- Update : AmRen organiser Jared Taylor has once again declared that the conference has been cancelled, following Capitol Skyline Hotel’s apparent decision to withdraw its services from the racist schmucks; Capitol Skyline was, I believe, the third or possibly fourth such hotel to do so. See also : White Supremacist Conference Cancelled, The Mormon Worker, February 18, 2010 | AmRen Canceled – This Time We Really Mean It, The Self-Described Anarchist Collective, February 18, 2010.
Once upon a time, BNP Führer Nick Griffin was going to tour The Colonies.
First, Australia.
That was in late 2008. His tour, scheduled to take place in December and organised by the Australian Protectionist Party (the principal spokesperson for which, Darrin Hodges, was recently a guest on tabloid current affairs show Today Tonight), was eventually postponed cancelled. (A previous tour in 1998 was halted after then-Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs Montgomery Burns refused him entry to the country.)
Secondly — and now — the United States.
Sadly, as in the case of Australia, Griffin’s tour of the former British colony has run into some difficulties.
Thus Griffin was scheduled to speak at the Ninth American Renaissance Conference (2010): Defending the West, joining a range of other Aryan Intellectuals such as ah, Dan Roodt and er, Craig Bodeker and um, Jared Taylor.
Then it got cancelled.
That’s right. Done. Kaput. Finished. Over. CANCELLED! After three months of getting the word out and letting people know that a group of politically connected white supremacists were planning to meet this weekend, American Renaissance editor Jared Taylor threw in the towel, effectively cancelling the American Renaissance Conference 2010…
And then it got re-scheduled. According to the fine folks at One People’s Project: “Despite earlier announcements that they cancelled the American Renaissance Conference, organizers say they have secured another venue, a hotel with a recent history of hosting white supremacists.”
Welcome to the Capitol Skyline Hotel in Washington, DC.
Forget about stuffy, over-designed, boring hotels. The Capitol Skyline is all about being happy, cool, interesting, fun, unpretentious, and comfortable. It’s a place where you can be yourself, see some incredible things, and be around people who are interested in racism, but not victims of it.
The conference is scheduled to take place from February 19. Or thereabouts. At The Capitol Skyline. Maybe.
In any event (or non-event), as a result of this latest fracas, Griffin’s tour of the United States has also been cancelled. Prior to his defence of Western Civilisation at the AmRen conference, on February 18 Griffin was supposed to speak at Kenyon College in Ohio. That event got cancelled. He was also intending to rally to the defence of the Sons of Liberty in Michigan, but that too has been cancelled.
Finally, in response to the re-scheduling of the AmRen conference, some self-described (to be confused with self-styled) anarchists have released a statement ‘Concerning the American Renaissance Conference’ (February 17, 2010). Further, both The Pink Mafia and ZOG have refused to either confirm or deny that Griffin’s difficulties have anything to do with the BNP’s failure to go soft on Uncle Rupert’s employees.
- Note that in 2006, disgraced former Macquarie University academic Andrew Fraser addressed the AmRen conference. Born in Canada, he came to Australia on the understanding that it was populated by people with blonde hair and blue eyes. Fraser has also spoken at far right forums in rural NSW (Inverall) and Sydney. See also : Alexander Hart, The Saga Of American Renaissance’s 2010 Conference: “Anarcho-Tyranny” In Action, VDARE.com, February 16, 2010 [http://vdare.com/hart/100216_anarcho_tyranny.htm].
Remember that by protecting the rights of people you despise you will ultimately protect your rights. No matter whether you agree with these loons or not they have a right to their speech too. Some day they will come for you because someone will say your speech is hate speech.
And by the way the Southern Poverty Law Center is anything but above board. How many minorities work there and how many have they had over the years? Many left leaning publications have done scathing reviews of their operations… try checking it out.
Remember that by protecting the rights of people you despise you will ultimately protect your rights.
