November 15, 2024

Idavox Archives

Archived articles originally found on the One People's Project website.

PORTLAND ANTIFA RESPOND TO NEO-NAZI GATHERING IN NEBRASKA; EXPOSE LOCAL ATTENDEE

The bonehead network Blood and Honor had a national meeting over the 4th of July weekend in Omaha, Nebraska. Apparently, that’s where Volksfront founder Randy Krager moved out to after Portland, Oregon antifa showed him their “A” game (inside joke) and made him move at first out of Portland to Florida. Well, that same antifa have their eyes set on this guy who calls himself Jay Thomas (yeah, like the Jewish comedian), pictured here on the left with the goatee. He travels around a lot for the National Socialist Movement, it seems. Not only was he in Omaha, but he also found his way to Phoenix, Arizona back in November to march with the NSM in support of SB1070, the “Papers Please” law. So if he if going to be roaming the country, Rose City Antifa thought it would be a good idea that everyone gets to know this character. We agree. This article first appeared in Portland Indymedia which prompted this response: “Your targeting of this fellow will possibly increase both his resolve and his support.” Yeah, we have heard this before and all we say to that is come with it!

 

Rose City Antifa

On Saturday, July 4, 2010 Rose City Antifascists sent flyers to nearly 200 addresses around the apartment of neo-Nazi organizer Jeffrey Jay Thomas. Thomas–AKA “Skinhead J”–is a longtime neo-Nazi activist who participates in the white supremacist group “Blood & Honour American Division,” and who has also worked with the Portland Unit of the National Socialist Movement. Both groups perpetuate racial hatred and intimidation wherever they organize. Thomas, most notably, stood with the NSM in Arizona on November 7, 2009 in a demonstration against immigrants, and is spending his Independence Day weekend with other active white power adherents outside Omaha at Blood and Honour’s 2010 gathering. While he is in Nebraska, we alerted his neighbors about his active participation in the white power movement.

This Independence Day weekend, members of the neo-Nazi “Blood & Honour American Division” (B&H/AD) are holding their 2010 gathering near Omaha, Nebraska. Blood & Honour is a Neo-Nazi network originally founded in 1987 in England by racist singer Ian Stuart Donaldson of the band Skrewdriver, which has now become an international phenomenon. In North America, there are two competing B&H franchises, one of which–Blood & Honour American Division—-surfaced in 2005 thanks to the efforts of Volksfront, an international white supremacist organization founded in Oregon. Volksfront remains the guiding force within B&H/AD, although other white supremacist organizations such as White Revolution and the American Front also participate. West Coast neo-Nazis from organizations such as Volksfront and the American Front are all expected to attend the Omaha gathering.

The Omaha gathering is intimately linked to Oregon neo-Nazi activity. The email address used to promote the gathering is ” [email protected]”. Chad Bostwick, one of the event organizers and a member of the racist rock group “Enforcer” with his brother Drew, is a Volksfront prospect who was in Oregon until moving to Nebraska and “gearing up for the July event.” “Enforcer” is playing the Omaha gathering alongside other white power acts. The poster “DaughteroftheKingdom” on the neo-Nazi Stormfront website also states her excitement about the Omaha B&H/AD event. “DaughteroftheKingdom” is Abbie Krager, nee Chelf, the wife of Volksfront president Randal Krager. Abbie Krager has recently been living in Omaha, after she and her husband left the Lakeland, Florida property of neo-Nazi and family friend Mike Lawrence. Before that, both she and Randy were living in Portland, Oregon–you may remember Rose City Antifa’s successful 2008 campaign of “out-ing” these two in their neighborhood.

Also amongst the attendees of the Omaha event is Jeffrey Jay Thomas–AKA “Skinhead J”–a longtime neo-Nazi activist who participates in B&H/AD and who has also worked with the Portland Unit of the National Socialist Movement (NSM). Both B&H and NSM perpetuate racial hatred and intimidation wherever they organize. As well as attending the Omaha event, Thomas actively promoted it online, encouraging others to “road trip” to the gathering. As a slap in the wrist against Thomas’ ongoing white supremacist efforts, on Friday, July 2, 2010 Rose City Antifa sent flyers to nearly two hundred addresses around Thomas’ home address of apartment #416 in the Sally McCracken Building, 532 NW Everett, alerting the recipients of their Nazi neighbor.

Blood and Honour is not the only neo-Nazi group that Thomas crosses state lines to promote. Thomas was videotaped carrying an NSM swastika flag alongside Portland NSM leader–and body-building licensed mortician–Corinna Burt at a neo-Nazi march in Phoenix, Arizona on November 7, 2009, in support of anti-immigrant bill SB1070. A speaker at the November 2009 Phoenix rally, NSM member J.T. Ready, has recently been patrolling the desert of Pinal County–on the Arizona/Mexico border–with other neo-Nazi vigilantes armed with automatic weapons. In an interview, Ready is quoted as stating:

“What happens in the desert stays in the desert. There’s a lot of unmarked graves out there waiting to get filled. So the narco-terrorists made a bad career move stepping across this border. Plenty of hungry saguaros out there.”

In addition to nationwide street demonstrations often focusing on immigration, the NSM has also used the anti-Semitic Pacifica Forum in Eugene, Oregon to spread its propaganda. Pacifica Forum regular speaker Jimmy Marr is closely aligned with the NSM, and gives presentations with titles such as “Anti-racism – why is it only against WHITE ethnic interests?” and “Judea Declares War on Germany: A Critical Look at WWII” at the Forum. A photo from the Pacifica Forum’s February 12 session of this year—-another talk by Marr–shows Jeff Thomas in attendance alongside Portland leader Corinna Burt and other Oregon NSM activist James Ward. Not only do NSM members travel to see Jimmy Marr, but Marr also travels to support the NSM–he was present at an April 26, 2009 NSM rally in Phoenix, Oregon, and more recently was a keynote speaker after the April 17, 2010 NSM rally in Los Angeles, California.

Locally, the NSM has leafleted northwest Portland around Congregation Beth Israel with flyers denying the Holocaust in September, 2009. This January, they targeted several neighborhoods with flyers denouncing the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. In addition, Jeff Thomas, through his work with the Volksfront-affiliated B&H/AD, seems to be involved with fostering deeper connections between Volksfront and other sectors of the Oregon neo-Nazi scene, such as individuals previously or currently in the ranks of the NSM.

Rose City Antifa is committed to stopping Portland’s exportation of neo-Nazi organizers, and also opposing bigots who spread racial hatred locally. It is a crucial time to stand together against fascism in all of the forms it takes: from violent targeting of anti-racists like the March 27 shooting of Luke Querner, to confronting homophobic violence, to removing fascist propaganda from our city’s stre
ets. Together we can address bigotry, and build communities based in respect and dignity. The attention paid to Thomas is intended to be just one small action in a broader effort.

If you have information about white supremacist and fascist organizing in or near Portland, please contact Rose City Antifa. Our voicemail number is (971) 533 7832. You may also email fight_them_back [at] riseup [dot] net.

Flyer on Jay Thomas

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