A-Infos (en) US, NJ ARA Strikes Blow Against Local National Alliance Organizing

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Anti-Racism and White Supremacy NJ ARA[*] Strikes 
Blow Against Local National Alliance Organizing
On Saturday April 5, New Jersey Anti-Racist Action (NJ 
ARA) struck a major blow against National Alliance 
(NA) organizing in New Jersey. After a neo-Nazi concert 
scheduled for March 29th at the Elmwood Park VFW 
Hall was cancelled due to pressure from an 
ARA-initiated phone jam, and police raided the location 
the show was moved to, local anti-fascists decided this 
would be a good time to continue to damage the National 
Alliance's ability to organize in New Jersey.

Over the past several months, it has become obvious that 
both the local National Alliance unit and various other 
neo-Nazis have been attempting to create a strong base 
in Elmwood Park - from shows, to monthly meetings and 
regional gatherings - events have been regularly 
scheduled for this small north Jersey town. ARA decided 
to take advantage of the confusion and anger surrounding 
the cancellation of their show, and make the local 
neo-Nazi organizing known to the entire community.

Members of NJ ARA spent the better part of the 
afternoon and evening going door to door, speaking with 
Elmwood Park residents and handing out flyers (see 
below) notifying the community about the neo-Nazi 
threat in their town. The flyers spoke about a local 
meeting hall where the New Jersey National Alliance 
meets on an almost monthly basis, and explained exactly 
who the NA is, and why they are such a threat. The flyers 
also notified the community that a local VFW hall had 
been allowing various white supremacist groups to 
organize shows there. It pointed out that a show had just 
been scheduled for the hall, and was only cancelled due 
to pressure from ARA members and other anti-fascists in 
the tri-state area. In addition, the flyer outlined how that 
venue allowed a show back in August, where 250 assorted 
boneheads and nazis attended. Community response was 
all very positive - most people were glad to be receiving 
the information, thanking ARA members for taking the 
time to be out in the neighborhood, educating the 
community. Emotions ranged from shock, confusion, and 
anger about how this could be going on in their town 
without their knowledge. Some people were very 
interested in actually doing something to stop the white 
supremacist organizing in their town, and promised to 
come out to any local events NJ ARA might be having to 
try and put a stop to the local neo-Nazi organizing going 
on in Elmwood Park.

While finishing up the flyering for the day, ARA 
members noticed that the parking lot at the JOUAM 
Hall, the meeting hall the National Alliance owns and 
uses for its monthly meetings, was starting to fill up. 
After driving by the hall and being able to see a podium 
with the NA life ruin symbol in the center of the room, it 
was confirmed - the National Alliance was having a 
meeting that night. NJ ARA members wanted to do 
something about the meeting, especially after such a 
successful day talking with community members. It was 
decided that a small protest would be held in front of the 
hall, to alert drivers and neighbors to what was going on, 
and further outing the organizing the NA has tried to 
keep quiet in Elmwood Park. Several signs were made - 
"Honk if You Hate Nazis," "Nazi Meeting Here," and 
"Keep NJ Hate Free" - and then about a dozen 
anti-fascists took up spots on the two corners around the 
JOUAM Hall.

Immediately, two people from the hall came over to talk 
to the ARA members present. They started by saying 
that this was not a National Alliance meeting, just a 
"union" meeting. However, one of the men who had come 
to talk was wearing a life ruin pin, and then the other 
man started asking what the problem would be if it was 
an NA meeting, trying to convince ARA members that 
everyone was on the same side - anti-war, 
pro-Palestinian, and anti-government. Some ARA 
members choose to argue with him for a while, while 
others ignored him and just attempted to draw attention 
to the fact that a neo-Nazi event was about to take place.

Several other anti-fascists were standing on the same 
side of the street as the hall, and NA members tried to 
kick them of "their" property. ARA members told him 
the sidewalk was public property, and when he 
threatened to call the police, they stood their ground. 
When the police arrived, it was obvious that they were 
informing the NA leadership that nothing could be done, 
that ARA was allowed to protest. The NA members were 
extremely upset at this turn of events, with many trying 
to take our pictures, and all of them standing outside the 
hall, obviously pissed off.

