I just returned from the historic and amazing counter-protest held today in Kalamazoo to oppose the visit by a handful of white supremacists to our city. Hal Turner had broadcast a call for KKK, Nazi and others to come to Kalamazoo for a rally over national radio. There were several national leaders who spoke, including Bill White, commander of the American National Socialist Workers Party and Hal Turner. There were about 20 Neo-Nazi skinheads. There were approximately 40 of these bigots behind so many fences and with literally hundreds of police protecting them that it was hard to see how many came, but only a small number for sure.
I just returned from the historic and amazing counter-protest held today in Kalamazoo to oppose the visit by a handful of white supremacists to our city. Hal Turner had broadcast a call for KKK, Nazi and others to come to Kalamazoo for a rally over national radio. There were several national leaders who spoke, including Bill White, commander of the American National Socialist Workers Party and Hal Turner. There were about 20 Neo-Nazi skinheads. There were approximately 40 of these bigots behind so many fences and with literally hundreds of police protecting them that it was hard to see how many came, but only a small number for sure.
Although World Can’t Wait had nothing to do with the planning, organizing or executing of this protest, we did support it and a few of us attended it. It was planned by the Michigan Against White Supremacy coalition and people came from GR, Lansing, Ann Arbor and perhaps other cities.
It was truly amazing to see hundreds of people peacefully joining to protest racism, homophobia, anti-Semites and other bigotry. The crowd was made up of two main sections–I would say roughly 60-70% youth, both black and white, and the rest white and black adults of all ages. I estimate that the protesters were about 60% white and 40% Black. It was a wonderful and amazing coming together of different races for the same cause , several hundred people in all. We gathered at Bronson Park and then marched to the police station parking lot on Crosstown Pkwy. It was one of the most exciting and energizing protests that I have ever attended, with people chanting anti-racist chants while a sea of blue uniforms with riot gear and weapons formed a barricade between the protesters and the fenced in parking lot section. There were a few Nazis dressed in all black with swastikas who were outside the “pen” and who taunted the crowd as police on horseback protected them.
Their hate speech was virulent but the protesters were chanting so loudly that we drowned out all of the hate and bigotry. Many Black citizens came down to the site and the crowd grew steadily throughout the 3 hours or so. There was enormous unity among the people and no tensions among the Black youth were evident, even after the turf shootings of late and suggested gang activity. We all stood together proudly to reclaim our city from the KKK/Nazi white supremacists. I have never seen such a racially mixed crowd anywhere in Kazoo. In addition, there were gay and lesbian activists, many high school students and many college students. There were also a few people holding signs against anti-Semites.
I handed out dozens of orange armbands, ribbons and bandannas with “Drive out the Bush Regime” stamped on them, as well as over 100 flyers describing our new “declare it now–wear orange–drive out the Bush Regime” campaign. I was bombarded with people wanting the orange stuff, and before long there was a sea of orange in the crowd….people put the bandannas around their necks or faces, wore the armbands and ribbons, and kept coming back for more. I ran out of stuff and wished I had alot more. I handed out over 80 ribbons, 40 bandannas and 40 armbands. I also handed out our Call, which states that “your government enforces a culture of greed, bigotry, intolerance and ignorance.” When the Calls ran out, I handed out the orange Declare It Now halfsheet that Atlanta developed.
At one point, a Black woman in her 20’s approached me and asked if she could hand out orange ribbons and flyers to her friends. I was thrilled to have some help, and she kept coming back for more orange stuff! She stepped up to the plate and proceeded to enthusiastically embrace our orange campaign. She plans to attend our chapter meeting Monday, along with several other people who showed great interest. The Black youth absolutely LOVED the orange bandannas stampted with “drive out the Bush Regime” and kept approaching me throughout the day asking for them. The 40 we managed to make (after giving out dozens on the 2 orange Fridays before the event) were snatched up quickly, and I regret we didn’t have more. I urged the youth to make their own and told them how easy it is….buy cheap orange fabric, cut it in triangles, and voila! They loved wearing them around their faces, as did many white youth who snatched them up before we marched.
The mood was very upbeat and militant and people had many very inspiring homemade signs, quoting MLK and other leaders, speaking against racism and all kinds of bigotry. The young people led the march, rally, and the chants and there was a feeling in the air that we can change things. When Blacks, youth, working class folks and others come together like we did today, anything is possible!
When we marched back to Bronson Park, after the police escorted the Nazis’ bus out the back. Then, all of the sudden, as we marched down Burdick street by the Food Coop, police attacked the back of the march with their horses. I was marching at the back and I observed police attacking without ANY provocation, quickly separating us and forcing us onto the sidewalks. This was without any WARNING. They all of the sudden became combative and aggressive as we were peacefully marching toward the Park.
There was a standoff at the intersection of Lovell and Burdick where we chanted to let the marchers on the other side join us. They finally were able to cross the street and we proceeded back to Bronson Park. When we arrived,the police didn’t want to let us back in the park. We were shocked since we began there and there is a long history of marches ending up back at the park. After some challenges as to why we couldn’t go into a public park, the people went in anyway and naturally gravitated to the steps on the stage. The police immediately ran onto the stage and demanded aggressively that people get off the stage and steps…..a young woman didn’t leave and was arrested. Then another young woman apparently decided to make a statement by standing on the bottom step and SHE was also arrested. A chant went up, “let her go!”
The police acted like they were purposefully antagonizing the peaceful crowd, both with their very aggressive moves on horseback and with their show of force in riot gear with guns. But the people were not intimidated whatsoever, and continued to chant for another 30 minutes or so. Many chants went up comparing the police to the Nazis and there was much outrage at the police actions. It was clear they were there to protect the Nazis and they seemed angry at being lumped together with them.
Then a collection was taken to bail out the two young women and another man who was arrested at the protest site, and a group of people mobilized to go to the jail. About 15 protestors went to the jail and bailed the two women from Ann Arbor out. The third was not released, pending charges of assault of a police horse. The crowd lingered for awhile, and many new faces appeared in the park. Black youth came on their bicycles and other Black people joined us. I think they were heartened to know that so many white people protested against the disgusting racist event. Something new was in the air–Black youth uniting with white youth to go up against the system is something you don’t see everyday.
I am convinced that it was very important for hundreds of us to go up against this arrogant and vicious white supremacy and the hate speech that spewed from their microphones. The Black community knew that we “had their backs” and that they weren’t alone. After Katrina and the way Black people were rounded up and put in the Superdome without food or water, and others were shot trying to secure medicine, diapers and food, intimidation of Black people was taken to a new stage. We need to unite with Blacks, Jews, gay and lesbians, immigrants, women and all the other groups that are being attacked. Something very new happened in Kalamazoo today. There was no gang turf being fought over, no tension between whites and blacks, only people coming together to reclaim our town and push back the hate and ignorance.
Even though all of the “respectable” black and white leaders, the police chief and the newspaper editor had strongly urged people to NOT go near the rally and instead to boycott it, several hundred people still came. There were several alternative events scheduled for black youth to keep them away, but many came anyway. The newspaper report today was accurate for the most part, and can be read at www.mlive.com. click on kalamazoogazette. I sent photos from this site to accompany this report.
JC, Kalamazoo Chapter, The World Can’t Wait