White supremacists, demonstrators square off in LA

[teko]

LOS ANGELES — A white supremacist group rallied against illegal immigration in downtown Los Angeles Saturday as hundreds of counter-protesters gathered to shout them down in a tense standoff that included several arrests, thrown rocks and police in riot gear.
A Los Angeles police officer stands guard during a white supremacist rally at Los Angeles City Hall on Saturday April 17, 2010. Hundreds of counter-protestors carrying anti-Nazi signs have gathered in downtown Los Angeles where a white supremacist group is rallying. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
An unidentified man is confronted by an anti-Nazi crowd during a white supremacist rally at Los Angeles City Hall on Saturday April 17,2010. Hundreds of counter-protestors carrying anti-Nazi signs have gathered in downtown Los Angeles where a white supremacist group is rallying. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
A white supremacist group salutes American flags and banners with swastikas at Los Angeles City Hall on Saturday, April 17,2010. Hundreds of counter-protestors carrying anti-Nazi signs have gathered in downtown Los Angeles where a white supremacist group is rallying. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)




Police officers stood between the white supremacists and counter-demonstrators on the south lawn of Los Angeles' City Hall, where about 50 members of the National Socialist Movement waved American flags and swastika banners for about an hour.

Five people, all of them counter-protesters, were arrested on suspicion of throwing items, police said.

The white supremacists, many of them wearing flack helmets and black military fatigue uniforms, shouted "Sieg Heil" before each of their speakers took the podium to taunt counter-protesters with racial, anti-Semitic and misogynistic epithets.

"We will meet you head on," one of the white supremacists, whose name could not be made out over the fuzzy public address system, warned the crowd from behind several phalanxes of police in riot gear.

Members of the Detroit-based group said they picked the location for their rally because of Los Angeles' large immigrant population. They accused some of the immigrants of stealing jobs and committing crimes.

Group members also said they were reacting to the recent number of street marches across the country encouraging legislators to enact reform that includes amnesty for some illegal immigrants.

National Socialist Movement regional director Jeffrey Russell Hall announced that the group would begin backing political candidates who agreed with their anti-immigrant message.

But much of the white supremacists' words were drowned out by such chants as "Hey hey, ho ho, Nazi scum have got to go" from the larger crowd of about 500 counter-protesters who held signs that read "Nazis: Get Out of Los Angeles" and "Racists Are Ignorant."

There was a brief flare-up of violence before the speakers arrived. A shirtless man was seen being escorted to safety behind police lines by a plainclothes officer as counter-protesters punched and grabbed at him. Blood could be seen at the base of the man's neck.

National Lawyers Guild executive director James Lafferty, who attended both as a legal observer and counter-protester, said he saw the man get into a fight with crowd members who saw his Nazi lightning bolt tattoos.

Police Commander David Doan said a second man who crowd members believed was sympathetic with the white supremacists was also assaulted during the rally. Both men were treated for minor injuries at a hospital and released.

As the rally ended, counter-protesters hurled rocks, branches and other items over the police line and into a parking lot where the white supremacists' had left their cars.

Some members of the group had trouble starting a black Ford Mustang and attempted to hook up jumper cables to their engine. They protected themselves from the flying debris by holding up swastika-emblazoned shields.

The white supremacists eventually gave up and pushed their car away so they could jump-start it out of range of the projectiles.

___

April 18, 2010 03:46 AM EDT

[Dazon50]

Whew....glad I don't move in those circles.  However it grieves me that it exists and as long as it does and others are suffering....not good.  I know that people have to care to band together to do something about things like this or else, it takes over....don't we all know that by what we are having issues with currently. There are more than any one person can deal with. It is a good thing that we have so many caring people willing to be creative in dealing with them.

I admire those brave enough to go and stand up for what is right.  Learning how to fight in the right way is a challenge to human nature.

