[Seattle-editorial] Washington and baltimore feature

[Shawn Gaynor]

Hello,
My name is Shawn and I am a member of the Asheville Global Report editorial 
collective.  I'd like to propose the story below, about the anti-Nazi 
protests in DC and Baltimore, for your featured news stories section.  This 
story will continue to develop, and has been on the Baltimore and Washington 
Indymedia sites.  The North Carolina site will  also feature a story from 
the Asheville Global Report. Your support is needed. We have run out of time 
and can not add the necessary links to the DC and Baltimore sites in the 
article. I was at the DC event, and have been working with some of the 
Baltimore activists.  We have other matters here that need to be dealt with, 
but if you have any questions, please contact me at this email address. 
Thank you


A busload of National Alliance members was set upon by dozens of anti-Nazi 
protesters at a Baltimore travel center yesterday morning, leaving several 
neo-Nazis bloodied, one hospitalized, and disabling a charter bus slated to 
carry them to a demonstration in Washington, DC.
The Baltimore Sun reported that bus tires were slashed and “either pepper 
stray, or camouflaging smoke” was discharged in the bus.
Baltimore police arrested 28 anti-Nazi protesters at the scene of the 
confrontation.
The preemptive strike came ahead of a large National Alliance gathering held 
in the capitol later that morning. Around 800 neo-Nazis, accompanied by a 
heavy police and Secret Service force, marched from Union Station to the 
Capitol Building, ostensibly to protest US funding of Israel. Seig-Heiling 
and shouting a variety of white supremacist and anti-Semetic slogans, the 
National Alliance was met by an aggressive crowd of protestors estimated by 
the police at around 1,000, including a large Anti-Racist Action contingent.
Several neo-Nazi stragglers were allegedly assaulted at the Washington 
event, though the only reported arrest of the day was that of a Chicago man 
for throwing rocks at the neo-Nazis.
Despite a heavy presence, police were unable to contain 
counter-demonstrators, who repeatedly took the streets and boldly maneuvered 
through police lines. Police appeared exhausted in their heavy gear as 
temperatures climbed well into the ‘90s, and often responded slowly to crowd 
movements.
Anti-Nazi protesters initially blocked the parking ramp at Union Station to 
prevent National Alliance members from entering before moving out in front 
of the station to confront the neo-Nazi march. Police maintained a buffer 
between the neo-Nazis and the protestors, though small groups of anti-Nazis 
were able to confront isolated National Alliance members both before and 
after the demonstration.
Neo-nazis returned to the suburbs of Baltimore later Saturday to hold a 
“white power” concert.  The event was held at the White Marsh National Guard 
Armory, suggesting state support of or collusion with the neo-Nazi movement.
That evening, police raided a Baltimore venue looking for anti-Nazi 
activists and attempted to gain entry to a local press center, but were 
turned away.
At the time of this post, four of those detained in Baltimore have been 
released on bail or on their own recognizance. Varying charges include 
disorderly conduct, rioting,  assault and possession of a deadly weapon. One 
local minor has been charged with an outlandish 23 counts of aggravated 
assault in connection with the conflict. Jail solidarity actions at 
Baltimore’s Central Booking facility are ongoing with dozens of protestors 
outside of the local detention center.
Donations to the bail fund are urgently needed, regardless. Checks to the 
bail fund should be written out to Black Planet Books, with ‘Anti-fascist 
solidarity’ written in the ‘Memo’ line, and sent to the following address:

Black Planet Books
1621 Fleet St.
Baltimore, MD 21231


_________________________________________________________________
Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com