Neo-Nazi Immigration Rallies (VIDEO): Events Attract Larger Counter-Protests

Anti-immigration rallies held by neo-Nazi groups in Arizona and Minnesota this weekend drew large counter-protests sometimes outnumbered the original protest. The counter-protests drew large numbers of residents who felt the need to confront the neo-Nazis:

I've never done anything like this before, but there's just so much racial tension in Phoenix lately," Wilcox said, as he held a sign that read "Nazis stay out of PHX." "I don't want it to seem like (they are) welcome here." [. . .]

The opposing rallies in Minnesota were shadowed by police officers and firemen on guard to quickly quell any disturbance. Three counter-protesters were arrested last month during a previous confrontation between the two groups.

Watch footage from the rally in Arizona below.

Comments

[creolechild]

This is priceless...

"On Saturday, a few dozen anti-immigration activists gathered on the steps of the Minnesota State Capitol for a Tea Party, part of the nationwide effort by Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALIPAC). But somehow, one of the counter-protesters, a “concerned citizen from Minneapolis” named “Robert Erickson,” manged to get on the speaking list. His address started with the standard anti-immigrant rhetoric, but then revealed that he was talking about European immigrants. By this time, however, the crowd was in a frenzy and joined him in his chants of “Columbus go home!” and “Europeans out!”:

"Let’s send these European immigrants back where they came from! I don’t care if they are Polish, Irish, English, Italian, or Norwegian! European immigrants are responsible for the most violent and heinous crimes in the history of the world, including genocide and slavery! Its time to restore the sovereignty of people native to this land! I want more workplace raids, starting with the big banks downtown."

Christopher Day at DailyKos notes, “The Tea-Baggers seem pretty clueless, and for the most part don’t even seem to realize they have been punk’d.”

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/11/16/columbus-go-home/

[Promote]

Confederates Confederate's Confederates !

[Promote]

The Birthers , Seceders and Tea Party Is At It Again !

[ebanks84]

What I don't understand is how can they say they have white purity when their ancestors were black? Can somebody explain that to me please? Nobody in the world is pure anything. We are all mixed with something! They are illusionary that's all.

[michelesda]

We were all black when we all lived in Africa, but for most of us that was a mighty long time ago. Migrations to more northerly latitudes whitens the skin of populations by natural selection over the generations, in order to allow it to make more vitamin D on less available sunlight.

[Mexitli]

If they plan on holding on to the So. West then they'd better stop protesting and start doing the horizontal lambada.

[Benjamin Posch]

i say if they don't want to live by the codes and standards of fairness and equality that built america, they shouldn't be allowed to live there. america is the great melting-pot, right? it's supposed to be for anyone, from anywhere. well, if you can't play by the rules...

[spytheweb]

If you came here legally, you stay, and if you came illegally you don't belong here. This goes for everyone no matter where you came from.

If being an American means more than just living inside it's borders, then those who pass themselves off as such should be deported.

[malabar]

Following your logic, then you should be packing right about now, unless you are a Native American Indian.

[viktornacht]

European settlers didn't break any laws when they moved to North America.

[ebanks84]

I wanna tell you! But people don't seem to understand that being white doesn't necessarily mean that you are right in everything that you do. They were NOT the first people in this country but some of them feel they have the right to say how comes or who goes. Only our laws have that right.

[brady61995]

legally when the last 90 days or last 90 years. i think that everyone here should be legalized and if you have a violent criminal record we can talk deportation. you need to make some new friends. there are alot of great people in this country that you need to get to know better. really wake up

[Chip W]

Are you referring to the laws in the books or the de facto law that said "Help Wanted?"

[brady61995]

we were chasing these fools off in the 80's. there will always be this element in american society but thankfully it gets smaller each year. Every counter protest i have been too we outnumbered them 10 to1, american history x i thought was an excellent movie on redemtion and awakining that told a story true to this day, they go after young impressionable kids and teach them this kind of hate. there are so many better things that one could do with thier life, its too bad to see the reinsurgence.

[woodshoe]

just FYI, as it is absent from the video and the accompanying write-up,.. the anti-fascists dressed in black who make up much of the ANTI-nazi cadre are anarchists. (anarchism is the political modality which seeks to confront and dissemble hierarchy, whether that hierarchy is racism, sexism, or any otherwise authoritarian system.)
great work anarchists and other thoughtful protesters who came out to give the nazis a great big 'NO'!

[snapshot1940]

There was one group of about 25 that had signs saying, "No European borders" and something about a borderless continent. And another was shouting about why we dropped the A-bomb on the Nazis. I'm not for National Socalists but I'm not for anarchists, either.

[v eyepete]

Let's see a list of the last names of these individuals, so under educated they do not realize their people came over here on a boat and they named their group after a movement that happened in Germany, which has nothing to do with the USA. Too bad getting an education is not as easy as hating.

[AmandaBC]

Sharing the very same "values" (or lack thereof...) with the GOP, the teabaggers and Faux News...

[Vet68]

No need to worry about these idiots, all they're looking for is attention.. if they want to start a fight, they don't stand a chance and they know it... please start something you fake NAZI's!!

[brady61995]

its what they do in the dark thats the problem, dont think they are not dangerous, they are

[ebanks84]

Oh you are so right. They are very dangerous and they are PUNKS. They are too afraid to do their dirt in the light so people will know who they really are. They like to hide behind masks, scarfs, or white sheets to do damage like little children. A real man would face his enemy and make it a real fight. The Nazis didn't hide from anybody. They were up in your face with their mess :)

[ebanks84]

I think their main purpose is cause more divisiveness than anything else. Because they figure some people will be on their side and they can recruit more new members.

[Dixieboy]

Pack these idiot skinheads up....along with all the illegals detained recently...and air-drop them (safely) back into Mexico.

[svnjewels]

Why do these cowards hide their faces? If you are true to your beliefs let the world see who you are.

[urfree2speak]

Here is my question to the Federal Government......are you monitoring these hate groups? how can we be sure that these people or agents of these people are not harming, ordinary citizens or no citizens? How can we be sure that these folks are not committing acts of terrorism against other non white Americans.
Sure they have a right to free speech and all....but it seems that if we have learned anything ..we have learned that history repeats itself.
Cowards ...will attack in numbers and will kill and terrorize the weak or the unprepared. The problem is Homeland Security watching these people....or do the people have to watch them?
If these folks are not stopped now.......we will have race wars in the streets.....it is inevitable....there is nothing remotely funny or amusing about these folks.....
They should be treated as potential terrorist............

[ebanks84]

But they won't be treated as such until they cause someone's demise. And they are so slick with their deviousness that even if they did, 9 times out of 10, we wouldn't know about it anyway. They don't advertise like they used to. They might still be doing some of the same old things but hiding it very well.