Call For Action Against The Moms For Liberty Conference

  • June 10, 2023 1:14 am

Submission

This is an autonomous call for action against the Moms for Liberty conference that is happening from June 29th to July in Philadelphia at the Marriott Hotel.

To all anarchists, anti-authoritarians, revolutionaries, outlaws, militant queers, Black autonomists, and anyone who opposes the transphobic and racist agenda of the Moms for Liberty …let’s fight back! All out against fascism. All out against Moms for Liberty. They are one of the main organized groups using the public schools to attack queer and Black youth by banning educational materials related to our histories and taking over school boards in order to impose their racist and transphobic agenda.

There’s a long history of militant queer resistance. We need to draw from the legacy of STAR, Bash Back, Stonewall Rebellion and all queer militant history. We must draw a hard line in the sand against these trans-phobes and anyone who supports them. They are not welcome in Philly.

Two of the fascist demagogues, Trump and DeSantis will also be in attendance. Let’s mobilize in full force against them. As we gear up for another election year, it is deeply important to start building up our militant culture of resistance. No act is too small.

Moms for Liberty are our enemies. Instead of following leftist organizers with over-inflated egos, we encourage folks in Philly to take autonomous action. Gather some friends over dinner or in a park, talk amongst yourselves, and make some plans. We have so many tactics at our disposal. Get creative.
Consider this an invitation.

Let’s end Pride Month right!

Direct Actions At Philly Pride

  • June 6, 2023 1:31 am

Submission

Amidst the huge crowds at Pride our affinity group had a lot of fun dancing and spitting on cops yelling at them to get the fuck out of pride. Several of their cop cars were spray painted “FTP” and “ACAB” and “Pride is a Riot!” There was some anti-gay hecklers that were attacked by various queer people throwing drinks and heavy objects at them. We also burned American some flags in the street. Goods were redistributed from various stores.
Some homophobic bigots were chased out of the Gayborhood and we are sure that many more Queer Revolutionary actions and general mischief happened as the night continued. Let’s keep the fight against the corporations, cops, bigots, and capitalism strong all year. Fuck Assimilation! Liberation Now! Bash Back!

Philly’s Downtown Marriott Protested for Hosting “Moms for Liberty” Conference

  • May 16, 2023 1:21 am

from Idavox

Group of protesters outside the Philadelphia Mariott opposing the upcoming "Moms for Liberty' conference.

The soon to be regular protest actions seek the hotel to follow the company’s anti-hate policies, cancel the conference, and raise awareness of “Moms for Liberty” adverse efforts on anti-masking, LGBTQ+ issues, book-banning, and racial education policy efforts. 

Innocent Bystander

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Various groups and political actors kicked-off protests and call-in action on Friday, May 12, to have the city’s downtown Marriott reverse its decision to host the neo-fascist group, Moms for Liberty June 29 – July 2.

The groups, such as ACT UP Philadelphia and UDTJ (Understanding. Devotion. Take Action. Justice.), along with others, protested the Marriott on the 1300 block of Filbert Street where the main entrance is located.

Several state legislators also wrote Marriott management, led by state senator Nikkil Saval, whose district includes this hotel. The exchange of letters and more is located here.

“Moms for Liberty” has come under increasing scrutiny not only for the national conference, but also for its right-wing astroturf funding,  complained-of threats by its members and its leadership.

And yet while the national leadership has not responded to questions and complaints, that didn’t stop the newly installed Philadelphia chapter leader — 46 year-old Sheila E. Armstrong — from complaining about not being interviewed by the Philadelphia Inquirer although the conference is a national matter.

[Twitter Link]

Moreover, if Armstrong’s name rings a bell, it should. Armstrong has run for local public office in recent years as a Democrat and Independent, and has been defeated in these efforts by a nearly 99 percent voting margin and by being knocked off the ballot. Not to be outdone by this, she was a paid staff member for the Mehmet Oz campaign for U.S. Senate where she and Oz were outed for deceptively manipulating supporter testimony as the campaign closed.

Armstrong is also a Philadelphia public school parent of two children, one of whom has been diagnosed with autism. This has served as a vehicle for for her serving on the the state’s Student Parent Advisory Council. Obviously, this is one of many oppositional tensions Armstrong faces while trying to intertwine as a local face for “Moms for Liberty.”

The next protest at the Downtown Marriott is scheduled for Friday, May 26th. The late afternoon time is to be determined.

Jennifer Thomas’ Alleged Financial Impropriety

  • May 3, 2023 1:30 am

from Jersey Counter-Info

In mid April 2023, Jennifer Thomas and other TERFs held a “women’s free speech rally” at the state capital, where they pushed transphobic rhetoric in an effort to further oppress imprisoned trans women.

