Elm City Report Back: Keeping the Green Clean

Saturday, July 8th was a successful day for the U.S antifascist movement. In Charlottesville, VA, the KKK was run out of town. Here in New Haven, a group of fascist and white supremacists attempted to hold a rally on the Green downtown. Members of the nationalist, misogynist Proud Boys, who double as the Connecticut Fraternal Order of Alt-Knights or FOAK chapter, American Guard and neo-Nazi group Identity Evropa showed up in an attempt to “resist socialism” i.e. spread hate around the city. They even had scheduled pseudo-celebrity alt-right Proud Boy Augustus Invictus to speak at the rally.

Demonstrators are now marching, chanting "Run Nazi, run." #NHV pic.twitter.com/6slUcwSw9M

— Esteban L. Hernandez (@EstebanHRZ) July 8, 2017

In preparation, various east coast antifascist crews, local activists from several organizations, and residents from neighborhoods around the Elm City showed the fuck up and shut them the fuck down. A crowd of over 200 marched from one corner of the Green (a large park in the middle of the city) to the other, holding a banner that read “Welcome to Hell” as a show of solidarity with Hamburg and chanting “Run Nazis Run.”

As soon as fascist rally organizer Sean Voets of West Haven, CT stepped foot on the green, he learned his mistake. A crowd of community members and anti-racist and anti-fascist individuals confronted him, calling him out by name and asking why he was there. The crowd physically removed him from the main part of the Green and started to escort him down the sidewalk. Community members and antifascists physically displayed their power over him, and one antifascist took the opportunity to serve him with a mouthful of knuckle, setting him off his feet and exposing his weakness.

White Supremacists came to New Haven and were quickly ran the fuck outta here pic.twitter.com/9GQsstFL3Z

— BLKLIVESMTTR (@BLKLIVESMATTNH) July 9, 2017

Another gave him several literal kicks in the ass furthering the embarrassment and driving home the essence of the counter demonstration’s purpose. If that wasn’t enough of a sign that he should leave, another antifascist managed to grab his hat off his head, throwing it to the ground – which he attempted to reclaim, failed, and subsequently had his knife removed by an anti-racist protester. 

Sean was forced to leave the green with his tail between his legs.

On the opposite side of the square a group of Proud Boys and American Guard led by Tim Boland tried to cross the street onto the Green. Even before they could make it to the corner, they were covered in silly string and surrounded by protesters on all sides.

By this point a large police presence had formed after a liberal snitch named Maureen Johnson called 911 and she ended up putting the entire demonstration at risk. Pigs are known for going after those who are challenging any individuals or apparatuses that are perpetuating the white supremacist patriarchal state, especially, people of color. Maureen was so worried about her whiteness being inconvenienced she literally got four people detained, landing one in the hospital at the hands of the pigs.

 

When these pigs showed up, they were clearly protecting the fash from any potential “harm” they may have faced. Once they finally made it to the corner of the Green, paint and glitter bombs began to fly, splattering over the fash and their precious flags as well as the streets of New Haven. A crystal clear message was delivered that they were not welcome in the community. They even had to request a police escort as they were leaving the Green, somber and defeated.

There were no more fash to be seen. They all either retreated or were too scared to get out of their cars. Within 45 minutes the entire fash rally was shut down, they had to promise the pigs they wouldn’t come back, and Augustus Invictus cancelled his appearance. Within a day, the main organizers deactivated their Facebook accounts as did the American Guard’s CT chapter. We had them running off before they could even begin. Local activist groups of varying causes and the people of Elm City from neighborhoods all around showed the fuck up and shut the fucker down.

In all, four people were detained or arrested, including one individual who was peppered sprayed and beaten by the cops and had to be brought to the hospital and also happened to not be white. This happens entirely too much at these sorts of action and we need to develop concrete radical ways to defend ourselves and our neighbors against these hate attacks by the pig filth. One person was released, and two others are facing charges.

During jail support for the two remaining individuals, Sean was taunted once again with a random, identical, not connected, definitely not the same black MAGA hat. An individual who came into contact with the hat entered the police station wearing and then waving it in front of his face, which was when Sean squealed “that’s my hat!” The police restrained the individual but they released shortly after. Apparently, Sean had lost a hat that looked just like ours earlier that day. (We don’t know why the pigs believed Sean’s tale- it was probably the mustache.) Jail support tried to get their hat back but it was futile. While we all mourned our favorite communal hat, Sean got a police escort out to his bright red motorcycle where one person shouted out “That’s my bike! Can I have my bike back officer?” Of course his mustache wasn’t prominent enough nor his skin pasty enough to receive the help of the Pig Department.

It’s okay – as soon as our comrades were released a complete double rainbow appeared over the city.