I suppose that I could remember that, but in any case, it’s not strictly true. That is, leaving aside the particular nature of the groups associated with the conduct of the AmRen conference and their ability or willingness to assist in any way, shape or form to secure the rights of an Australian blogger, the proposition fails to recognise that, in exercising their legal rights, political actors frequently aim to acquire power and to assume positions of authority with the intention of exercising this power and authority in ways which are antithetical to the interests of others.
Secondly, in terms of the AmRen conference, if a right is in question, it is the right to assemble more than it is the right to speech. Leaving aside various other questions which arise within this context, especially insofar as US law is concerned, but also more general, philosophical considerations:
As I understand it, based on the above accounts, the ability of organisers to conduct the conference has been hampered by the ability of groups such as OPP to exert pressure upon potential venues for it. This has taken the form of contacting (and encouraging others to contact) the various managers and/or owners of the various hotels which have apparently been booked by Taylor & Co., and urging said parties to re-consider their agreements. The rationale for doing so, in this case, being: a) the kind of conference being organised and; b) the likelihood of protest and attendant publicity, especially of the sort that would reflect badly upon the venue in question. In this sense, the decision by potential hosts to withdraw facilities would appear to depend upon commercial considerations.
As a result of these kinds of actions, some of the more reflective elements within the ‘white nationalist’ milieu have emphasised the importance of the white nationalist movement securing its own properties, venues of the sort not liable to the exercise of the kinds of pressure such actions create. In the long-term, and assuming the movement will continue to experience concerted opposition, this would seem to be the most viable option, although it’s one which brings with it a range of other problems (which a student of the movement, and the problems of political organisation in general, would likely already be familiar).
Some day they will come for you because someone will say your speech is hate speech.
Maybe. On the afternoon of Monday, September 28, 2009, four neo-Nazi skinheads, belonging to or closely associated with ‘Blood & Honour Australia’ and the ‘Southern Cross Hammerskins’, did actually come for me — despite the fact we’d not made an appointment. In any event, it wasn’t because I was ‘hateful’ in my speech, but because they wanted to intimidate me into silence: apparently, my documenting their antics over a period of several years has created some problems for them, problems which they hoped to solve by way of their boots, fists, and a can of pepper spray. Of course, this is a trivial example of more generalised forms of repression, ones which, in the context of US labour movement history, have been systematic and quite murderous. See, for example, Dynamite: The Story of Class Violence in America by Louis Adamic (AK Press, 2008/1931) for one account. Of political repression by the state in the post-WWII era, see the numerous writings on COINTELPRO. A very rough, contemporary equivalent may be found in the so-called Green Scare.
And by the way the Southern Poverty Law Center is anything but above board. How many minorities work there and how many have they had over the years?
Leaving aside the fact that I make no reference to the SPLC in the above, and I’ve no idea of the racial or ethnic or sexual composition of their employees, I’m already familiar with a number of criticisms of the SPLC which have emanated from the left; in fact, I’ve included one such, quite lengthy (if slightly dated) criticism already on my blog.
I notice you don’t mention that the conference was cancelled due to threats of violence against the hotel’s management, staff and guests. Threats were made to kill workers at the hotels. Do you see the irony here? I presume you approve of this behaviour, which makes you a bigger thug and fascist than anyone associated with AMREN. Well done. You’re showing your true colours here – you’re a hypocrite, a liar and truly [contemptible].
No, I haven’t mentioned these allegations, but I am aware of them. I’m not aware of any evidence to support the contention, however. On which subject, Mormon Worker writes:
You’re free to presume I approve of this behaviour, just as I’m free to presume that your real name is Zorro, you have four arms, one leg, a pet spider named Jared, and that the two of you paint the town red every other Sunday when you should be praying for forgiveness at Church.
Next.
Wow how did you guess?
Yes I am called Zorro, have four arms etc etc etc. Way to deal with someone pointing out the fact that you’re a fascist, hypocritical THUG. Hey you should at least have the balls to admit it…
Next!!