While Thomas’ rally was unsuccessful, questions over her and her groups finances and use of funds raised from her base of sycophants sprang up in the days after the event. In a now deleted tweet, Thomas detailed her funding request prior to the rally, where she requested $2,000 in total for the rally in Trenton.

Thomas’ now deleted tweet detailing her funding request.

Thomas’ itemized request breakdown was: $500-$700 for one overnight Air bnb stay for her group, $200 for cookies to give cops at the rally, $200 for supplies (not specified), and $800 for travel expenses (not specified).

The initial request of funds was odd at best, seeing as Thomas has both family and friends in Central NJ and lives in Pennsylvania within driving distance to Trenton. The same also goes for Brittany Ortiz, who lives in Philadelphia, PA. Given they could have easily saved money on accommodations it’s strange Thomas requested such a large sum of money from her online supporters. Additionally, why did Thomas request $800 for transportation when virtually every TERF in attendance lives within a one to three hour driving distance from Trenton? Did Thomas really need almost five hundred dollars for “supplies” and “cookies4cops”?

Despite the questionable basis of her funding request though, Thomas’ actual use of expenses brings up more red flags and even more questions. Here’s the breakdown: in total Thomas raised $1,182 dollars out of a requested $2,000 from her GiveSendGo virtual fundraiser. Instead of spending $500-$700 for one night in an AirBnB, Thomas paid for four nights, for a price almost exactly equal to the funds raised.

There is considerable disparity between Thomas’ request for donations and her actual use of those funds.

As pictured above, the cost of Thomas’ AirBnB was not only much higher than she initially estimated, but was almost exactly the total amount fundraised. Rather than use the money like she had led donors to believe she would, she rented four nights at a house hardly a thirty minute drive from her own home, for an event that was only supposed to last a few hours.

Thomas requested $200 for “supplies”, to create signage for the rally, but demonstrated this to have been unnecessary. Despite having nothing left over after paying for the AirBnB, they appear to have been well-supplied. It remains unclear at this time whether the cops were forced to do without their cookies. Antifascists on the ground reported they did not spot any evidence of baked goods on site or in the possession of the cops.

Jennifer Thomas and fellow TERFs standing with their collection of homemade signs. It appears that they did not need donations for signage, despite soliciting donations under those very pretenses.

 

Thomas’ homemade sign, resting up against her white Dodge Challenger.

The discrepancies between Thomas’ request for funding and her actual use of those funds need more explanation than simple failure to meet the fundraising goal or unforeseen circumstances. Her gestures toward financial accountability, like posting breakdowns of planned expenditures and receipts, don’t hold up to the slightest scrutiny — no wonder she deleted the tweet. It’s hard to believe even her TERF supporters would have coughed up donations if they knew it was going to an excessive and unnecessary four-night stay. Surely Thomas agrees, or she’d have been up-front about that to begin with.

The most generous interpretation here is that she and her friends are making irresponsible use of donations; a more realistic interpretation is that they’re duping their supporters and stealing from them for personal enjoyment. Thomas’ motivation is unclear at this time but we wonder if she has connections/vested interest to whoever owns the AirBnB she booked.

We wouldn’t normally have a problem with someone stealing from TERFs, but it’s important to expose grifters like Thomas and her friends who are likely just using their followers. Don’t give this fraud your money.

-some antifascists

Bash Back Convergence 2023

  • March 17, 2023 1:25 am

Submission

In 2008, queer anarchists gathered in Chicago to plot a disruption of the electoral spectacle and cohere a network out of emergent youth crews in multiple cities. Fifteen years later, the proposals put forward then — criminality, autonomous self-defense, riots, and orgies — are needed more than ever.The intervening years have been marked by intensification — of crisis, alienation, loss, and struggle. The right wing no longer hides behind euphemisms: they want to exterminate trans and queer people. The left offers only false solutions: vote, donate, assimilate. A decade of representation, symbolic legal victories, social media activism, and mass-market saturation has left us worse off by all metrics. Our fairweather friends won’t save us from the consequences of their strategy of empty visibility. The inescapable conclusion is that we must come together to protect ourselves.

History confirms the queer legacy of building connection in a world that hates us, the legacy of riotous joy—the legacy of bashing back. The attacks will continue on our nightclubs, forests, story hours, and siblings. To hold on, we need spaces—underground if necessary—to re-encounter each other, spaces to remember, build, share, and conspire.

In this spirit, we are ecstatic to announce the return of the Bash Back convergence!

Fifteen years from the original gathering, Chicago will host the 2023 convergence September 8–11. Comrades, old and new, are invited to discuss what’s still vital in the past and what’s needed in the present. In keeping with tradition, the convergence will include presentations, workshops, distros, parties, and other opportunities to make trouble.

