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Oct 15, 19

This Week in Fascism #31: Flowers for the Fallen

Welcome, fellow antifascists! This week, we’ve got Tiny Toese pleading not guilty to a 2018 assault, a new initiative from Never Again Action encouraging ICE agents to quit their jobs, a new lawsuit against the Portland Police Bureau, and the tragic death of a Portland anarchist and antifascist.

Without further ado, let’s begin!

News

Tiny Toese Pleads Not Guilty

Proud Boy and former Patriot Prayer associate Tusitala “Tiny” Toese was arraigned this week for a June 2018 assault on a man walking down the street in Portland. Toese pled not guilty to the charges and even recited the Proud Boys motto to the news media.

Unite the Right Participant William Fears Sentenced to Five Years for Strangulation

White supremacist Williams Fears was sentenced to five years in a Texas prison this week, after pleading guilty to Assault of Family Member by Impeding Breathing.

Fears was present at the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he was observed attacking protesters with a torch and screaming, “Fire the first shot of the race war!” Several months later in Florida, Fears was involved in an attempted shooting and murder of several antifascist protesters following a Richard Spencer speaking event at a university, although walked away without any heavy charges.

Strangulation is considered by experts to be a danger sign for intimate partner homicide. A 2009 study found that strangulation in a relationship increased the chance of an attempted homicide by six times, and the chance of a completed homicide by seven times. In a parting video to the white nationalist movement, Fears begged his comrades to support him while in prison and encouraged his listeners to not trust women.

Never Again Action Launches New Initiative Encouraging ICE Agents to Quit

 

Never Again Action has launched a new “Quit ICE” initiative this week; they’ve developed a website offering free and confidential job search assistance for current ICE employees who wish to quit.

“It can take months to hire a new ICE officer, and months more to train them,” said Leah Fuhr, an organizer with Never Again Action. “Our goal is to help get conscientious objectors out while disrupting ICE operations as much as we can.”

Protesters Sue Portland Police

The Portland Police Bureau is being sued by a trio of protesters injured at the August 4th, 2018 protest in Portland, Oregon, where riot police opened fire on antifascists in order to facilitate a far-Right street march of armed militia members and Proud Boys.

“Defendants chose to attack plaintiffs’ group in part because they disagreed with the political message of the anti-fascist demonstrators and sympathized with the fascists,” reads the complaint.

The lawsuit alleges that even as Portland Police allowed members of far-right group Patriot Prayer to carry guns into McCall Waterfront Park despite police orders to disarm before entering the premises, at the same time, police fired flash bangs at counter protesters without provocation, penetrating the bicycle helmet worn by one of the plaintiffs.

It has also sense been revealed that the Portland Police found on a rooftop on August 4th, several far-Right rally goers with high powered weapons, in a position that would have allowed to to fire on counter-protesters. They were let go without question and the incident was only later reported.

Patriot Prayer’s Joey Gibson Now Raising Money Via Fake Church

Patriot Prayer’s Joey Gibson, deplatformed multiple times by PayPal, has begun fundraising via the Church of Faith and Freedom. However, reporter Shane Kavanaugh could find no record of a religious institution by that name existing in any formal capacity. The power of grift compels you Joey!

Doxxes

Bradley S. Rees, aka “Kurt Lipper,” Member of Identity Dixie in Lynchburg, VA

Bradley S. Rees, of Lynchburg, Virginia, was exposed as a member of Identity Evropa this week. Online, Rees used the Twitter handle “@KekWasKangz,” a reference to an anti-Black meme, and regularly posted antisemitic conspiracy theories.

Rees was also a participant in the 2017 Unite the Right rally, in Charlottesville, Virginia. Prior to that event, he used his position in Identity Dixie to encourage other members to attend the rally.

Pitbull Security, in Louisville, Kentucky, Owned by KKK Member Mike Foard

The March 4th Alliance exposed Pitbull Security, in Louisville, Kentucky, as being owned by Mike Foard, Grand Kleagle of the Kentucky chapter of United Klans of America.

Actions

Portland Activists Mourn Anarchist & Antifascist Sean Kealiher

On Sunday, anarchists and antifascists in Portland, Oregon, held a vigil for 23 year old Sean Kealiher, who was killed in a hit-and-run near Cider Riot bar, itself the scene of a far-Right attack on May Day, when members of Patriot Prayer and the Proud Boys attacked patrons. Though police are investigating his death as a homicide, Rose City Antifa stated that the murder “was not related to fascist activity.”

Kealiher’s family and community have requested that no one speak to the press. As such, any official statements from his friends and family will be issued via @BFGPortland. Solidarity to all friends and comrades of Kealiher.

People across the world took part in #LightTheSkyForSean events, some of which can be seen here.

Call to Action

Mass Community Mobilization in North Carolina Against Neo-Confederates and White Nationalists

This Saturday, in Pittsboro, North Carolina, there is an urgent call to oppose white supremacists and neo-Confederates, who for the past month have been rallying while anti-racists have been attacked and targeted for arrest by the police. Anti-racist organizers report that over the past month, groups such as the Virginia Flaggers, the Hiwaymen, and Alamance County Taking Back Alamance County (ACTBAC) have rallied in the area in support of the Confederate flag and monuments. These groups have been involved in demonstrations along side militia members, white nationalists, and neo-Nazis and groups like the Hiwaymen who attended the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville in 2017, while others have crossover with organizations such as League of the South (LoS).

In a press release local groups wrote:

On the 28th [of September], one antiracist activist was attacked by a white supremacist and issued a criminal citation by a Pittsboro Police Department officer that, in the course of issue the citation, acknowledge verbally that the antiracist activist had been assaulted.

Also on the 28th, two Black antiracist activists from Chatham County was threatened with the charge of inciting a riot and trespassed from a county property by a Pittsboro Police Department officer in apparent response to a white supremacist stating his intent to lynch antiracists.

On the 5th of October, two antiracist activists from Chatham County were subjected to false arrest by members of the Chatham County Sheriff’s Department while engaging in protected forms of speech and protest in public forum.

Locals are calling for a mass mobilization on Saturday, October 19th at 10 AM. Check out their Facebook page here and follow Take Action Chapel Hill for updates on Twitter.

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A weekly roundup of the latest and greatest happenings in the anti-fascist world. Each column features a roundup of news, actions, doxxes and current calls to action.

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