I’m curious – will you answer the following questions:
1) Do you approve of the use of violence, or threats of violence, directed against people whose opinions you disapprove of, in order to silence those people?
2) Do you approve of violence, or threats of violence, directed against third-parties who are unwillingly associated with people whose opinions you disapprove of, in order to silence those people?
These are simple questions. I wonder if you can answer them without recourse to evasion, dissimulation or lame “jokes” about 5-legged spiders called Jared, or whatever?
Consider this a test…
Quote:
On the afternoon of Monday, September 28, 2009, four neo-Nazi skinheads, belonging to or closely associated with ‘Blood & Honour Australia’ and the ‘Southern Cross Hammerskins’, did actually come for me — despite the fact we’d not made an appointment. In any event, it wasn’t because I was ‘hateful’ in my speech, but because they wanted to intimidate me into silence: apparently, my documenting their antics over a period of several years has created some problems for them, problems which they hoped to solve by way of their boots, fists, and a can of pepper spray.
End quote.
Apparently, you approve of the silencing of AMREN via threats and intimidation, otherwise you wouldn’t be celebrating this on your blog. You must, therefore, have no real objection to what the “four neo-nazi skinheads” did to you. How can you? There’s absolutely no difference whatsoever…
What a burn! He called you a fascist when you say you’re against fascists. I’m pretty sure there’s no comeback for that.
Hey Andrew, do you think fascism and anti-fascism are equivalencies? Or racism and anti-racism? For the record, I think calling in death threats against hotel workers is stupid, if it happened. So is calling all acts of violence equal.
Quote: Hey Andrew, do you think fascism and anti-fascism are equivalencies? Or racism and anti-racism?
Yes, when the “anti-fascists” are using thuggish, fascist tactics to get what they want.
Quote: For the record, I think calling in death threats against hotel workers is stupid, if it happened. So is calling all acts of violence equal.
Jared Taylor isn’t the one using violence or threats of violence against innocent third parties. The “anti-fascists” are. If you can’t see the difference then you’re pretty stupid yourself.
Uhhh…is anyone going to produce a police report of these death threats? Because I am getting more and more suspicious that it’s all bullshit.
LOL – the fact that you try to pretend that threats and intimidation never happened is pretty revealing…
You don’t have the balls to stand behind the tactics of your fellow “anti-fascists” in an open and honest way. But, you approve of the results of their fascistic actions with a nod and a wink, pretending that your buddies didn’t resort to thuggery and threats of violence.
Pathetic. Dishonest. And cowardly.
Congratulations – Jared Taylor and AMREN are your moral and intellectual superiors. How does that feel?
Quote:
Uhhh…is anyone going to produce a police report of these death threats?
Ha – it’s pretty fuckin hilarious to see an “anarchist” plaintively demand that someone “produce” a “police report”!!
Oh the irony! You guys get more pathetic by the minute!!!
Andrew:
You may find that proof and anti-authoritarianism are not incompatible. For varying reasons, police reports are good evidence that at least something occurred.
Lots of people don’t like fascists and racists for lots of reasons. If (big “if”) someone did call in threats there’s a very good chance that anarchists did not do it. Most anarchists wouldn’t bother (for reasons of conscience, most likely. Why ruin an honest worker’s day?) and, statistically speaking, there’s not that many anarchists around.
Just because it’s not nice, it doesn’t mean it’s fascistic. To compare a threatening phone-call to the actual violence carried out historically by the likes of the brownshirts or to contemporary neo-nazi violence is moronic. If someone did make the call, it’s not doing anyone any favours, but I won’t shed any tears. I can think of scenarios where a threatening phone-call is actually the better option, though none involve threatening employees who happen to work somewhere. Frankly, I don’t think you know what a fascist is.
