This just In:
Saturday "Hammerskin Nation" Neo-Nazi Event Gets Cut Short
> Anti-racists Reveal White Supremacist Gathering, Leading to Event
> Cancellation
>
> Portland, Oregon - Thanks to their eyes and ears in Portland and
beyond, anti-fascists were able to release information about the location of
a white supremacist gathering held on Saturday, October 6 in the
greater Portland area, leading to the cancellation of its venue. White
> supremacists associated with the Hammerskin Nation, a neo-Nazi
> organization, had rented the Sherwood Elks Lodge (22770 SW Elwert
Rd.,Sherwood, OR) under false pretexts, for use in its
twentieth-anniversary
> celebration, scheduled for October 5 - 7. Around three hours after
> receiving information about the true nature of the event being held
on
> their premises, the Elks Club pulled the Saturday venue, denying use
of
> their space to fascist organizers. Approximately 70 - 100 hardcore
white
> supremacists were at the venue at the time of cancellation. Chatter
on
> racist bulletin boards suggests that other bigots had already
cancelled
> their travel plans in earlier weeks, due to concerns about
anti-fascist
> responses. Despite their earlier talk of a comprehensive "action
plan" for
> the weekend, regional law enforcement showed no signs of having
developed
> viable information about the racist gathering's location.
>
> The October 5 - 7 "Hammerfest" neo-Nazi gathering had been planned by
the
> "Hammerskin Nation" racist organization. The Hammerskins began their
> organized activity in 1987, when they were known as the Confederate
> Hammerskins, a violent and racist skinhead grouping in Dallas, TX.
The
> Hammerskins have now grown into a "Hammerskin Nation" with national
and
> international affiliates. The Hammerskins combine thug tactics with
> recruitment through hate rock, to forward their Hitler-admiring
agenda.
> The Hammerskin Nation organized their "Hammerfest" national gathering
in
> conjunction with Volksfront, a Portland-led white supremacist group
linked
> to two of the killers of Ethiopian immigrant Mulugeta Seraw in 1988.
> Similar to the Hammerskins, Volksfront has chapters throughout North
> America and also on other continents.
>
> Acting on information from verified but anonymous sources, the Ad Hoc
> Committee Against Racism and Fascism contacted the Sherwood Elks
Lodge
> shortly after 4PM on Saturday, October 6. At that time, the Elks
booking
> manager expressed disbelief that there was a neo-Nazi gathering being
held
> on the premises, insisting that only an innocent rock show was taking
> place. The Committee then released its information to the public and
the
> media, requesting that phone calls be made to the venue urging
> cancellation of the neo-Nazi event. Elks members, some of whom were
> present at the venue, subsequently realized what was going on and did
the
> right thing.
>
> The Ad-Hoc Committee Against Racism and Fascism also brought
approximately
> 250 people together for a public rally from 1-3PM at Lents Park (SE
92nd &
> Steele) on the same Saturday. The Lents Park "Nazis Not Welcome,
Unite
> Against Racism" community gathering featured diverse voices
connecting the
> Hammerskin Nation event to broader problems of bigotry and
> institutionalized oppression. All those present expressed a
commitment to
> undermining neo-Nazi organizing in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
>
> The Ad-Hoc Committee realizes that the Hammerskins and their ilk have
at
> times been deceptive when booking events or when obtaining resources.
We
> also want to note that any number of hotels, venues, civic
organizations
> and businesses may have knowingly or unknowingly profited from
> "Hammerfest" this year. We believe that institutions in this city
need to
> take responsibility for informing themselves about white supremacist
and
> neo-Nazi organizing in the region. The Ad-Hoc Committee also believes
that
> any businesses that profited from the racist gathering should now
take
> appropriate measures. We urge written accounts of white supremacist
> movements in the city to be submitted to us by email. We also believe
that
> any profits drawn from the neo-Nazi event-either by accident or
through
> turning a blind eye-should now be redirected to groups combating
white
> supremacy.
_________________________
So save me your sorries, I'm raising an army...
Fortes Fortuna Adiuvat.