Well, that was fun. The cartoon known as Gordon Young (pictured here with the blue-tinted sunglasses and the goatee) did his thing for the second time at Gettysburg Battlefield, and it didn’t seem like too many people were interested, not even among his crew. That tends to happen when you get busted on statutory rape charges, which even though he was cleared, still gives him an air of distrust among his peers. The locals weren’t too impressed either, although antifa came out to say hi. Police kept everyone away from each other, which made it even worse for Young’s group, the latest version of Aryan Nations to come out. You couldn’t hear them, hardly could see them, and in the end they must have been just as frustrated because they decided to jet out more than an hour before they were supposed to. Now this is the way to celebrate Juneteenth! Lady Liberty’s Lamp has more pictures, so trek on over to their site for more. UPDATE, June 21: Russian Television has filed this video report
One People’s Project
GETTYSBURG-When Gordon Young brought out his “World Knights of the Ku Klux Klan” to Gettysburg National Military Park in September 2006, he came in with 30 supporters. In the almost four years since, he disbanded his Klan group, kicked out of the NSM following an arrest stemming from a statutory rape charge on a family member that he was eventually acquitted of, and ended up in a reconstituted version of Aryan Nations. On Saturday, “Colonel” Gordon Young of the Aryan Nations held another rally at Gettysburg. This time however, he could only muster up eleven others to join him – and they left early.
June 19 is a day that Americans celebrate Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas in 1865. While it is unknown if Young picked this particular day because of the holiday, he and his group railed particularly against blacks, Mexicans and Jews. The dozen neo-Nazis were kept 200 yards away from counterdemonstrators who were represented by various chapters of the North Eastern Federation of Anarchist Communists (NEFAC), Anti-Racist Action (ARA), the Progressive Labor Party (PLP) and One People’s Project.
There were some neo-Nazis that ended up in the counterdemonstrator area who were promptly confronted. No arrests or injuries were reported, although there was some shoving at one point, and a small incident after the rally when two of those neo-Nazis attempted to go back to their car. By that point antifa had identified the vehicle as possibly belonging to a Aryan Nation sympathizer by the “88” on the rear bumper and the Confederate flags inside. Police were eventually dispatched to the vehicle and the two neo-Nazis were able to leave without incident, giving the Nazi salute as they left the park. It was the only time they made such a gesture.
Aryan Nations members stood on a Mexican flag as they spoke at the poduim during the rally, and antifa responded by tearing a Confederate flag, to shreds. Some counterdemonstrators blew bubbles and taunted the assembled white supremacists. Although the neo-Nazis had a sound system, their speeches were hard to hear from the distance they were at. Ironically those standing at the Aryan Nations staging area could hear the counterdemonstrators taunt, “We can’t hear you!” The neo-Nazis didn’t even stay for the two hours they planned, leaving less than an hour after they started.
Aryan Nations is a shell of the group it was since the loss of their Idaho compound in Idaho from a lawsuit filed by two Native Americans attacked by Aryan Nation members, coupled with the 2004 death of its founder Dick Butler. There are now several organizations claiming the Aryan Nations name, a split that began just before Butler’s death. Although Gordon Young is from Sharpsburg, Maryland, this Aryan Nations group is based in Chillicothe, Ohio, which is an hour outside the Ohio state capitol of Columbus. Recently this group had been in the press because a father and son associated with them, Jerry and Joseph Kane, allegedly gunned down two officers during a traffic stop in West Memphis, Arkansas before being killed themselves.
On July 17, Aryan Nations will hold a “White Unity Rally” in Pulaski, TN to celebrate the birth of the Ku Klux Klan in that town 145 years ago. Some attention is also being paid to a rally in Harrisburg, PA next Saturday to support State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe’s anti-immigration bill. It is being organized by Metcalfe’s friend Daniel Smeriglio, who has been under fire for his associations with local neo-Nazi groups and individuals.
Meanwhile on Sunday, the group 4 Civil Rights will be holding a rally in the same location Aryan Nations stood to celebrate peace and unity, from 1-3 p.m.
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