Few things in life are clear-cut as this: Are you a Nazi, or are you not a Nazi? Are you a fascist, or are you an antifascist? Either you’re a member of a death cult that wants to carry out genocide, or you’re not.
When you decide that you’re not a Nazi, the next questions to ask yourself are: “What am I doing right now to combat fascism in my community?” and “What am I doing to prevent another Holocaust?”
While it’s not surprising that the Portland Police Department allowed Nazis to physically assault people and subsequently let them go, it should be a wake-up call to folks who say it’s a free speech issue. Groups like NSC-131 have now been allowed to demonstrate in Maine three times in the recent past: once in Lewiston, once in Kittery and now in Portland. They’re engaged in an escalation campaign. The authorities’ inaction and tacit acceptance of their assault signals to these scumbags to try something even more violent next time.
We’re not waiting for the Portland Police Department to do the right thing. We’re not waiting for the City Council to take seriously the threat of Nazi violence. We are organizing our communities, we are building up our resilience, and we will show up any time, and every time, to confront Nazis.
While (some) folks at City Hall are schmoozing the Chamber of Commerce, antifascists will continue to defend Portland from white supremacist terrorism.
Greg White
Portland
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