A few hundred Arizonans showed up ready to hold it down on Saturday, November 13 against the neo-nazi National Socialist Movement. Downtown Phoenix became pretty heated after a large number of people in black bloc attire took the street directly in front of nazis and their protectors the Phoenix Police Department. With a few different banners to help create a blockade people seemingly unaffiliated took space directly in front of the black bloc at times, showing that a lot of people are more than willing to stand up to both the cops and nazis.
There is already plenty of news and videos out there so I won't go on other than to say that police used pepper spray about ten times only to see demonstrators come right back to face them. They also fired pepper balls into the crowd over tops of shields without even aiming, hitting some in the face. After all the action was basically done two people were arrested. One of them from Tucson. Here's something from supporters:
Saturday, November 13th, 2010 the National Socialist Movement gathered in downtown Phoenix, Arizona as a part of their humorously titled “Reclaim the Southwest 2” tour. Politicians in Arizona who draft and sponsor racist legislation, such as Russell Pearce who sponsored SB1070, have been exposed for their connections to leaders of this movement and furthermore the NSM consider themselves to be on the forefront of the push toward more draconian, discriminatory, and racist laws. This year the neo-nazis came to spread their racist ideology and protest the injunctions made to SB 1070 but were met in the streets by a large, diverse crowd of folks who were there to shut them down and send the message that their hate isn’t welcome in Arizona.
The Phoenix Police Department marched and collaborated with the NSM to attack protesters with brute force and weapons such as pepper bullets and pepper spray. If there was ever any doubt in one’s mind of the veracity of claims that the PPD is a racist institution, they can be laid to rest. Minutes before the NSM's permit would have expired the PPD executed their attack on demonstrators and then extended the permit later into the afternoon wasting time, energy, and resources to protect neo-nazis. Police indiscriminately used pepper spray and pepper bullets, causing injury to demonstrators and innocent bystanders alike. Multiple people were shot in the face with pepper bullets as well. The racist PPD, who actually deport more people than the infamous Sheriff Joe Arpaio, sent undercover officers/antagonists into the crowd of hundreds and into the black bloc working from both sides to target individuals. Photos and written accounts of the day reveal that police officers directed the NSM the entire time and worked alongside them giving orders of where to go, when to tighten up, allowing them to wrap their flags into clubs and move through the police line to instigate and then further their violently racist march.
Two individuals were arbitrarily targeted and arrested at the end of the day to be scapegoats for alleged “assaults.” One of them, Dane Rossman is currently facing 5 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon/dangerous instrument and 1 count of rioting. Dane has done extensive work in numerous communities to resist racism and to create a world that is based on mutual aid. He has been working with No More Deaths since 2007 to do migrant solidarity and humanitarian aid on the US/Mexico border and most recently has been organizing with the Tucson Childcare Collective and Migrapatrol Copwatch to resist the current attacks on Latino communities in Tucson. Dane had a bail of $7,500 that was paid for on November 13th, 2010 through a loan and needs assistance in paying this back and in raising additional legal funds. We are thankful for all the support already received and appreciate your involvement in the fight against fascism!
If you want to help please contact us here and we can put you in touch with the right people.
borderopposition@gmail.com
Thanks,
BOAF
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