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Sep 6, 22

“Our Community Has Grit”: An Antifascist Report from a Hot Weekend in SoCal

What follows are two reports backs from autonomous antifascists in the Los Angeles area about community self-defense actions which took place last weekend.

On Saturday, September 3rd, a coalition of far-Right groups held a Qanon themed “Save the Children” rally at a popular tourist spot. While left-wing groups called for counter-protests, antifascists mobilized to provide community self-defense.

On September 3rd, far-Right groups including: Babies Lives Matter, Save The Children, Gays Against Groomers, Proud Boys, LEXIT, Palmdale Freedom Coalition, and members of White Lives Matter planned a rally and march in Hollywood, CA. The original plan was to meet at Hollywood and Vine and march towards the much more populated streets of Hollywood and Highland. Two groups, By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) and RiseUp4AbortionRights (a front for the Revolutionary Communist Party) planned to confront them directly.

Meanwhile, on Hollywood and McCadden, a separate protest hosted by QueerX was taking place. The goal of this protest was to drive off a pro-LAPD “progressive” city council member Mitch O’Farrell who has been single handily responsible for displacing entire unhoused communities. There were immediate concerns that the far-Right rally will march past QueerX’s protest so antifascists immediately came out to defend it and removed any stickers put up by the Proud Boys before their rally started. The protest wrapped up with Mitch O’Farrell and his volunteers fleeing the area before the far-Right rally had the chance to leave, so a decision was made by those attending the QueerX protest to march to Hollywood and Vine to join the ongoing counter-protest.

The two protests merged without issue, and despite multiple far-Right attempts to bait fights, there were no injuries reported. Eventually, riot police showed up and surrounded the counter-protesters and allowed one far-Right agitator through the police line in an attempt to start a fight. This failed and the agitator was arrested.

At the end of the day, despite being vastly outnumbered by many different far-Right organizations, a relatively small group of activists were able to contain the threat to Hollywood and Vine and block the march from taking place. Their rally also ended two hours earlier than expected.

The message is clear: Our community has grit. The ability to stand up against a threat despite the odds in 100+ degree weather and still manage to pull off a tactical victory by preventing a far more destructive march from taking place is exactly the kind of opposition our fascist opponents fear the most.

Then on Sunday, September 4th, antifascists again mobilized to support community members under threat from far-Right groups who called for a protest against a Pride celebration in Riverside, CA.

As antifascists we will continuously and repeatedly put out bodies on the line to defend each other and our communities.

On September 4th, yet again community members hit the streets and stood by these principles to defend an all ages queer friendly event from those who wished it shut down. In 109 degree weather, we stood by those who wished to enjoy the space without being harassed, handed out frozen water to locals and attendees to help with the heat, and stood between homophobic fascists and attendees, families with kids, and LGBT+ movement elders. From locals and attendees of the event we received warm gratitude, from the fascists we received homophobic, racist, anti-Semitic slurs, threats and eventually fists.

At the end of the day, despite a brief scuffle, the event went on as scheduled. No one attempting to attend the event was physically harmed and the fascists and their hate were kept clear of the majority of attendees.

For those that wish us harm, just remember: there will always be those that band together and organize. We will use whatever tools are at our disposal to defend our communities. Community-defense is self-defense. The State will never step in to protect already underprivileged and marginalized communities.

We keep us safe, and remember to stay alert and always, stay dangerous!

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