REPORTBACK FROM THE PHOENIX ANTI-ISLAM PROTEST

And now…a report from a writer on our side who was there when Islamophobe Jon Ritzheimer held his failed rally against a mosque in Phoenix, AZ!

 The Citizen 13

Greetings from the AZ front of the fight against fascism and Islamophobia!

Friday, May 29th 2015, The Islamic Community Center of Phoenix was the target of a “Free Speech Rally” organized by Valley resident and ex-Marine Jon Ritzheimer in retaliation to the shootings done by two Muslim men at a “Drawing of Mohammed” event in Garland, Tx. As it turns out the two Muslim men, at one time or another, partook in prayers at the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix. In a statement released by leadership of the community center immediately following that incident they vehemently condemned the attack, but even with that statement Ritzheimer called for the rally to coincide with evening prayer, as well as a “Drawing of Mohammed” contest, and for his supporters and bikers to come armed because he was positive that there would be violence initiated by the occupants of the community center against their First Amendment right of “free speech.”

Initially the bikers and their supporters were to meet at a Valley Denny’s restaurant to congregate, plan the route for the bikers and hold the “Drawing of Mohammed” contest. There was also to be an after party which was planned for Wild Bill’s bar just a few blocks away from the community center. When this information was discovered on the Facebook event page and disseminated to local concerned citizens the two businesses received several phone calls in regards to the event and both businesses chose not to be open for the event/ not host the after party due to negative feedback. This was the major “win” of the afternoon. With their plans being found out and foiled Ritzheimer had to go back to the drawing board and found a new starting spot that wasn’t a Valley business. He chose a park not far from the community center and moved the start time for the event to 5.30pm. This is where most of the local news stations got their interviews with Ritzheimer and his posse of bigots, racists and fascists hiding behind their flags and false patriotism.

The police presence was immense and rightfully so. The Phoenix p.d. took control of a local fire station to use as a base of operations for the entire event and cordoned off a square mile of neighborhood. The neighborhood roads were blocked off by traffic barricades and police cruisers to try to control the comings and goings of not only the armed fascist presence but the local activists and organizers. The F.B.I. and P.P.D. both employed their facial recognition cameras positioned on opposite ends of the street in front of the community center to gather intel and see if any known troublemakers were showing up for a fight.

The gathering at the community center started off slowly and with minimal numbers at first. The counter protest, called by a local peace activist, was to start at the same time as the gathering of the “free speech” militia at the park and even with it being a beautiful Friday afternoon in Phoenix many were still toiling at work or with local rush hour traffic and hadn’t arrived quite on time. A majority of the bikers were still gathered at the park soaking in the beginning of their fifteen minutes of fame as well as waiting for the announcement of the winner of the “Drawing of Mohammed” contest in which there was a one hundred dollar first prize paid out by Ritzheimer himself. As it turned out only two people drew pictures of the Prophet and Ritzheimer declared them both winners and had them split the “c” note.

Over at the community center things were starting to get salty. The P.P.D., not wanting to infringe on anyone’s First Amendment right, stood at the ends of the street chatting with each other and basically ignoring the situation brewing in front of them. Citizen journalists from both sides were taking and streaming video and photos. The groups were starting to grow; multi-denominational churches, multi-racial, peace groups and activists were arriving with their banners, signs and leaflets and congregating in front of the community center. The fascist, nationalist, predominantly Caucasian bigots and Islamophobes with their flags, signs, pro-Christianity rhetoric and racist taunts lined up on the opposite side and started hassling and haranguing those who stood on the side of tolerance and unity. Eventually we all started getting our ire up and with a lack of barricades in the middle of the street, or real police presence, folks from both sides met in the middle and started chatting each other up, calling names, and lambasting the other for being there. One of the citizen journalists for the tolerance side was roaming about and snapping pics when a large, squat man confronted him, “HEY! I told you! Don’t take my fucking picture!” and shoved the young man. Someone stepped in between the two of them to try to squelch the confrontation from going any further but that’s when the P.P.D. noticed the error of their ways. Soon enough the police presence exploded and people were separated and traffic barricades and yellow “police line” tape went up.

The evening progressed relatively uneventful after that. It was an even 50/50 split with about 250 people on both sides of the traffic barricades. The police, with only about 150 of them in between the two warring factions, were outnumbered and decided to gear up into full riot gear. One of the fascists brought a megaphone and a Qur’an with him and was mocking and deriding the “hate filled” religion of Islam continuously through the night. He would rip pages out and stomp on them. On the tolerance side, at one point, we turned our backs on the fascists and formed a living fence around the community center by taking each other’s hand.
Throughout the night chants went up from both sides but really the fascists had a chant that they leaned on like a crutch and it left me perplexed. The chant from the tolerance side would go up, “LOVE BEATS HATE!” The nationalists would counter and in a vain attempt to drown them out came back with, “USA!USA!USA!” Really? That’s all you’ve got? Since when does chanting “USA!” trump “LOVE BEATS HATE?” Oh well, maybe next time they’ll show up a little more prepared on that part.

Heavily armed right wing militias from all over the state were arriving continuously through the afternoon and evening. One militia even came in an R.V. all the way up from our southern border with Mexico to take a break from securing it against “illegals” to take a stand against “Sharia law.” Other than the typical rag tag motorcycle clubs (including some members of the V.F.W. riders,) militias, and Neo-Nazis no one of notability had really shown up for the fascist side. That is, until, the National Socialist Movement militia arrived with their Regional Director Harry Hughes. They came dressed all in camouflage, Ar-15s and AK-47s at the ready, faces covered but badges and regalia prominently displayed. Even after informing some of the patriots on the other side of the Nazi presence they were still welcomed with open arms. After all, aren’t they there for the same reason
? Yes, but only if you take into account that when given the chance they will kill you and your family for having the wrong genetic code.

All in all the day and the peace event were a success. The fascists were old and tired easily so they started trickling out of the area first to try to catch themselves on the news and missed naps. The church groups and activists, being younger, stuck around to make sure that the old folks got under way and none of the wilier ones came back to start something. Hopefully this will show the far right in Arizona that their despicable brand of hate and fear-mongering will not be tolerated any longer. When they show their heads again we will be ready and waiting.

Solidarity from Arizona!