If you are interested in attending, especially if you’d like to propose programming or tabling, please send us an introduction to bashback2023@riseup.net.

Proposals due by June 20.
Please share on social media.

Graffiti in Solidarity with Colorado Springs in South NJ

  • December 5, 2022 1:05 am

from Jersey Counter-Info

Many blame queers for the decline of this society—we take pride in this. Some believe that we intend to shred-to-bits this civilization and its moral fabric—they couldn’t be more accurate. We’re often described as depraved, decadent, and revolting—but oh, they ain’t seen nothing yet.
Let’s be explicit: We are criminal queer anarchists and this world is not and can never be enough for us. We want to annihilate bourgeois morality and make ruins of this world. We’re here to destroy what is destroying us.

– Mary Nardini Gang – “Criminal Intimacy”

Anarchists in so-called New Jersey stand with our queer family who were executed at Club Q in Colorado Springs. The right has been waging an escalating campaign of violence against the queer community over the past several months killing and maiming us.

Liberals push to actively disarm us and prevent us from protecting our communities naively thinking the state will protect us. We intimately know they have never protected us and routinely commit violence against us.

We will not stand by and allow us and our community to be genocided. We will stand against all external threats and protect ourselves by any means necessary.

Against the Gendered Nightmare, Toward the Queerest Insurrection.

– some anarchists

 

NJ Stands with Colorado Springs. Fuck Pride We Want Revenge

Aryan Compartmented Elements and Michael “Doc Grimson” Brown Exposed

  • November 23, 2022 1:57 am

from CVAntifa

In the early days of November, a Telegram channel called Aryan Compartmented Elements (ACE) became known to researchers through various channels. ACE’s name is a reference to Army Compartmented Elements, a nickname used by the 1st Special Operational Detachment in the US Army, better known as Delta Force.

ACE is adjacent, if not directly involved with, other groups in Terrorgram. These groups venerate neo-Nazi mass shooters and the group seems poised to join the ranks of their pantheon of “Saints“. Most of ACE’s content consists of them discussing doing reconnaissance and destroying people’s property. Multiple pictures posted show them stalking who they consider to be leftists and of them looking at targets in crosshairs. It seems clear that they intend to commit acts of mass violence.

 

Multiple of these targets include schools. We have determined that the schools pictured are the Universal Technical Institute in Exton, PA and Harrisburg Community College. If you are in touch with individuals attending either of these institutions, please contact them to let them know about these threats.

 

 

Researchers were able to find holes in ACE’s security almost immediately. In one of the “degenerate assets” photos, there was an attempt at redacting information, but they forgot to scrub one thing. We spotted it immediately:

 

It reads: Lower Saucon Township. That led researchers to begin looking closer into the Lehigh Valley and surrounding area of PA.

Through a random stroke of luck, we were able to spot one major misstep. We noted that there was a comment on an ACE post made by telegram user Leo Solaris OTMO, also known as Luke Kenna (more on him later.) On this comment there was one like. The user who made the like has the username, “Doc Grimson”. When expanding the profile of Doc Grimson, all his personal details were laid bare, which led us directly to Michael Brown.

The chat function has since been removed from Aryan Compartmented Elements (ACE) Telegram channel and all the comments deleted.

 

Michael “Doc Grimson” Brown is the owner of Black Market Tactical (BMT) and Black Market Strength and Conditioning (BMSC), companies which are registered to his home at 15 Fox Ridge Road in Glenmoore, PA. His companies provide various tactical trainings and sell his homemade knives and other tactical gear.

 

On the BMT website, Brown lists his location as Exton, PA. Multiple photos posted to the ACE channel were specific to the Chester County, PA region and the larger Lehigh Valley. There have been many towns that Brown has been traced to in the area through simple Google searches. Using the ACE channel, Brown has even posted video of what appears to a school sporting event. We were able to geolocate the event to Downingtown, PA (Chester County) using the phone number on the scoreboard and the reflection in the puddle. This doesn’t seem like the kind of man who should be teaching anyone about opsec and covert reconnaissance training…

 

Brown isn’t new to stalking. He has numerous serious stalking and assault charges that have put him on the FBI’s radar.

ACE has been consistent at posting field notes from their nighttime recon missions but will delete the information after a few days. The format and tone of writing is heavily influenced by military operations. According to the ‘about us’ section on Black Market Tactical:

Doc worked as an 911 EMTB and Paramedic in suburban Philadelphia for approx 10 years and also served as a warrant service officer for Montgomery County, PA.

Doc served as the Lead Medical SME and combat skills instructor for the USAF Air Advisor Academy at JB MDL in support of the GWOT for approx 6 years. 