The police responsed to our impromptu emonstration 
with a show of force - 8 police cars, marked and umarked, 
2 plainclothes detectives, and a lieutenant. At the same 
time, the police acknowledged that they were suprised 
that the NA was having a meeting (they claimed the NA 
leadership failed to alert them), and even more surprised 
that ARA was there having a demonstration, admitting 
that they did not "have the manpower for this." However, 
we were informed that as long as there was no violence, 
we would be allowed to stay.

ARA stayed outside the meeting hall for almost 2 hours, 
getting lots of honks and cheers from passing cars. The 
demonstration also seemed to have an effect on meeting 
attendance - their were probably only 25 or 30 or so cars 
in the parking lot, down from the usual 50 or 60 at past 
meetings. The only real incident, other than NA 
members arriving at the meeting and yelling, was a 
pick-up truck driver who seig-heiled several times and 
yelled "Aryan Brotherhood" as he drove by.

In an interesting turn of events, local anti-racists notified 
NJ ARA that on Sunday morning, many of the cars that 
were in the parking lot the night before were still there. 
It was obvious that the National Alliance was very 
nervous about their hall, and choose to have their 
members sleep there to protect it. The cars were 
reportedly gone by early afternoon.

All in all, this was deemed a successful day, and 
definitely put some very big dents in the National 
Alliance's ability to organize quietly in Elmwood Park, 
NJ. More flyering about local white supremacist 
organizing and demonstrations outside NA meetings are 
planned for the future. The hope is that more pressure 
will be exerted, and the nazis won't feel safe to continue 
organizing.

ARA Flyer Distributed to the Elmwood Park 
Community:

NEO-NAZIS ARE ORGANIZING IN YOUR 
COMMUNITY!

Over the past year, it has become obvious that neo-Nazi 
groups are attempting to establish a strong base in 
Elmwood Park. From shows to meetings, they are 
continually organizing events in this area.

Just last week, a neo-Nazi concert was scheduled to take 
place at the Elmwood Park VFW Hall at 6 Veteran 
Place. After pressure from an Anti-Racist 
Action-intiated phone jam against the hall, the show was 
cancelled. Organizers attempted to move the show to 
another location in Passaic, but police shut it down, 
confiscating literature and merchandise while handing 
out summonses.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time the Elmwood 
Park VFW Hall has hosted a neo-Nazi concert. Last 
August, 250 assorted neo-Nazis filled the hall, listening 
to and performing their hate-filled music. It is these 
types of bands that recruit members for white 
supremacist hate groups like the National Alliance who 
run a campaign of terror against Jews, blacks, Asians, 
South Asians, immigrants, queers and anyone else who 
does not fit what they consider to be an "Aryan" ideal.

We must send the hall a very strong message that they 
cannot support such causes. Feel free to give the hall a 
ring, ask them about the nazi shows, and express your 
opinion - 201-796-9717.

In addition to shows, the National Alliance has been 
holding monthly meetings and regional gatherings in 
Elmwood Park. The National Alliance is the largest and 
fastest growing white supremacist organization in the US, 
and it has been placed on the FBI's Domestic Terrorist 
list. Locally, the New Jersey National Alliance meets in 
the JOUAM Hall on the corner of Locust Street and 
River Drive (it is at the southeast corner of the 
intersection of Route 80 and River Dr). Upwards of 75 
sophisticated suit and tie-type nazi organizers meet in 
that residential neighborhood on a regular basis.

It definitely seems like the neo-Nazis are attempting to 
call Elmwood Park home, and it is up to all of us who 
believe in freedom to say enough is enough! Let's stand 
up to the nazi trash and show them that they are not 
welcome in our town!

For more information about racist organizing in your area 
and how to stop it, or to find out about upcoming 
anti-racist events, please contact New Jersey Anti-Racist 
Action: newjerseyara@ziplip.com.

[* Editor note: ARA is a North American network of
groups of anti authoritarian and anarchist activists]

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