A cursory Google search shows the origin of the allegation of death threats comes from a press release put out by the AR organisers themselves with no other evidence put forward. It’s hardly a reputable source. It’s notable that the organisers were not threatened directly but claim to have, presumably, indisputable second-hand information that they chose not to share (such as a cited quote from a hotel worker). This is despite it being in their obvious best-interests to do so, for the sake of credibility. This is unlike the September 28 incident you quoted, which offered eye-witness testimony that can be verified or unverified – depending on the burden of proof you require, I guess. If you Google it, you will see that it was reported on with a similar level of fact-checking.
PROTIP: if you rely on a racists’ press release for your proof, you might find that you are radically separated from both reality and definitions of reliable evidence. I suppose it would be easy enough to verify by calling the hotel and asking, but I expect that the AR organisers may be exaggerating the hotel’s objections (to calls expressing outrage or disapproval) in any case to justify their own lack of popular support from other whites refusing to heed the call for a renaissance. It seems much more likely than an unreported terrorist threat in post-9/11 America.
PS I’m also sure that my drunken posts are better than your sober ones.
“Lumpen” – I didn’t read your last post, it’s way too long and looks to be very boring indeed. And I’m sick of this discussion anyway…
But I just thought I’d point out, as I bid you farewell, that the evil racists have triumphed despite the noble, and totally non-violent, non-thuggish, actions of the valiant AntiFa. So it was all for nothing after all… sigh… (see link below).
Basically, your buddies have shown their true colours while handing a moral victory to that wicked Jared Taylor and his evil cohorts. I hope this makes you proud.
LOL!
occidentaldissent.com/2010/02/20/secret-conference/
Another triumph for the Master Race.
That’s Lumpen told.
Ha – and threatening and intimidating a bunch of hotel workers for no good purpose whatsoever is another triumph for the, um, er, “anarchists” who enjoy all the benefits of living in an industrialised, capitalist, globalised, western society (all the things you profess to oppose – how amusing!). And who probably wouldn’t last 5 minutes outside of their nice, comfy, middle-class cocoons…
Yeah good one “Lumpen” and “@ndy”, you fearsome internet-warriors for justice and Anarchy!! LOL LOL LOL!!!
Gee whiz.
AmRen organisers claim hotel employees received death threats.
They present no evidence for this, let alone evidence as to who was responsible.
You carry on like a pork chop.
If you have an issue, here’s a tissue.
Alternatively, HTFU.
Red & Black Warriors Of Genghis Khan Who Enjoy All The Benefits Of Living In An Industrialised, Capitalist, Globalised, Western Society And Who Probably Wouldn’t Last Five Minutes Outside Of Their Nice, Comfy, Middle Class Cocoons Present:
Dude I can’t even read half of your stupid comments, which is probably a good thing really.
Hey instead of accusing me of trolling, as you did elsewhere, you should be thanking me – for once you’re getting more than 1 or 2 comments on the posts on your blog (quite often it’s zero)! Don’t you welcome a bit of back and forth, a bit of lively debate? Don’t you welcome the vigorous exchange of ideas in a free and fair debate?
OH NO WAIT – you don’t! You believe in threats, violence and intimidation to silence those you disagree with! You believe in silencing people with views you consider to be beyond the pale. Rather than showing how they’re wrong, you think it’s preferable to prevent their speaking out by harassment and intimidation. Just like your buddies at “Hold Fast Body Art” or whatever they’re called…
Why is that I wonder? Well, it’s easier just to shut people up than to show how they’re wrong, especially when their point of view is unfashionable and isn’t supported by the powers-that-be (which yours is, basically – you big bad anarchist you – yet another irony)!
OK trolling is over, goodbye big bad anarchist @ndy…
SMASH THE STATE!
BLACK AND WHITE UNITE!!
PRODUCE A POLICE REPORT!!!
Dude I can’t even read half of your stupid comments, which is probably a good thing really.
And even if you could read them, being thick as two planks, you wouldn’t understand them anyway.
Hey instead of accusing me of trolling, as you did elsewhere. you should be thanking me – for once you’re getting more than 1 or 2 comments on the posts on your blog (quite often it’s zero)! Don’t you welcome a bit of back and forth, a bit of lively debate? Don’t you welcome the vigorous exchange of ideas in a free and fair debate?