His experience in being an SME and instructor for the US Air Force gives clarity to the *tactically ascertained* style of his writing. At this time, we have not been able to confirm if he has served in the military or not. We were also not able to locate a CAGE code, something which is required for all military contractors, to verify that he has provided training. There is evidence on his website of him training soldiers, however.

A picture from Michael’s website showing him training soldiers.

 

Michael Brown offers high-cost training programs through BMT. During our investigation, we uncovered the best piece of evidence we could have hoped for. There is an image from his website for a ‘Protocol Immersion Course’ costing a mere $2,999 to spend 48 hours training with Brown (lol).

This listing has since been removed, but archives show that a photo used in that sale is the same as a photo posted to ACE telegram. While Michael Brown may have deleted the posts from ACE directly, they still live on in other chats, such as Church of Aryanity where both he and Luke Kenna frequently share ACE posts.

A photo posted on ACE shared by Michael in the Church of Aryanity telegram chat.

 

The same photo on the Black Market Tactical website

 

If any more proof was needed, we were able to identify this generic skull vector as a key asset that crosses all of his platforms. It’s on his merch, it’s on his website, it’s on his YouTube, it was on his Instagram, and it just so turns out it’s used in ACE as well.

 

 

Luke Winchester-Kenna:

We first put out info on Luke Winchester-Kenna last year in the wake of a mass shooting perpetrated by one of his online acquaintances in Denver, CO. For more detailed background and information on Winchester-Kenna, we suggest reading our original article here. Luke has links to several previous articles we have written on Wolf Brigade Gym, Operation Werewolf, and Rural Nexion.

Luke and Doc holding a BMSC flag.

 

Kenna is very closely associated with Black Market Tactical and Michael Brown. Before our original article came out, he frequently posted tagging BSMC and BMT on his Instagram page. Posts made on Doc’s telegram also reference Tyr Tactical. Tyr is a tactical training business located inside of Luke’s wife’s racist new age crystal shop, Freya’s Forest in downtown Gloversville, NY. Much to the dismay of Luke, his hometown newspaper even wrote about he and his wife as being radical neo-Nazi extremists. Brown and Kenna recently held a “Warrior’s Lodge” that was located ‘somewhere in the Adirondacks’ near Saratoga, NY. Saratoga Springs is roughly 40 minutes from his home in Gloversville. It’s unknown how many men attended this, but there is evidence that there was at least 5.

Luke Kenna is present in many fascist Telegram chats using the name Leo Solaris OTMO. OTMO signifies the rank of Knight in the white nationalist Church of Aryanity. We were able to determine Leo was Kenna because of posts he made shilling for his company, Tyr Tactical.

The Church of Aryanity, a “religion” established by Aaron Chapman of Traditionalist Workers Party ( prior to the Night of the Wrong Wives) and Colton Williams. For those interested in learning more about the this organization, we encourage they check out this recent article from SoCal Research Club and Left Coast Right Watch that details the group’s ideology and history.

As recently as November 17 of this year, Kenna posted in the Church of Aryanity Telegram channel that he was “slowly and methodically building a temple on secure private land to serve as the auxiliary church of New England.” We think it’s safe to connect these dots and say that the “auxiliary church” is likely at the same location where the Warrior Lodge was held.

We aren’t sure how legit this is, but it seems to be in-line with the ideas of Militant Ruralism, about which have written extensively in previous posts. This is a neo-Nazi ideology that centers around building rural compounds to serve as bases of struggle in a coming race war. This ideology ties Kenna and Brown to a nationwide network of extremists operating compounds like Rural Nexion and Donnybrook Farms. Kenna was present in Rural Nexion’s telegram channel, and Brown proudly displays a sign made and sold by the group.

Rural Nexion sign in Brown’s garage

 

Alabama Arson:

On November 6, the Aryan Compartmented Elements (ACE) Telegram channel, the operators claimed to have been responsible for burning down the home of a school administrator who had added LGBTQ books to the library. They posted a somewhat redacted video of the arson.

ACE post detailing the arson

 

When looking for reports for an arson matching the description above, the only one we were able to find was the burning of a school superintendent’s house in Boaz, Alabama. While we cannot be certain that the claimed arson is the same one described, details from the redacted video seem to match up to publicly available photos of the burned out house.

Burned out house in Boaz, Alabama

 

It seems strange that a duo of Nazis from the Northeast would torch a house in Alabama. However, it appears the pair have a local connection. Ian Michael Elliott is a member of Patriot Front who was exposed by Atlanta Antifascists last year. He lives one county away from the arson in Harvest, Alabama. Ian is also a member of the Church of Aryanity and was present in the Church of Aryanity chat using the handle Varangian where ACE propaganda is frequently shared.

