from It’s Going Down
[This post only contains information relevant to Philadelphia and the surrounding area, to read the entire article follow the above link.]
Antifascists and anti-racists across the so-called US organized mobilizations in the face of “White Lives Matter” rallies organized by white nationalists, neo-Nazis, and members of the Proud Boys. While many of the demonstrations were shut down before they even began by organizers afraid of antifascist online infiltration, online chats show that many potential rallies were also called off when fascists saw the size of the counter-demonstrations on the ground. In Huntington Beach, which has long been the site of far-Right, pro-Trump and in recent months, anti-mask/re-open demonstrations, the White Lives Matter protest was promoted by the Ku-Klux-Klan, who distributed flyers for it in various neighborhoods. While a Klan presence never materialized, various neo-Nazis and fascists did show themselves, along with Trump supporters who waved Trump and “All Lives Matter” flags. Clashes and fights in the streets quickly sent the racists packing, leading authorities to make multiple arrests and declare an unlawful assembly. Arrests also took place in Sacramento, as antifascists clashed with a small WLM group at the state capitol.
The failure of the “White Lives Matter” demonstrations shows that the racialist wing of the far-Right can still not mobilize on its own without massing its forces in one place like in Charlottesville and also networking with other adjacent movements, such as Trump supporters, the militias, or Qanon. It should also be noted that white nationalist and neo-Nazi groups like Patriot Front, the National Justice Party led by neo-Nazi podcasters and former Daily Stormer staffers, and the Groypers led by Nick Fuentes – all did not endorse the WLM actions, seeing them as poorly organized. In the end, the rallies where total disasters and optically were also complete failures in distancing white identity politics from Hitler saluting neo-Nazis. For groups like the Proud Boys who have spent years attempting to deny associations with racist groups, their involved will only help in tarnishing what’s left of their image.
Despite the success of the counter-mobilizations, both online and in the real world, it should be noted that the danger of the far-Right still hasn’t gone away. In Fresno, California for instance, several dozen Proud Boys rallied alongside Trump supporters and against progressive demonstrators attempting to stop the sale of a historical theater hall that is central to the LGBTQ and progressive community. The Proud Boys on the scene were made up of several chapters from different cities; showing that despite State repression, bad press, and continued opposition, the group is still able to mobilize its forces and intervene in wider currents alongside more mainstream Trump supporters. Also, members of the Nationalist Social Club (NSC) also rallied without opposition in Wakefield, Massachusetts, after according to local antifascists, “being chased out of Malden.”
It’s in these areas, often outside of larger cities where rallying several hundred can be done quite easily, that we need to work on building coalitions and relationships, not only between autonomous groups, crews, and organizations on a regional basis like our enemies are doing, but within broader communities in struggle and those who are targeted by the far-Right on a daily basis.
Check out our roundup below of all the action and support those facing repression in Sacramento, here and in Huntington Beach, here.
- Philadelphia, PA: Antifascists held a public picnic and a pre-planned WLM demonstration failed to materialize.
