found in the comments section of this article and on the WRC events page. It is unclear if the event will still happen without a student group's sponsorship.
Nazi Couple Extradited to Washington on Murder Charges 12/05/2011
_White supremacists David Pedersen and Holly Grigsby recently made headlines in the Pacific Northwest as suspected perpetrators of a killing spree across Washington, Oregon, and California. Pedersen is easily recognizable by the SWP (Supreme White Power) tattoo across his throat, as seen in his mugshots and court photos. Grigsby and Pedersen have been extradited from Northern California back to Washington state, where the murder spree began.
Though entering not guilty pleas at their October 19 arraignment, the couple has confessed to 4 murders total, including the murder of a 19 year old man, Cody Myers, who they believed to be Jewish, and Reginald Alan Clark, a 54 year old black man from Eureka, CA.
During her confession, Holly Grigsby told Washington State prosecutors that she and Pedersen were on their way to Sacramento to “kill more Jews” when they were arrested for the murders on October 5 in Yuba City.
In 2001, David Pedersen was convicted of threatening the life of Edward Lodge, the federal judge who presided over the trial of Randy Weaver, a white nationalist who shot and killed a U.S. marshal during the infamous standoff at Ruby Ridge in 1992. The Ruby Ridge standoff remains a hot issue for white supremacists.
A condition of Pedersen’s supervised release from prison earlier this year was that he “not associate with current or past members of the Aryan Death Squad or any other criminal group.”
Rose City Antifascists Celebrates its First Four Years Fighting Bigotry 10/30/2011
Rose City Antifascists celebrates its fourth year as an active antifascist organization this October. We would like to take the time to reflect on our successes, thank those of you who helped us over the years, and renew our commitment to eliminating organized bigotry in our city.
Flash back to 2007. Volksfront--an international neo-Nazi organization that was founded in Oregon's prison system--teamed up with the neo-Nazi Hammerskin Nation gang to bring over one hundred violent racists to the Willamette Valley. The president and founder of Volksfront, Randal Krager, called Portland his home, and large white supremacist gatherings--like Hammerfest, Aryan Fest, etc.--had been taking place in our region on a semi-regular basis for decades.
In four short years, the landscape has changed. We attribute this in no small part to the hard work of those active in the fight against fascism. There has not been a single large gathering of neo-Nazis in the Portland area since the Ad-Hoc Coalition Against Racism and Fascism--RCA's predecessor--was successful in shutting down Hammerfest, and Volksfront's Oregon leadership no longer reside in Portland after RCA's repeated campaigns exposing their white power activity. Our city is not a safe organizing base for fascists.
Over the past four years, RCA has maintained constant research and monitoring of organized fascist activity in our area, received hundreds of tips, given workshops, hosted a national anti-racist conference, participated in strategy sessions with neighbors about combating fascist activity in their area, mobilized to protest bigotry, "outed" active white power organizers to their neighbors and workplaces, published news reports, developed educational materials to fight bigotry, and supported fellow antifascists in the Pacific Northwest.
We couldn't have done it without help. Rose City Antifascists sincerely thanks our friends and allies, anonymous tipsters, event spaces which have taken a stand, community members and neighbors who have shared our research or contributed their own, and all of those who make confronting bigotry a priority in their lives. Thank you for fighting alongside us.
As we enter into our fifth year of actively opposing fascism in Portland, we remember ways in which RCA has had a positive impact on our city. We also take note of the many sobering reminders that organized racism, homophobia, and other oppression remains a big problem in our area. Rose City Antifa will continue to build off of our successes, and learn from our missteps. Our organization remains absolutely committed to opposing fascism and helping build a culture of dignity and respect in Portland.
Mars Hill Mega-Church Welcome Wagon 10/18/2011
On Sunday October 16th, a group of 20-30 antifascists and allies gathered at SE 32nd Avenue and Taylor Street to oppose the opening of Mars Hill’s Portland branch. Demonstrators carried banners with statements of support for the LGBTQ community and maintained a presence in front of the church throughout the service. As church attendees exited the building, demonstrators held a dance party with the aid of a portable sound system and chanted, “Homophobes get out of here! Pro-Choice! Pro-Queer!”
The vast majority of passersby were supportive of the protest. Some neighbors expressed concern with the neighborhood association’s failure to effectively deal with the church’s arrival in SE Portland, especially in regards to the safety of the area’s queer residents. A few neighbors offered criticisms about the protest itself, however the overwhelming majority of community feedback was positive.
