Pictures from Bash Back! Pridefest
m.boozie, 08.06.2008 00:59
Bash Back! Milwaukee fights the Nazi threat at Pridefest!
hiding behind the police
Although everything did not go as well as planned, Bash Back! still made an impact at Pridefest this Saturday.
Only a twelve members of the NSM arrived, cowardly surrounded by riot police, armed with only a few signs and megaphone to their disposal.
Obviously outnumbered, against the 20+ Bash Back protesters along with other participants entering/leaving the festival.
People outside of Bash Back! continued to join in throughout the protest, chanting, screaming and holding banners. Those who became involved ranged anywhere from young women in the military to elderly couples.
Sadly, the tornados and mass thunderstorms ruined the protest and a day at Pridefest.
Several were arrested. More updates soon.
Thanks to everyone who participated!
Balloons
08.06.2008 - 12:05
So who threw the fluid filled balloons? Did you throw piss-filled (or even better, semen-filled) balloons at them? Or was it just paint?
burn>
Statement:
08.06.2008 - 12:15
In the afternoon of Saturday, June 7th. Bash Back! and other anti-fascists confronted the neo-Nazi group, the National Socialist Movement, who had come to protest Milwaukee’s Pridefest. The leaders of the LGBT Community asked that people simply ignore the Nazi threat to our communities. These same leaders ensured that police would be in full force to defend the NSM and to arrest and assault those who came to oppose the Nazis.
In short, the organizers of Pridefest and the “leaders” of the LGBT community sold out all of us. Neo-Nazis are not a group of passive Christians who want only to condemn our abstract souls to hell. These people want us dead. If given the chance, they will kill us. Nazis (uniformed and otherwise) have murdered thousands upon thousands of trans and queer people, and millions of others. We haven’t forgotten their intentions. We haven’t forgotten of what they are capable. We will never allow their tyranny again.
We will never accept any threat to our bodies and our community.
The same people who ask us to ignore these thugs, demand our composure and complacency when our friends and lovers are murdered. The “leaders” of this community have shown they will never stand with those they claim to serve. They would rather see well-protected neo-nazis than a well-defended queer and trans community. Nobody will protect us if not ourselves.
In the last year, reported violence against us had risen by 25%. One queer or trans person is murdered every eight days in this country. Nazis move freely into our neighborhoods to terrorize us on the streets. Police brutalize queer and trans people on a regular basis. Yet still, the supposed leaders and politicians of the LGBT community do nothing and ask us to do the same. When will we bash back?
Bash Back!>
dear photographer,
08.06.2008 - 13:04
Don't post pictures of people that may face violence upon them because of your carelessness if you're not going to blur their faces!
indy mod>
In solidarity
08.06.2008 - 13:53
Nicely said bash back
Cannon>
hateful anti-hate groups
08.06.2008 - 15:08
You realize that you did more damage then the NSM right? Their goal was to make a peaceful protest, the gays or ARA or whoever was there looked like the violent ones. The police where protecting the NSM because, not only was it a pathetic turnout, but also because they weren't the side that posed the larger threat. As far as the "these people want us dead" its true, they do. However, not every stupid skin who decides to murder some gay guy is necessarily representative of the whole of the NSM. They where there to make a peaceful protest and you could have ignored them easily. By doing what you did, you fueled the NSM's campaign and now they see homosexuals as a violent threat, PLUS the cops took their side because of the violence and made them feel even more in the right. Finally, to address this:
"Nazis move freely into our neighborhoods to terrorize us on the streets. Police brutalize queer and trans people on a regular basis. Yet still, the supposed leaders and politicians of the LGBT community do nothing and ask us to do the same."
While I agree that you cannot do nothing, at the same time taking a violent path wont necessarily get you anywhere either. Politicians don't want you to take the same pointless, violent, gang-like path as the stereotyped Nazi. You can take part of that quote, change a word or two and then you have something that a Nazi would say, like this:
"Homosexuals move freely in our community to pollute the minds of our children on the streets. The supposed leaders and politicians of the community do nothing and ask us to do the same, but the threat only grows. It is then our duty to protect our children."
Statements like that are what cause more problems, not solve them. I don't know how to solve your problems and I realize the difficulties you must face as a community. Although at times I advocate violence, that's not going to win you anything against the NSM. I see myself as a national socialist (not affiliated with any organization) in political view as well as some other beliefs, however I don't really believe that gays are ending the world, some of my friends are gay. This violence against the homosexual community is going to continue forever, just as the NSM will always have its racist and antisemitic views and not focus on the politics which is where the real problems are. The only way to truly destroy any real racism and any real discrimination is to destroy pride. White power, Black power, Gay power, whatever. People find it strange that in Germany you don't really see the country's flags hanging everywhere like you do in America (who is involved all over the world and thinks it's the big badass). Pride of that sort will only bring hate from others who feel the same pride in their beliefs. People will never understand this or be able to address the issue because it is in our nature to do this. I have no solutions, but these are by observations I felt like sharing.
a young biased observer>
why masks?