Ian Michael Elliott

 

The connections don’t stop there. In a Patriot Front training video obtained by Atlanta Antifascists, Ian can be seen training while wearing a Black Market Strength and Conditioning shirt. He can be seen posing in the photo below with Luke, Michael, and other Black Market Tactical associates during one of their training sessions. We are actively seeking IDs on the other men pictured in this photo.

 

 

Ian wearing a BMSC shirt during Patriot Front training.

Ian wearing a BMSC shirt during Patriot Front training.

 

While it is possible the arson is not associated with Aryan Compartmented Elements (ACE) or Ian Michael Elliott, we feel that the amount of circumstantial evidence is too high not to mention here. Despite these individuals’ complete and total clownishness, they have the potential to put people in very real danger.

 

On OPWW:

All of the men discussed above have deep connections to Operation Werewolf. In 2020, we began circulating a a piece entitled The End of Operation Werewolf urging researchers to pay more attention to the group given the high potential for disaffected members to engage in acts of extreme violence. We published that piece in 2021, in the wake of the Denver shooting. We still think the sentiments expressed within it are important. Check it out here.

 

Conclusion:

The individuals mentioned in these articles are incredibly dangerous, and we want to bring maximum awareness of them and their behavior to the communities they threaten. If you know anyone in these communities, please send them this article.

We also want to pay specific attention to the concerning trend of violence against Queer people that these individuals are following. The victim of the arson was targeted for the same reasons that are vitriolically spewed by Tucker Carlson every night. We are finishing up this article the day after a mass shooter murdered 5 people at a Queer club in Colorado Springs. The connections between fringe lunatics like these and the mainstream far-right are evident. Wherever you are, work in solidarity with the LGBT community to defend it from people like this.

This work wouldn’t have been possible without help from good folks at White Rose Australia and other anonymous researchers. Please check out their work at thewhiterosesociety.writeas.com.

Noisy Philly Counter-Demo Challenges ‘TERFs’ at Independence Hall

  • November 22, 2022 1:20 am

from Unicorn Riot

By Dan Feidt, Unicorn Riot November 21, 2022

PHILADELPHIA, PA — On Sunday, November 13, 100+ counter-demonstrators tried to drown out about 30 protesters who were demonstrating against transgender people’s access to medical transitions, recognition of chosen gender and other rights near Independence Hall. The counter-demo side characterized them as “TERFs” or ‘Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminists.’ Philadelphia Police and U.S. National Park Service Park Rangers separated the crowds using bicycle police and portable barricades. Inside the barricades, several men, mostly masked up concealing their identities, paced around and eyed the crowd; they were widely suspected to be Proud Boys providing security according to a counter-protester. However, their identities are unknown.

Over almost three hours, Unicorn Riot interviewed nearly a dozen hoarse but spirited attendees. In this 29-minute video, we hear about why they consider noisy counter-demonstrations strategically significant, as well as reactions to how the recent U.S. elections largely — but not entirely — refuted anti-transgender politicians and messages.

[Video Link]

Some interviewees believed that John Fetterman, the current lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, who will soon be seated as a U.S. senator, would protect their rights. Another interviewee said that democracy and electoralism create situations where groups are enabled to spread messages about taking away rights from transgender people.

While there was at least one round of counter-demonstrators splashing the anti-transgender demonstration with water, no arrests transpired during our time observing the event.

Marquee speaker linked to white supremacists

The marquee anti-trans speaker was British activist Kellie-Jay Keen Minshull, who has also been known by the name “Posie Parker.” Keen Minshull appeared on a podcast with white nationalist French Canadian Jean-Francois Gariepy. An ardent ‘white ethnostate’ supporter, Gariepy has made videos with key Neo-Nazis including Richard Spencer, David Duke and Mark Collett. Several Philadelphia counter-demonstrators highlighted this shared media connection between Keen Minshull and Duke, although they have not appeared side-by-side.

Connections between “gender-critical feminists” like Keen and far-right white supremacists have been turning up for years, and the far-right has tried to leverage opposition to transgender rights to expand its movement. More about Gariepy’s long history with far-right circles and accusations of abusing a minor has previously been documented.

In 2019 Keen Minshull praised high-profile English racist ‘Tommy Robinson’ of the English Defense League who has been supported by the Philadelphia-based think tank Middle East Forum, The Guardian reported in 2018. Robinson’s real name is Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon; he is banned from entering the United States and has been convicted of fraud, in addition to drug and public disorder offenses.

