austin

Austin, Minnesota (Updated 8pm Sunday)--It was fifty facing off four: fifty activists from southern Minnesota-based Centro Campesino, Anti-Racist Action, Bash Back--Twin Cities and other Minnesota activist organizations across from four members of the National Socialist Movement.  As they do every so often, the neo-nazis rallied on Saturday at the Veterans' Memorial in Austin's quiet downtown, across the street from popular local restaurant El Mariachi.

In this town of 25,000 about two hours south of the Twin Cities, it's hard to find someone who doesn't have experience in the meatpacking industry.  The legacy of the contentious 1985-6 Hormel strike, combined with Bush-era rhetoric targeting undocumented immigrants and the divide-and-conquer strategy of right-wing bosses has led to animosity from some white residents.  They say Latina/o workers are lowering wages and taking their jobs.  In this context, overt white supremacists have begun to gain public acceptance.

After neo-nazi speeches were drowned out by the screams of the anti-racist crowd on Saturday afternoon, police protection from three different agencies arrived for the NSM.  Three people were arrested while others were sprayed with mace.  What led to this scene, and what lessons were learned?

This is Part 1 of a two-part article on Saturday's events.  Check back to TCIMC for Part 2 later this week.  Related: Neo-nazis Repelled from YWCA in Minneapolis | Photos below

Brandon Darby of Common Ground is an FBI Snitch.

http://news.infoshop.org/article.php?story=20081231114519856

He’s snitch on many including many at the Pre-RNC groups.

I know many of us know him from his work at Common Ground in N.O.
If Malik Rahim of all people will not disown him, then Common Ground it the enemy too.

2 documents, one a press release from the Department of Justice, and the other an affidavit of FBI special agent Christopher Langert, detailing the use of confidential informants to entrap Crowder and Mckay.

an excerpt:

2. In February 2007, a confidential human source (“CHS 1”) who has been working with the FBI since November 2007, and who has a proven track record of reliability, began providing the FBI in San Antonio, Texas, with information regarding the activities of a group of individuals involved in planning to disrupt the Republican National Convention (“RNC”).