Louisville, KY: ARA Communique Against the Ascendancy of White Nationalism

Submitted to It’s Going Down

“We are ready to end fascism once and for all, even in spite of the government. No government in the world fights fascism to the death.” -Buenaventura Durruti

Neo-Nazis. Racist skinheads. Klansmen. White Nationalists and Apologists:

For decades, they were the face of the enemy and only a minute few dared show their true colors in public. This made them easy to dismiss, easy to ignore. They were a dying breed, crushed by a multitude of failed wars, civil lawsuits and the stubborn inability to progress with a society that had long ago passed them by. However, recent events have proven that the fascist ideology has not only survived but thrived in its original home, on the fringes of the far-right and the socially inept. Its proponents, no longer just swastika-tattooed skinheads or disenfranchised men in ghostly costumes, but middle-aged businessmen in suits with means, have burst forth into the public sphere. They unapologetically display the “Sieg Hail!” salute and strongly imply, if not outright state, that their political opponents are sub-human. They’ve infected our discourse, maneuvered their way into public offices and swayed public opinion in their favor. Now, their labors of hatred have been rewarded with a sympathetic President-Elect and a federal Congress that is, at best, indifferent to their evil.

A quick digression; we are not just another anti-Trump protest organization or liberal movement. We are not arbitrarily opposed to the President-Elect, but rather the white nationalists that consider him “their candidate”, who intimidate and threaten members of our community. Our enemies, and the enemies of all who believe in real democracy and working class solidarity, have been welcomed with open arms by his incoming administration.

The roots of racial intolerance are poised to strangle this nation, not only on a federal level, but here in our own backyard. The Traditionalist Youth Network, a North Carolina-based organization that, despite their name, only values the tradition of white nationalist oppression, have recently set up shop outside Louisville. This self-proclaimed group of “English-speaking White Americans who’ve returned to their pre-schismatic Christian roots,” have historically shown themselves to be opposed to the rights of ethnic and religious minorities while also railing against regulations meant to protect the rights of LGBTQ citizens. Their political wing, Traditionalist Workers Party, work actively to undermine unions and further divide working class people along racial and religious lines. Last year their leader was filmed physically assaulting Shiya Nwanguma, a black University of Louisville student, during the Super Tuesday Trump rally in the Louisville International Convention Center. This new threat, founded in 2013, have found helpful allies with the Lexington branch of the Ku Klux Klan and other non-organized white supremacists.

For too long have our elected officials and our media placated these violent, toxic people. For too long have the enemies of democracy and rational, informed discourse been granted platforms to spew their rhetoric and earn notoriety for their movement.

A warning to those who wish to destroy what we hold dear; We will resist you in the streets, in the poll booths and in the townhouses. Whether it’s in the bars, the concert halls, the conference centers or even City Hall, we will not allow a platform for your dangerous and divisive ideas. We will not allow history to repeat itself. We will shut you down everywhere you go. We will block your marches. We will interrupt your speeches. We will protest your legislation. We will be the thorn in your side. The glass in your bread. The pain in your ass.

We are ARA. We are watching.

Tags: Antifa