08.06.2008 - 15:50
When simply passing by shouting anti nazi slogans I was asked, "if you're so proud, then take off your mask".
The reason we were wearing masks was mainly due to the violent nature of the NSM, like Bash back said, these people are nothing like intolerant Christians. If they find out who I am, or see me away from the context of a demo I am scared of what they might do to me. Therefore I cover my identity, its common sense, nothing else. Maybe next time others can don masks, lose their fears and fight against prejudice. Remember, underneath our masks we are you.
I feel really frustrated and sad when I get arrested resisting Nazis/Police at these things and everyone looks at me like I'm some kind of hooligan.
Love does NOT imply pacifism.
(also remember this, nothing even happened before police brutally arrested three LGBT allies!)
Sorry for the rant. Peace x
muffin>
Dudes.
08.06.2008 - 17:47
Nothing more empowering than realizing you can always violently confront, even "kill" people to make our neighborhoods safer places.
You can also burn villages in order to save them.
tired and old>
dear young biased observer
08.06.2008 - 21:13
So where to start . . .
"They where there to make a peaceful protest and you could have ignored them easily. By doing what you did, you fueled the NSM's campaign and now they see homosexuals as a violent threat, PLUS the cops took their side because of the violence and made them feel even more in the right."
Firstly, you are blaming the victim.
Secondly, and completely related, a 'peaceful' ('peaceful' because it is fairly easy to advance an argument that the rhetoric of NSM is filled with and promotes real violence) protest is a tactic, a mean, and can be used to facilitate any end. There is a difference between people that peacefully protest the use of cruise missiles and people that peacefully protest outside of abortion clinics just as there is a difference between firebombing a right wing bookstore and firebombing a bookstore that sells LGBT literature. The question is not the weapon, but the intent. There are different people with different ideals and different prerogatives and different narratives behind each action making them inherently different.
"Nazis move freely into our neighborhoods to terrorize us on the streets. Police brutalize queer and trans people on a regular basis. Yet still, the supposed leaders and politicians of the LGBT community do nothing and ask us to do the same."
"Homosexuals move freely in our community to pollute the minds of our children on the streets. The supposed leaders and politicians of the community do nothing and ask us to do the same, but the threat only grows. It is then our duty to protect our children."
There is a fundamental difference between these two statements; the second is fundamentalism, a fucked up response to someone's way of life (perceived as) being endangered that promotes the use of violence and hate to harm people who are a perceived threat. The first is a reaction to a real threat that promotes fighting back against a threat to someone's sexual orientation which causes no harm to any other.
"This violence against the homosexual community is going to continue forever, just as the NSM will always have its racist and antisemitic views and not focus on the politics which is where the real problems are."
Not if my friends and I and others have anything to do with it.
"The only way to truly destroy any real racism and any real discrimination is to destroy pride. White power, Black power, Gay power, whatever. People find it strange that in Germany you don't really see the country's flags hanging everywhere like you do in America."
You are comparing nationalism, pride that has a very real potential (as in the last five hundred years) to promote ignorance, hate, and violence with pride in someone's identity as an individual and a part of a group, pride that stems from one's celebration of beauty within them self and others around them. When this pride becomes fucked up and dangerous is when one exorcising it one wishes to use their own pride to legitimize mistreatment of others.
Niuta>
LOL
08.06.2008 - 23:28
Did anyone else find it hilarious that the nazis came from out of town to say "not in our town"? I wish I had a marker on me, so I could have gone over to the other side to add a "y" to fix their sign.
Benjamin>
o rly?
09.06.2008 - 03:09
"Firstly, you are blaming the victim."
Victim? Who was causing the violence? From a strategic standpoint, the gays where stupid in that they helped fuel the NSM by being violent and giving them more to feed on. I know you want freedom and peace and whatever, but if you're going to achieve that you can't just hand them more reasons to hate you on a silver platter. You know thats exactly why they set this thing up, theres a reason they made sure it wasn't a uniform event, there was no cursing allowed, and no violence on their side, to make the gays look like the bad guy.
"There is a fundamental difference between these two statements."
Yes, while that is true you missed my point. By having pride in ANYTHING there will always be someone to counter that pride with their own. It doesn't matter if it's nationalism, racism, sexism, sex preference, each one of these "isms" has pride on both sides that fuel the hate.
"You are comparing nationalism, pride that has a very real potential (as in the last five hundred years) to promote ignorance, hate, and violence with pride in someone's identity as an individual and a part of a group, pride that stems from one's celebration of beauty within them self and others around them."
