Louisiana Solidarity: #TakeEmDownNOLA In Pictures

There’s a monumental battle against white supremacy brewing in the south. 

Through direct action, protest, and by legal means, the city government of New Orleans has been pushed to take down several Confederate states, thanks to the hard work and struggle of #TakeEmDownNOLA and the elders of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). There’s two more about to to go! Lets not forget our comrades at NOLA Antifa for having some fun as well. The photos seen here are from a march on May 7th, organized in solidarity against racism and monuments celebrating white supremacy.

The planned ‘Second line’ march from Congo Square to Lee Square on May 7th, 2017 was in celebration of the removal of 1st Confederate statue in NOLA and the 3 more which are scheduled to come down in several days. Second line is a traditional parade which follows a brass band playing New Orleans jazz music, descendants of the city’s famous, jazz funerals.

After spreading false rumors that antifa were going to take out the statues themselves with stolen cranes, the Alt-Lite made threats of violence and encouraged other trolls to dress like their favorite costumed vigilantes for colonialist fascism and come LARP in front of the monuments, all during a jazz festival. Didn’t go well for them.

Unicycle leading the Second line ya’ll!

Brass, woodwind, and percussionists march ahead of the Second line, pronouncing the death of the stone figures of white supremacy!

Hundreds of people gathered behind a banner which stated: “Bury white supremacy” to dance down the historical avenues.

Once the news got out, the Alt-Right troll-sphere on the internet was alerted. Threats to the city started rolling in as III%, Proud Boys, neo-Confederates and stick-fuckers all began to mobilize to defend these racist monuments. With the threat of all the scum coming into our neighborhood we decided to dance in solidarity with #TakeEmDownNOLA.

At around noon. About an hour before the Second line was scheduled to show up at Lee Square. A fight broke out amongst a LARPer looking like a Sci-Fi, tin-foil Buck Rogers from California with a neo-Confederate worm.

The media loved it, and never ones to pass up the opportunity to exploit some violence, documented the scuffle in detail. You can google this shit show, but you’ve more than likely already heard this part of the story.

Flyers distributed by NOLA Antifa.

This NOLA Antifa leaflet bombed Congo Square announcing that this was specifically a #TakeEmDownNOLA event and that “masked/black bloc is a tactic” and not a uniform or LARP costume. It went on to state, “However Antifa will be marching with #TakeEmDownNOLA in solidarity! We will not be a wearing masks or having a black bloc because this is a celebration!”

An hour before everyone was to start assembling, the medics met in the park and the organizers started getting ready.

The monuments and those like them have remained an issue throughout the state. In the city of Lafayette a city ordinance was passed to keep the Alfred Mouton monument where it stands, preventing the relocation of the statue, in an attempt to keep it from occupying a space at the “new” courthouse. Masks are illegal here because of vigilante Klan activity. Antifa down here is a risky endeavor.

After hundreds of people told the statue of Andrew Jackson and Jean Baptiste Bienville to go fuck off, the march then moved on to tell General Lee what we think of him. We then tried to have a dance off with a bunch of racist boogy men.

Prior to the arrival at Lee Square, the mass tightened up and organizers gave respect to the elders of the community that helped to tear these stone tools of oppression down. Most of these were SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) elders and pillars of the local community. Then voices were raised as well as fists and the colors of Pan-Africa. The band played on. The march continued.

It was noted some racist asshole actually paid another racist asshole to sky write “Heritage” over Lee Square. The start of the word dissipated before the word could be completely spelled out. Thank you nature, nature is antifa.

#TakeEmDownNOLA massing around the right side of the hill. 

At Lee Square, many internet trolls were sighted walking around, actually outside for once. This must explain the reason for the body armor, the outside world is cruel. Nice selfie stick GI-WannaBe.

Neo-Confederates with the League of the South, 3%ers, and members of the Alt-Right.

Someone kicked over a barricade and the plan of marching around the square was abandoned in lieu of a standoff with the pissy-pants white supremacists and historical revisionists. Some patriarchal white supremacist punched a woman, however, the media focused on infighting amongst the confused hate groups.

Hundreds of people amassed into the square in solidarity against institutionalized white supremacy. The hate groups did not have the numbers even with everyone that they brought from out of state to counter us.

Marching back to Congo Square with chants of, “Who’s streets? Our streets!,” and “Take down Robert E. Lee and all symbols of white supremacy.” We even got to enjoy watching a cop’s motorcycle run out of gas at the end of the day. Some times when it’s going down it doesn’t have to go off. There’s also now some glorious infighting among the Alt-Lite troll nation and the Alt-Right.

Celebrations of victories are always fun, if you’re lucky enough to see one, get out and dance. In the end this was a great opportunity to meet friends and organize. The people of Louisiana will not stand for racism, fascism, or patriarchy. All power to the people.

For more information on the organizers of this event and taking down the racist monuments in NOLA check out: http://takeemdownnola.org/