 Mars Hill is a misogynistic, homophobic, evangelical megachurch founded by Mark Driscoll in Seattle, Washington. Driscoll’s charismatic persona and lively combination of pop culture references and “Radical Reformism” proved to be a dynamo combination for tapping into a new vein of pierced and tattooed recruits. His tiny flock first met in his living room in 1996 and swelled to a membership of 1,000 by 2003. It now boasts 12 branches in four states. The original Seattle branch alone was reported to have an attendance of 3,500 people per week in 2006, and numbers have grown since then. There are congregations of Mars Hill specifically devoted to “converting” queer people, encouraging them to suppress their sexuality and live a straight lifestyle. The newest church outpost here in Portland aims to change the sinful ways of the Rose City: namely the city’s Left-wing, feminist, and pro-queer culture.
Mars Hill is of particular interest to Rose City Antifa because of its extremely conservative social agenda wrapped in a stylized package that appeals to activist youth, specifically targeting young men. Mars Hill has been successful in growing its ranks through its laid back, faux-rebellious image, underpinned by rigid authoritarian values and a hierarchical, patriarchal structure. Pastors utilize social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to provide a constant stream of church messaging to their followers, and promote a series of Driscoll’s online sermons to broaden their base of support in a franchise-like fashion. Driscoll’s style of sermon, peppered with humor and slang, appeals to a hip, younger audience that may be put off by stodgier, traditional church services. His casual, conversational demeanor, however, belies the intolerant, hard Right foundation of Driscoll’s teachings. The version of “God’s Kingdom on earth” that Mars Hill is explicitly interested in creating is one in which women are subservient to men and homosexuality is banned.
Call to Action: Oppose Mars Hill, Anti-Gay Megachurch 10/11/2011
Call to Action:
Oppose First Public Meeting of Anti-Gay Mars Hill Church
10 AM this Sunday, October 16th, 2011 at 3210 SE Taylor
Last month Mars Hill--an evangelical megachurch with nine branches in Washington and one in New Mexico--postponed its first public meeting after a dance-in and kiss-in was organized by LGBTQ folks in Portland to protest the church’s hateful message equating homosexuality with cancer. Mars Hill claimed the postponement was a result of parking concerns due to the Belmont Street Fair scheduled to take place the same day.
In an effort to save face, Mars Hill Pastor Tim Smith and a colleague met with the Q Center’s Executive Director Barbara McCullough-Jones and Operations Manager Paul Fukui, and waited for the controversy to blow over.
We are not satisfied with this empty gesture that fails to address Mars Hill’s active promotion of bigotry and dehumanization of LGBTQ people, women, yoga practitioners, and others.
The church has announced plans to open its doors to the public for the first time at 10 AM this Sunday, October 16th, 2011 at 3210 SE Taylor.
We urge active opposition to the scheduled opening. Let’s show Mars Hill that organizing against LGBTQ people will not fly in the Rose City!
Three Vancouver, WA Men Sentenced for January 2010 Hate Crime 09/28/2011
Zackary Loren Beck, Kory Boyd, and Lawrence Silk were sentenced this year following their attack on a black man in a Vancouver sports bar in January, 2010. The attackers--all of whom had ties to white supremacist groups--shouted, "White power!" and racist slurs as they attempted to kick the lone black patron out of the bar. Outside, the man defended himself, reportedly blocking Beck's punch and putting him in a headlock. Boyd and Silk threw bottles at the man until a friend of the victim intervened and the three white supremacist attackers fled. The victim suffered minor physical injuries.
Beck--who had a 2003 hate crime charge for attacking a Mexican man in Idaho and was formerly tied to the white supremacist group Aryan Nations--was convicted in June of conspiracy to violate civil rights, interfering with federally protected civil rights, and witness tampering (for asking an ex-girlfriend to provide a false alibi). He was sentenced to 51 months imprisonment, followed by three years supervised release. In January of this year, after the investigation was under way for the 2010 attack, Beck denounced his white power belief system.
Kory Boyd pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime charge in January and received a 34 month sentence. Lawrence Silk pleaded guilty to malicious harassment charges and received a 2 year sentence.
David Irving, Holocaust Denier, Scheduled to Speak in Portland on May 1st 03/30/2011
BOOT DAVID IRVING OUT OF TOWN!
David Irving’s last anti-Semitic speaking engagement in Portland was met with resistance from local anti-racist and antifascist groups. This time, we intend to shut him down.
Irving’s speaking tour serves as a platform for spreading lies and hate, and as a source of income for Irving.
Will we allow a fascist to financially gain from spreading racist propaganda without opposition in the Rose City?
Not a chance.
Please join Rose City Antifascists in letting David Irving know that racism in any form is not welcome in Portland. Continue checking our blog for opportunities to get involved.
For more information on David Irving, please refer to our 2009 Portland Indymedia release here, and South Side Chicago ARA's release below the cut.
As always, if you have information or tips about racist or fascist organizing in Portland, please contact us at fight_them_back [at] riseup [dot] net or call our voicemail tip line at 971-533-7832.
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