In total, I’ve published 2,399 posts and 11,684 comments (including my own). According to Sitemeter, my blog has received a little less than 450,000 visits while ClustrMaps claims approximately 535,000 (including my own) since June 12, 2006.
I welcome debate, especially intelligent debate. You don’t provide it.
OH NO WAIT – you don’t! You believe in threats, violence and intimidation to silence those you disagree with! You believe in silencing people with views you consider to be beyond the pale. Rather than showing how they’re wrong, you think it’s preferable to prevent their speaking out by harassment and intimidation. Just like your buddies at “Hold Fast Body Art” or whatever they’re called…
Hold Fast Body Art is a tattoo studio in Burwood, an eastern suburb of Melbourne. The business is owned by Justin O’Brien. O’Brien is a neo-Nazi and the Victorian state rep for Blood & Honour Australia, a neo-Nazi music network. On the afternoon of Monday, September 28, 2009, O’Brien — carrying pepper spray and accompanied by three other neo-Nazi skinheads — attended the Melbourne Anarchist Resource Centre in Northcote. I wasn’t there, but a small group (of approximately 6 or 7 individuals) belonging to a group which campaigns against sexual violence was. According to accounts, O’Brien and his comrades screamed and shouted, knocked over some bookshelves, scattered some pamphlets about, demanded to speak with me, threatened those present, and declared that if there was any further ‘antifascist’ activity in Melbourne, they would return to kick some heads in (including, preferably, my own).
To the best of my knowledge, outside of some very minor publicity, there has been no reaction on the part of any anarchist or any anti-fascist in Melbourne to his antics. The minor publicity consisted of a single article in the Preston Leader, ‘Anarchists claim Northcote Neo-Nazi attack’, by Tessa Hoffman, and dated October 14, 2009. It concludes: “Northcote Police said they had no record of the incident.” In other words, police were not contacted regarding the incident.
I’ve never met with, threatened, spoken to, or in any other way communicated with O’Brien. Nevertheless, because I’ve blogged a good deal about Blood & Honour and other neo-Nazi and fascist activity, both in Australia and overseas, he holds me responsible for the following (alleged) incident, posted on Melbourne Indymedia:
O’Brien’s visitation to MARC took place the day after the conclusion of the Sydney Forum, at which members of B&H and various other neo-Nazi, fascist, racist and extreme right-wing organisations met and strategised.
In conclusion: nazis are obviously very sensitive to criticism.
Why is that I wonder? Well, it’s easier just to shut people up than to show how they’re wrong, especially when their point of view is unfashionable and isn’t supported by the powers-that-be (which yours is, basically – you big bad anarchist you – yet another irony)!
In reality — a place with which you’re obviously very unfamiliar — I’ve posted commentary from all sorts of odds and sods, even including that emanating from such well-known nazis as Tom Metzger (White Aryan Resistance) and Bill White (American National Socialist Workers’ Party).
Demolishing cretinous opinions is a free service, for which you should be grateful, not sad and upset.
Btw, your commentary will no longer be published: it’s too tedious to respond to.
Cheers,
@ndy.
Don’t you hate it when someone says that you really want the opposite of what you say you want? It’s like there’s nothing you can do and it leaves a stain on your character forever. Curse you, Andrew.
Andrew, sorry for taking so long to get back. I actually forgot I posted here. Let me help you with something. As it was noted in another post, the source of the death threats story is Jared Taylor. I called the hotel that was supposed to have received them, and they can’t speak on the matter. And considering that they were going to keep the whole conference under wraps for Taylor in the first place, not to matter they are hosting a Christian Identity conference in April (yes, you read that correctly), it is more than a little curious. Also, as I am one of the people who helped the AmRen Conference get shut down, I am amazed that I have not received not even a phone call from any law enforcement official investigating threats of any kind. So you can make all the assumptions you want. I don’t live that way. I work with facts, not innuendo.
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