 

Kellie-Jay Keen Minshull (“Posie Parker”) appeared with white nationalist French Canadian Jean-Francois Gariepy (YouTube/PinkNews.co.uk)

After the anti-trans protesters left the area, they were forced to leave the nearby Khyber Pass Pub by employees who became aware of their bigoted views. The pub “is a punk and metal institution … they aren’t to be fucked with by bigots and fascist[s],” one observer noted.

[Twitter Link]

Anti-Trans Bigots With Nazi Ties Coming To Philly Nov. 13th – Protest Party Planned

  • November 10, 2022 1:10 am

from Philly Antifa

Come Tell Anti-Trans Fake “Feminists” to Fuck Off!

British Anti-Trans hate monger Posie Parker, aka Kellie-Jay Keen, is currently on a U.S. “Speakers Corner” tour to spread her bigoted bullshit.

Check out this thread by @B_for_backup about Parker’s record of violent transphobia and racism:

[Twitter Thread]

A dance party and noise demo has been called to counter the tour’s stop in Philadelphia, which is scheduled to occur at 1PM on Sunday, 11/13/22 near The Liberty Bell. While we are not organizing this event, we encourage everyone to come out and be loud and proud.

Transphobes Fuck Off,

Graffiti in Memory of Jennifer Laude in South NJ

  • October 12, 2022 1:13 am

from Jersey Counter-Info

Trans and queer anarchists in so-called southern New Jersey stand in solidarity with our siblings in the Philippines. We remember and lift up the memory of our international trans sister, Jennifer “Ganda” Laude, who was hate-crime murdered by U.S. Marine and transphobe Joseph Scott Pemberton on this day October 11, 2014. Pemberton poses a serious risk to communities everywhere as an “international pig” who got away with murder with the help of the U.S. military.

When the police murder with impunity domestically, marginalized people and those who stand in solidarity rise up, burn shit down, demand action, and force those in power to bow before the people. We remember and don’t give the state or its agents an inch. We must respond the same way when “soldiers”, international pigs, act the same way. We cannot make excuses for international pigs and their violence simply because it’s not directly in our faces every day.

With this in mind, we stand in solidarity and in power with Ganda, the larger trans and queer Filipino/a/x community, and trans and queer anarchists in the Philippines.

Death to Imperialism!

Death to Capitalism!

Death to the State!

For Trans and Queer anarchy!

– some anarchists

 

Report Back: New Jersey Gay Pride Pennsauken, NJ Free of Fascist Activity

  • September 19, 2022 1:11 am

from Jersey Counter-Info

Last week Sunday September 11, the fourteenth annual New Jersey Gay Pride was held in Pennsauken, NJ. With the surge in hate crimes and the far right terrorizing local queer communities in the region and all over the so-called united states, there was concern whether or not New Jersey Gay Pride would be targeted by fascists. To ensure attendees safety and in an effort to confront fascism in the streets, anarchists and antifascists in the region prepared for the event in advance. Event organizers were alerted of the possibility of a fascist presence, specifically NJEHA due to their recent activities, and were made aware prior to the event.

Anarchists and antifascists were on the ground throughout the duration of the event and spoke to a number of community members and groups who were tabling to give them a heads up about fascist activity and share information. Both the community members and anarchists and antifascists did not encounter any fascists or far right presence during the event. The community was able to come together and mourn lost ancestors, celebrate trans youth, and celebrate pride with one another with no interruptions or threats to safety.

To any fascists who may be reading this: If you show up at LGBTQ+ events or spaces the community, anarchists, and antifascists are prepared and are watching.

– some anarchists and antifascists

Nazareth Liberals let Local Fascist Speak at “Nazareth Together” Event

  • September 15, 2022 1:05 am

from Community Research Opposing Hate

On Saturday September 10, a group of Nazareth business owners & community members held a “Nazareth Together” event in response to backlash they recieved for placing pro-LGBT and pro-inclusion signs on their properties. In a letter published in early August, the far right anti-LGBT group Parents for Choice expressed concern that local business owners were part of a “dark and insidious campaign” that was pushing “LGBTQ+ and transgender ideology” on their children. The event was covered by WFMZ and the Morning Call. But both outlets left out key facts, presenting their readers with a false impression of the event.

Several speakers read statements submitted by individuals not physically in attendance. At least one of those speakers admitted this was due to safety concerns. And those concerns were valid. Known far right goon and January 6 insurrectionist Benjamin Jacques was in attendance with several of his associates.

Jacques was also allowed to speak at the event. In fact, he got the last word. WFMZ’s coverage was particularly misleading in this regard.

“I, personally, do not agree with the sign, and the only reason why is I think that if there’s a racist person in Nazareth, we should call them out,” WFMZ reported Jacques saying, referring to him only as a representative of Parents for Choice.

