Twin Cities Anti-Fascists Smash ’White Lives Matter’ Rally

#MPLS: On Saturday a white supremacist organizing event at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts was stopped by community members. pic.twitter.com/Qdv1DYlDqd

— Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) February 28, 2017

In Minneapolis, MN, on February 25th, 2017, fascists attempted to hold a “White Lives Matter” rally at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. An anti-fascist coalition exposed them and prevented them from organizing, facing fascist violence in retribution. Anti-fascists were unharmed in the scuffle.

After being exposed and confronted on Saturday, MN Identity Evropa is recruiting in South Minneapolis against immigrants. #antifa pic.twitter.com/eVWz8sc4Iz

— Twin Cities GDC (@TCGDC) February 28, 2017

On February 25, a coalition of local community members, anti-fascists, anarchists, and other anti- capitalists marched to the Minneapolis Institute of Art to defend our communities against fascism. A rally outside was organized by the Twin Cities General Defense Committee (G.D.C.) and drew approximately 50 people. The anti-fascist demonstrators held a banner announcing class solidarity across borders (“Una clase, una lucha — contra fronteras!”) and chanted. The intention was to alert and educate the public about the present threat of fascists organizing in Minnesota and beyond. Inside the museum, other anti-fascists confronted the fascists themselves with the intent to prevent them from organizing.

Fascist attendee giving the Nazi salute at protesters while screaming “Hail Trump.”

The fascist demonstrators at the museum intending to have a photo op in front of a “White Lives Matter” banner came from a number of different fascist tendencies. In attendance was Identity Evropa: a fascist group composed of a “generation of awakened Europeans” of “non-semitic” heritage. Like many other high-brow white nationalists, they try to bury their ideology behind terms like “cultural biodiversity” and “european heritage”. Other fascists at the rally included those affiliated with the fascist website, The Daily Stormer, as well as nazi pagans. Anti-fascist protesters outside were greeted by such actions as a nazi salute accompanied by a shout of “Heil Trump”, and an attempted assault. Inside, a man with a nazi flag shirt carrying a large folding knife started a physical brawl with the anti-fascists when they questioned him about his shirt. The man was confronted and disarmed by the anti-fascists.

Fascist in the museum after he swung at an anti-fascist member (photo supplied).

When fascism is allowed to go unchallenged in our communities and our cities, we give hatred a space to organize. Fascism is not interested in a free exchange of ideas. Fascism is an ideology built upon “purifying” violence which intends to wipe out its opponents at any cost. Let us not forget the nation-wide bomb threats to Jewish community centers and synagogues last week, as felt in St. Paul. Let us not forget the fascist propaganda such as swastikas being normalized, as seen at the University of Minnesota. Let us never forget the true nature of fascism when violence against marginalized groups is on the rise. We are workers and marginalized people, and we will defend ourselves. The working class cannot ignore fascism and its new entry points like so called “Men’s Rights Activists” if we desire emancipation. There can be no space to organize genocide — no platform for fascism. Whenever fascists attempt to organize, we will confront them.

MN Alt-Right’s Twitter after the confrontation.

The General Defense Committee is a body of the Industrial Workers of the World (I.W.W.), a revolutionary labor union founded in 1905 for all working people. The Twin Cities I.W.W. General Defense Committee Local 14 is dedicated to community self defense and seeks to build a mass movement against fascism and the alt-right.