[MrGreen]

Here in Ireland for many a year we had the situation were a certain Republican terrorist group, may as well call them what they were, would go into areas and sort out those who were up to no good. They don't do it any more and you would be amazed at how bad some areas have gotten. It rises the old debate of did they help and clean the areas up for years, when the polices hands were tied on the matter. Or where they just as bad as the scum in the areas. I was always well in favour of them going into areas. They would take you for a ride. Give you a warning. If you continued your ways they would come back and next it was a hiding you got. If you still didn't get the message you were asking for worse. Or just dumb. But you never saw the problems you see openly today. Yes they were a terrorist group. We have a few in Ireland. Not a good tourist attraction, but they exist. But they kept the areas in check. If you knew the area was under their watchful eye you wouldn't do anything. People always assume the existed only in the North of Ireland. But many a time the police would close an eye and let them sort out a problem or two. And it is lacking big time today. You have areas with teens running riot with guns. Openly dealing drugs. Race attacks. 16 year old Nigerian killed only last week. Stabbed to death. The old fashioned methods are some times the best methods. At least they always got their point across. Whatever method they opted to use. Dublin can be like a war zone at times. Latest batch of scumbags taken over these areas. As that old threat is no longer there. They fear nobody today. Especially the police. It's as if they know they can't be touched. Or feel that way.

[Vintendo56]

Very good points, sir...and thank you for the website info, but I think I'll take a pass.  If there's one thing a loathe more than bullies it is bullies who hide behind the internet.

A good left hook to the short ribs has an amazing way of tuning a bully's attitude right up.  But sadly...the days of "community law" have been replaced by "municipal and state law" giving people the false sense that the police and lawyers can protect them.

When we first moved out to the country, this whole area was a big neighborhood and if someone came in selling dope, or breaking into houses and whatnot, we just got a few of us together and explained to them that they had to leave and not come back.  If they didn't get the message we applied a little Skinnerian Behavior Modification (aversion therapy) and that always worked!  Sadly, nowadays, if people tried cleaning up their own neighborhoods, THEY would be the ones in jail! AND probably be getting sued.

Ah, heck.  These gray skies and cold wind have me grumpy, so if I can't think of something positive to add, I should just shut up. Still and all, I believe its always better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission.

I do remember a few years ago, these wannabe bikers moved into the Morton Area on White Pass and set up a meth lab.  They were too skilled and cautious for the police to catch them, so about 50 of us at first and up to 150 of us would park just outside the meth people's driveways and just let the low rumble of the motorcycles speak our discontent.  After about two weeks when the biker count rose to around 150-200, the wannabe's called the cops!  The sheriff told them as long as we weren't on their property or making threats, we were ok.  The next day they packed up and moved out of the county with all of us following right behind them to the county line.  Amazingly enough, they never came back...LOL!

Ok, slept in, gotta eat and COFFEE!!!!!

laters,

Vinny

[MrGreen]

The way I see it is that most of them wouldn't even fit the bill of what Hitler was looking for in the perfect race of people. If he was still alive and in charge of them all he would wipe half of them out. In a big way they contradict what Hitler wanted. They may be white. But that wouldn't have made them safe under Hitler's rules. As was said, it is just another excuse to start a fight. The idiots can be found any day of the week on a forum called called stormfront. It is always getting radio attention in ireland because of the race comments posted by Irish people on it. Over here they want the law to track down the users and prosecute them. But the forum is outside of the EU. So can't be touched. It is a woeld forum. Full of idiots. But good if you like a good debate with a shower of sad feckers.

[Vintendo56]

Hmmm...I guess you're right about the alien himself not being a felon, just whoever helps him/her...I stand corrected.  Thank you.  My point was these people approving them all the aid are committing felonies and if you or I conspired to aid and abet a felony, we'd be either firing public defenders right and left, or shelling out big stacks a wax to big name lawyers!  

And I guess there's alot to the insecurity thing.  If the Kool-Aid Kid in Guayana can talk all those folks into giving up all their worldly wealth, then actually drink the Kool-Aid, then there MUST be people stupid enough to believe that Nazi Doctrine.  It just royally chaps the south parts of me walkin north!  I believe both R Glass and adgal are right too...sigh...but I'm still pretty sure I'd be hauled off in cuffs. Never could stand bullies, under any circumstances.  I'm just not that civilized.

[adgal]

You are so right.   We had a similar situation in our city a few weeks ago.  It was literally less the a dozen neo nazis or whatever they are with signs parading around downtown.  The media here jumped all over it.  If we can't ship them off to their own island, we should at the very least ignore them.  Don't give them the audience they so desire.  