But WMFZ failed to acknowledge essential context. Jacques spoke for over 8 minutes in a bizarre, often incoherent rant full of blatant lies and non-sequiturs that eventually inspired heckles, a question regarding his involvement in January 6, and an accusation of bullying. WFMZ, however, chose to interpret this through the words of an unnamed associate of Jacques.

“A man who was with him noted off camera, ‘This speaker was the only one interrupted by the audience as he shared his view,’” WFMZ reported. They quoted only one other sentence in Jacques’ speech.

“So let’s start planting a seed of love and compassion no matter what your personal beliefs are.”

Jacques’ speech started with the strange declaration that Nazareth is his “Pleasantville,” perhaps a reference to a movie starring Toby Maguire & Reese Witherspoon. Ironically, the film was about a fictional 1950’s sitcom town that was seemingly perfect, but devoid of any real forms of individual expression or personal freedom. The lead characters introduce modern art, literature, and literal color to the monochrome Pleasantville. As a result, they are treated as dangerous radicals by the conservative mayor of the town. The town government eventually bans “colored” people from public venues and instigates a pogrom against them. “Colored” businesses are looted. Books are burned. Perhaps metaphor isn’t Jacques strong suit. Or maybe that’s what Jacques is planning to get up to.

Jacques continued, “Ever since I stepped foot in Nazareth, race has never been used as a weapon against me.” Jacques is, by his own admission, a white Latino. Instead of recognizing that he may be treated differently than others because he passes as white, Jacques then goes on to argue that “speaking of race does not belong in this town,” because Martin Luther King, Jr. told us to judge people on the content of their character, and that “If there’s a racist person in Nazareth, I personally will tell them to get the hell out.”

Jacques is personal friends with Nazareth business owner and fellow January 6 insurrectionist Amie Eckert. CROH documented Amie’s public displays of racism and transphobia in our article covering her far-right activism in the Lehigh Valley and beyond, including her bus charter to DC on January 6. There is no record of Jacques ever telling Eckert to leave town.

Jacques then went on to say that it must be the content of his character that ensures that he has good interactions with the police, insinuating that anyone who has had bad interactions with Nazareth police have poor character. He then admits that he belongs to Parents for Choice, insisting that they are not white supremacists (no one asked), but just parents with concerns that they want brought to the table. This is when the heckling started.

One person in the crowd asked why Jacques wanted to boycott the businesses with inclusive signage. He said that he did not want to. Another asked why he went to DC on January 6. He replied, “Oh, this again,” without further comment. A bit later, another in the crowd told Jacques to, “Stop bullying people.”

“Oh yeah, stop bullying people, too.” A nonsensical response.

When Jacques finished his speech and headed toward the back of the pavilion, the MC for the event quickly closed the open mic portion. “We’re out of time,” she said. Jacques was given the last word. The local business owners who run Nazareth Together seem more invested in giving local fascists a platform to lie about their aims than they are in creating space for marginalized voices at their events. How many LGBT residents did not show because they knew there would be dangerous bigots at the event? How many LGBT residents did show up, and had to listen to a dangerous bigot lie?

NJEHA Fascists Storm Bordentown NJ Pride

  • August 5, 2022 1:24 am

from Jersey Counter-Info

 

Anonymous Submission to Jersey Counter-Info

This past Saturday, July 30, 2022, Bordentown NJ held the city’s first ever community queer pride, which had been rescheduled from June due to inclement weather. The event had been publicly advertised for well over a month and the event plans broadcasted over varying news sites and social media.

Somewhat unexpectedly, five fascists, including Dan D’ambly and Ron Sheehy, from New Jersey European Heritage Association (NJEHA) showed up at Bordentown to disrupt the event and harrass queer community members. While it should be expected at this point for queerphobes of all types to be present at pride/queer events regardless of whether their presence is advertised or not, this shows an overall shift in fascist tactics throughout the state. As covered previously by Jersey Counter-Info, fascists and transphobes as of late have been publicly harassing public forums and event organizers/participants before events. After the said online harassment occurs the transphobes and fascists then turn up at events to continue their assault in person.

The deviation from this prior pattern tells us a few things, but primarily that certain fascist groups are becoming more security minded and using varied protest tactics to their benefit. Excluding NJEHA, all other fascist or transphobic groups in the region such as informal groups led by Terry Beck and White Lives Matter NJ, have been organizing very publicly against the queer community and organizations. There is likely a variety of reasons as to why they use this tactic, whether they are trying to build their organization bases or strike fear into the queer community in advance of an event. Regardless of their reasoning however, their pattern of behavior has enabled the anti-fascists to be able to respond swiftly and shut down the majority of their events, keeping the public safe and taking fascists head on in the streets. Similarly, NJEHA used these kinds of tactics in the past and were also largely unsuccessful. NJEHA’s shift in tactics shows they are becoming aware of operational security concerns and are learning from their past experience. Keeping their plans closed and amongst themselves they were able to avoid having masses of people counter-protesting against them, eliminate the added pressure of public commentary on social media, and have no interruptions in their planning phase.

