San Diego Far-Right Trolls Outnumbered at Chicano Park, Fight Among Themselves

Last weekend on February 3rd, a collection of about 50 far-Right Trump supporters, Alt-Right livestreamers, and militia members, converged on Chicano Park in an attempt to troll local residents of the working-class Barrio Logan neighborhood. The demonstration was the latest in part of a broader racist campaign to get the park shut down. For a history on the park and more background information, go here.

Photo by Erik Herrera

While the far-Right mobilized only about 50 people across the west coast to attend the demonstration, the local community was able to bring out over 1,000 people to defend the park. Throughout the day, various groups worked together to not only defend the space, but also organized themselves to block the various far-Right trolls from circumventing the police and the crowds and attempting to enter the park from another directions. At one point, according to local antifascists, one of the far-Right trolls was arrested after he urinated on a mural.

Neo-Nazi Baked Alaska's bodyguard and Unite the Right attendee Antonio Foreman marching as part of "Patriot" rally against #ChicanoPark. #SanDiego pic.twitter.com/8ExCA1ISws

— It's Going Down (@IGD_News) February 5, 2018

As members of San Diego Anti-Fascist Action wrote, the rally was headed by Roger Ogden of the blog, Patriot Fire. Local antifascists wrote:

Roger Ogden has been obsessed over Chicano Park for 5+ years. Roger wants to destroy the beautiful murals in Chicano Park after confederate statues were toppled across the nation in 2017. During May Day last year a handful of fascist trump supporters tried to crash the march..Roger was among them and quickly identified through various videos. Recently he has targeted local activists for harassment . Paid the legal fees of racist attackers. Organized fascist gang meet ups with the Proud Boys and United National Patriot Front.

Email from Roger, telling attendees of the anti-Chicano Park event that violent far-Right and Alt-Right groups would be joining them.

Local antifascists went on to write, that the far-Right demonstration was made up of a barrage of west coast Alt-Right and Alt-Lite trolls and aspiring social media stars, including a new formation, United Patriot National Front (UPNF). The group is headed by Antonio Foreman, the former ‘bodyguard’ of neo-Nazi livestreamer Baked Alaska, Antonio also attended the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, along with a variety of KKK and neo-Nazi groups.

Antonio Foreman rushes Baked Alaska to get his eyes washed out during the neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville on August 12th.

Antonio Foreman marches with tiki torches on August 11th in Charlottesville, where neo-Nazis chanted, “Jews will not replace us!” It seems that the MAGA crowd doesn’t seem to care about Foreman’s open embrace of neo-Nazi ideology.

UPNF is essentially the same as other pseudo-paramilitary organizations on the Alt-Right such as the military wing of the Proud Boys, the Fraternal Order of Alt-Knights (FOAK) and Anti-Communist Action (AntiCom). As San Diego Anti-Fascist Action wrote:

On February 3rd a bunch of racist white nationalists showed up to Chicano Park with the intentions to deface murals and raise an American flag in the center of the park. The group of known violent agitators and provocateurs was a mixed bag of internet trolls, fake 3 %ers and fascists from all over the west-coast. Their group spent most the time cooped up like racist chickens fighting with each other and getting arrested. Our group spent ALL DAY & NIGHT protecting each other by not letting these known violent fascists into the park. Following the direction of the Chicano Park Steering Committee & Brown Berets De Aztlan local community self defense organizations came together and defended the park. The main organizers behind this shithole / shitshow of a ” Picnic ” were Kris Wyrick and a new spring up group of nationalists called United Patriot National Front.

Based Stickman and friends are convinced that their former buddy, Antonio Foreman, Oath Keeper and former body guard of neo-Nazi fail-lord Baked Alaska, who also attended 'Unite the Right,' is in fact not a good person, is an 'infiltrator,' and a Bernie supporter. #MakesSense pic.twitter.com/NZpBpLqpOd

— It's Going Down (@IGD_News) February 1, 2018

During the event, Oregon state organizer Joey Gibson was seen throughout the day with a younger far-Right organizer, Haley Adams, who recently had recorded a livestream attacking Antonio Foreman. Despite this bad blood, this didn’t seem to stop the two from marching with each other. As San Diego Anti-Fascist Action wrote:

Every attempt Joey made to enter the park was cut off. He returned later in the day after the police had left and was cut off a third time. His debates were mindless anti-mexican & anti-indigenous bullshit. Hiding his patriotism behind racism like always this comedian left San Diego with his tail tucked and crying about everything. Nobody cares, Joey…

In a video posted to YouTube, Gibson after attempting to find another way into Chicano Park, is confronted by a group of about 20 all wearing masks, blocking Gibson from entering. Gibson quickly left the area and walked back to the other side of the park. “Were you guys scared?,” he asked the other Alt-Right trolls around him.

Erin Sith, Joey Gibson, Ryan Mcadams, Haley Adams, Luke Dennis, Jourdin Davis. Source: San Deigo Anti-Fascist Action. “A post made by Joey Gibson (after he pissed his pants) claiming some little slice of so called ”unity” after a day of infighting and getting ran off.”

San Diego antifascists concluded the days events by writing:

By 12:20pm the right wingers were squirming to exit the park. A large crowd of people followed them while the rest of us stayed at the park to defend it from further attacks. They were followed up the avenue for a while until they rushed back to their cars and hotels.

At the end of the day none of these racist fuckers got into the park and accomplished their plans of raising an American flag in the center. Since 1970 this park has been the heart of San Diego and nothing can change that. United Patriot National Front, Bordertown Patriots, Patriot Prayer, and all the other alt-right & alt-lite groups that showed up EMBARRASSED the fuck outta themselves. They spent the whole day infighting and disrespecting a sacred space. They WILL continue to try and hide their patriotism behind racism and we will continue to expose it !

WE WILL DEFEND OUR COMMUNITIES ! NAZI-FASCISTAS NO PASARAN !

Photos from before the demonstration that show far-Right attendees discussing bringing weapons to Chicano Park protest. SOURCE: San Diego Anti-Fascist Action

Far-Right anti-Chicano Park demonstration devolves into chaos as various trolls scream “bitch” at each other. Can you smell the MAGA in the morning?

While far-Right attendees fought with each other before and during the rally, as you can watch above as ‘Based Trojan Man’ screamed at other demonstrators, the really fighting was yet to come. After the demonstration, LA Werewolf aka Frank Espinoza, best known for making a video about getting kicked out of his parents house for not having a job and being a member of UPNF, recorded a video of himself calling Joey Gibson. In the video, Espinoza attacks Gibson for not being more friendly to openly white supremacist figures in the Alt-Right like Augustus Invictus and calls him both a “cuck” and a “faggot,” while also attacking people like Kyle “Based Stickman” Chapman.

https://twitter.com/Kherman112/status/959992640887341056

The Chicano Park mobilization shows that community based groups can organize large amounts of people to take part in defending a space and moreover, work together to keep each other safe, protected, and ultimately, much more powerful than our enemies.