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Take the Skinheads Bowling, Take Them Bowling

September 25th, 2007

Hmm. Why would they choose Portland, of all places? From an e-mail I just received (check bottom of post for community events taking place in response to the gathering):

Portland, Oregon – The Hammerskin Nation, a neo-Nazi skinhead organization, aims to attract hundreds of hardcore racists to the group’s twentieth-anniversary celebration, to be held October 5 – 7 of this year in the greater Portland area. The Hammerskins, then known as the Confederate Hammerskins, began life in 1997 as a Dallas, TX gang specializing in violence against Jewish people and people of color, sexual minorities, as well as activists. The Hammerskin Nation-a masthead for Hammerskin racist skinhead crews-has since gone national, and later international, with their bigoted agenda.

The upcoming Hammerskin Nation event in Oregon was planned in conjunction with Volksfront, a Portland-led white supremacist group with links to Kenneth Mieske and Kyle Brewster, two of the killers of Ethiopian immigrant Mulugeta Seraw in a 1988 racially charged crime. Volksfront’s short-lived musical division “Upfront Records” released a benefit CD for Mieske in 2002, and Brewster had his parole revoked last year after his association with Volksfront was revealed on the internet. The October Hammerskin Nation gathering is currently being openly advertised on such Hitler-admiring websites as stormfront.org

A coalition of Northwest anti-racists has coordinated three days of community responses to the Hammerskin gathering. On Saturday, September 29, the weekend before “Hammerfest 2007,” the events include:

Anti-Fascist Awareness Event & Training

3 PM, September 29 at Room 236, Smith Memorial Center, Portland State University Organizers from the Seattle-based “If You Don’t, They Will” grouping will discuss white supremacist organizing in youth subcultures and in music, as well as ideas for countering them. This event is free and open to the public.

Musicians United Against Racism show
8PM, September 29 at The Recyclery, 1417 SE 9th & Madison Portland hip-hop artists Mic Crenshaw and Santotzin, breakdancers, a reggae DJ, and punk rock performers will offer cultural responses to fascism from 8PM onwards this evening.

In addition, the last event at the Red & Black CafĂ©’s current location (2138 SE Division)-this Wednesday, September 26-has been designated as a further night of “Rock Against Racism.” Stop by for performances by the “pirate-punks” of Rum Rebellion, acoustic sounds by The Taxpayers, as well as other anti-racist acts. The Wednesday event also doubles as a fundraiser for the Red & Black’s securing of new premises.

A community gathering and rally in response to the “Hammerfest” will take place Saturday, October 6 from 1PM onwards. The gathering will be held in Lents Park, on the corner of SE 92nd and Holgate. Further details plus speakers for the event will be announced soon.

Founded this September, the Ad-Hoc Committee Against Racism and Fascism is dedicated to monitoring and opposing white supremacist groupings in Portland and beyond. As large neo-Nazi rallies have often been preceded by attacks on Jewish people and people of color, sexual minorities, as well as activists, the Ad-Hoc Committee wishes to work with community groups and people of good conscience who want to respond to fascist mobilization. The Ad-Hoc Committee pledges to respond to any racist provocations in the coming weeks. “We also promise to have a better time than the Nazis,” says one Committee member.

To obtain a chronology of recent white supremacist activity in the Pacific Northwest, or for more information on anti-racist endeavors, please contact the Ad-Hoc Committee: 971.285.4688 or fight_them_back@riseup.net.

Sabrina Roach, Development and Outreach Director
KBCS 91.3 FM Community Radio
streaming live and podcasting, www.kbcs.fm
Phone: (425) 564-4069 / FAX: (425) 564-5697

6 Comments

  1. Michelle says

    This has to be a joke. Doesn’t it?

    September 26th, 2007 | #

  2. BlackFriend says

    They frequently have gatherings in the greater Portland area. At every 2 years. Last one I heard about was a Music Festival in the Gorge. Then there was the Tom Metzger speaking engagement, etc.

    Portland is a destination vacation for the overt racist set.

    September 26th, 2007 | #

  3. Vixen says

    Wow. Glad I live here. Wow.

    I didn’t even realize groups like that were still around in such numbers.

    September 26th, 2007 | #

  4. edj says

    YIKES! What a bummer. The NW does seem to attract them. I guess hotter areas get cockroaches, but they’re easier to get rid of.

    September 26th, 2007 | #

  5. megs says

    shit heads. not skin heads.

    September 26th, 2007 | #

  6. Michael says

    Thanks for the info. I will definately be at the rally today. We have to stand up to these groups that promote hate and violence. Yes they seem to think that the Northwest is a great place to meet, lets show them that it isn’t. Show up at the rally and show what Portland is really about, community, just take a walk around some of the neighborhoods around Portland and you will see we are not about hate, we are proud of our city so lets show them that we won’t be a haven for such violent groups.

    October 6th, 2007 | #

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