[R Glass]

“Just using it as an excuse to spread their hatred”
The sad part is, they got what they came for.
This was only 50 people that were based out of Detroit. They came to L.A. for one reason, publicity. The media took it hook, line, and sinker.
Keep in mind; this was only 50 people that got immediate National Attention.
They won.

[adgal]

This one is so easy for me to comment on.  All of these so called white supremiscits, neo natzis, or whatever they wish to call themselves should buy themselves a remote island somewhere to live out their lives.  They have no legitimate place in society and as far as I am concerned are the lowest of the low.  Problem solved.

BTW, I don't believe they care a whit about immigration reform.  I don't know a lot about the situation in the US, but here in Canada our immigration policies need a bit of work.  However, these groups aren't really protesting that.  Just using it as an excuse to spread their hatred.

[specialmom]

Still thinking that if I couldn't afford to care for more adopted children, I would have to say that I can't adopt anymore.  I think our country should do the same unless they go through the required procedures to be an American citizen.  No matter what race they are.

Every culture suffers from racism.  The core of bigotry is often insecurity.  Many that jumped on Hitler's bandwagon did so because he spoke to the part of their core that wanted to be better than someone else.  The group at this rally is no different.  Glad they were matched by those who speak out against racism.  

[Vintendo56]

I am a white anglo-saxon male and I am offended by the term "White Supremacists," to no end.  I am certainly not "Supreme" in any way, just your garden variety white guy who is struggling like all the rest of the world to figure out how to end all this nonsense, take care of my family and support anyone who is in need that I am able to help.

From what I read of your post teko, I think the press was too quick to jump on the "supremacist" bandwagon.  These were Neo-Nazi's, pure and simple.  Shouting "Seig Heil!" should have been the first clue, and I can't for the life of me see why anyone would still idolize Adolph Hitler in any way.  What did he and his followers ever do that was so praiseworthy?  Kill off over 6 million human beings in some misguided effort at immortality through a mystical cabal who followed the Thule? A known speedball addict who went psychotically insane against fellow "white" people? Due to a difference in religion????  It could be just me, but I don't see how any of that could be considered "supreme."

I look at the "white" people who distributed smallpox and measles infected woolen blankets to the Native Americans during the freezing winter killing millions of innocent babies, women and the elderly for nothing more than the same thing all wars are fought for...money.  All over the unimaginable concept that the land and seas of the earth belong to us all, and to live in harmony with that, in order that the earth could sustain us all.

I lived in Hawaii for almost 14 years, and experienced racial prejudice from the opposite perspective that we have here on the mainland, and it was an eye-opener for me, as I have never been on the bottom of the racial scale before, yet I still respect and admire the true Native Hawaiians who hold true to so many of the same decent, loving qualities towards people that our Natives did before they were slaughtered by the millions, and which some still do.  For 14 years I saw all races getting along, prospering and only judging  the actions of people rather than their ideologies. Even though there are hot-heads of every race who acted as if "I" personally held their Queen hostage and threatened to kill every one of the people she was supposed to protect until she was forced to give the Islands to America, I was also taken in to families as if I were one of their own.

I wonder, exactly what is it that gives some people of my own race the idea we are supreme?  Take a close look at our legislative branch of the government who are by far largely "white," and tell me they are doing the right thing.

I do agree that allowing illegal aliens to enter our country, and while being here illegally just give them all the benefits that our citizen's worked their whole lives for to aid them in their own retirement, so much so in fact that now there is nothing left to give.  It is a felony to enter America illegally, and any state or government official that aids these ILLEGAL felons in ANY way is by law guilty of felony conspiracy to defraud.

However these supposed supremacists blame the common people of different races, rather than placing the blame where it truly lies, with the lawmakers, who only pass laws to benefit themselves and those who contribute the most to their campaigns.

It is just my humble opinion that it is WE, The People of whatever skin color who are the ones that need to stand up and say, "Enough!"  When some one or some group accepts millions of dollars to pass a law that hurts my parents, my children, my grandchildren AND yours, they are guilty of one simple thing. Treason. Yet so few of us cry out against this evil machine, that it becomes a simple matter to "disappear" those of us who do, but if no-one is willing to stand for what is right and just unless they are in a faceless mob...we are lost. America is lost.  No matter what your skin color.

All that is necessary for evil and tyranny to triumph if for enough good people to do nothing.