With NJEHA’s presence at Bordentown pride not advertised, the antifascist response was unorganized. While there were some counter protestors to confront NJEHA the overall response was nowhere near what it should have been. NJEHA members were heckled and addressed by those there but were not disrupted to the point where they were forced to leave or thrown out by the public’s response. They were largely able to do what they came to do and which is a failure of anti-fascists in New Jersey. NJEHA felt enough safety in their actions on July 30, 2022 that they posted propaganda pictures after Bordentown pride on their public telegram account garnering thousands of views. With all of this added together, NJEHA’s actions on July 30, 2022 can be considered a failure of anti-fascists in the region.

Antifascists in this region should adapt to these new tactics and be better prepared for future events where fascists like NJEHA show up.

To NJEHA and other fascists and bigots reading this: Do not mistake this pause as proof of your safety. We are watching.

 

– some antifascists

NJEHA member Dan D’ambly pictured at Bordentown Pride July 30, 2022.

Dan D’ambly is 64 years old and lives at 1102 Blossom Circle in apartment 305 in Dayton NJ. He has two vehicles, a dark colored older model Toyota and a gold colored Cadillac.

NJEHA member Ron Sheehy pictured at Bordentown Pride July 30, 2022.

Ron Sheehy is 55 years old and lives at 207 6th Street in Barnegat NJ. He has a 2012 Jeep

Letter Writing to Marius Mason (5/25)

  • May 19, 2020 11:39 am

from Philly ABC

Our letter writing event for this month will be for Marius Mason, who has unfortunately been recently diagnosed with COVID-19 and will be fighting the virus from behind bars. Marius was chosen both because of his diagnosis and also because of the fast-approaching June 11th International Day of Solidarity with Marius and all long-term Anarchist prisoners.

The event will be held on May 25th at 6:30 PM. Due to COVID-19, this event will be held online using the secure open source video conferencing platform, Jitsi. Privacy is encouraged – no one is expected to share their camera. The meeting details will be posted here a day before the event.

Background: Marius Mason is a transgender, environmental and animal rights activist. In 1999, in the name of the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) he set fire to a lab at the University of Michigan that was conducting research on genetically modified organisms (GMO).  After Marius’ husband turned states-evidence, Marius was threatened with a life sentence for the arson and other acts of sabotage. With little financial stability and fear of dragging his family into a costly legal battle, Marius pled guilty and was given an extreme sentence of nearly 22 years. No one was ever harmed in any of his actions.

Marius lived and worked in the Detroit area for most of his life. Like the late Earth First! (EF!) organizer, Judi Bari, he was part of a generation of radicals who worked to link the environmental and labor movements, and was jointly active in both EF! and the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). It was this alliance which led to the initial success of the anti-globalization movement such as at the 1999 anti-WTO demonstration in Seattle. Mason was an editor of the Industrial Worker, the IWW newspaper, and a musician who recorded a neo-folk album, Not For Profit, with fellow EF!er Darryl Cherney in 1999. He also worked with numerous political as well as traditional charity groups.

If you are unable to join us on Jitsi, please send Marius a letter anyways:

Marie (Marius) Mason -061

FCI Danbury

Route 37

Danbury, CT 06811

United States

Joseph Berger, aka “GlockDoctor1488,” Host of Alt-Right Armory in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

  • April 7, 2020 1:14 pm

from It’s Going Down

[This post only contains information relevant to Philadelphia and the surrounding area, to read the entire articles follow the above link.]

Antifascist researchers exposed the real name of “GlockDoctor1488,” the host of the Alt-Right Armory podcast, who has disrupted a number of leftist and liberal events in Pennsylvania over the past year.

Joseph Berger, age 31, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, attended a protest of Drag Queen Story Hour at the Exeter Community Library in Reading, Pennsylvania, in February 2019, where he shouted obscenities at the families who had brought their children for the event, accusing them of being pedophiles.

In April 2019, he attended a show by Horna, a neo-Nazi black metal band.

In August 2019, Berger attended a Philadelphia Public Library talk by former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, where he screamed “Fuck you, you anti-white piece of shit! You will not replace us!” before fleeing the building.

Berger also hosts Alt-Right Armory, a podcast on Spreaker, where he disseminates antisemitic conspiracy theories and teaches the far-Right about guns.

Berger worked as a security guard at a water park in northeast Pennsylvania, but is currently laid off.