Pride is pride, thats what I was trying to get at. As an example, I have pride in my car that I've put work into but I live in a bad neighborhood. The only people to break into my car where blacks and my neighbors have seen it happen but none of them where ever caught. I'm constantly suspicious of any black person in my neighborhood and this stems from a growing uncontious hatred of these people because of the pride I have in my car. It's a bad example, but an example nonetheless. Another is this protest. The NSM has pride in lots of things and they see gays as a threat to the white bloodline and NS way of life which they hold so high and dear. To counter that, the gays have pride in themselves for their beliefs and way of life as well, both sides therefore are threatened. To directly address this sentence: "pride that stems from one's celebration of beauty within them self and others around them."
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that goes both ways. As I've said, I have nothing against gays but that s*it is gross. And part of nationalism is celebrating "the beauty of others around them."
"The first is a reaction to a real threat that promotes fighting back against a threat to someone's sexual orientation which causes no harm to any other."
Like I was just saying, they see it causing plenty of harm whether it's true or not. One reason being that everyone will accept gays and then humans will stop breeding properly. They see gays as an active group trying to corrupt the world and therefore a great threat. That violence at the protest will probably give the propaganda division some new material to work with as well.
"Not if my friends and I and others have anything to do with it."
I don't know what to say to this without making you mad. Do you seriously think you're going to make any real difference doing what you're doing? The gays need a MLK and a Rosa Parks or something, stuff needs to get organized, unified, and efficient. REAL points need to be made. Good luck with that one.
"I feel really frustrated and sad when I get arrested resisting Nazis/Police at these things and everyone looks at me like I'm some kind of hooligan."
Well, no offence but you are. Resisting police...not a good idea, also resisting peaceful protesters, although nazis, still makes you the one commiting the violence and therefore you would qualify for dicionary.com's definition of a hooligan: hoo·li·gan n. "A tough and aggressive or violent youth." Although there are some corrupt cops out there, generally I'd give the police the benifit of the doubt.
"Did anyone else find it hilarious that the nazis came from out of town."
Yeah, the turnout on their side was pathetic. There where people from not only out of town but out of state. I know a bunch of people stayed out because of the tornados, but still cmon. I think Milwaukee is more of a racist town anyway, but I could easily be mistaken. I heard Milwaukee was the only city to not give into MLK's protests and marches or something along those lines. Some crazy hard-core lefty told me, I doubt it's true but if it is, it's an interesting random fact.
a young biased observer>
Fighting the good (e-)fight
09.06.2008 - 14:53
"People find it strange that in Germany you don't really see the country's flags hanging everywhere like you do in America"
This is actually completely untrue. Every block in this part of Berlin has at least one German flag on it, not to mention the dozens of cars I see with them every day. I can't imagine it is much better in other places, being as this is the "lefty" area.
Of course with a few creative modifications (take off the yellow) you've got yourself a nice Autonomen flag, and there's a nice banner of this sort stretching across a street.
"Victim? Who was causing the violence?"
Ever heard of this thing called the holocaust? In more recent years, Nazis have taken to assaulting LGBTQ people in the street, not to mention immigrants, people of color, leftists and others. And of course, that violence goes right into their homes. Check the criminal records of any of the NSM boneheads. These people are an organized violent threat and to suggest we counter such a threat by being peaceful is absurd. They need to understand that their presence will not be tolerated, period.
"I know you want freedom and peace and whatever, but if you're going to achieve that you can't just hand them more reasons to hate you on a silver platter."
They don't need more reasons. They have their fucked ideology and act upon it. They don't hate LGBTQ people because they are violent against them, they hate them because they exist. Period. There is no way to reason with that, or try to convince them we're not a threat.
"By having pride in ANYTHING there will always be someone to counter that pride with their own. It doesn't matter if it's nationalism, racism, sexism, sex preference, each one of these "isms" has pride on both sides that fuel the hate."
There is a fundamental difference between the pride of the oppressed and pride of the oppressors. Those in positions of power taking pride in that position leads to further oppression and violence against those they oppose (for no legitimate reason). Pride of the oppressed is about realizing you are not to be ashamed of something which the system has deemed wrong- being queer, being black, being poor, etc. It isn't about harming others, its about empowering yourself. That is a pretty big difference.
And no, both sides don't fuel the hate. Things like white pride are based entirely on hate and dominance. Things like queer pride are meant to destroy hate and dominance by bringing acceptance.
"One reason being that everyone will accept gays and then humans will stop breeding properly."
Yes, a small minority of the population will completely destroy human breeding, because accepting homosexuals means nobody will be straight anymore. Please, you have to see how completely stupid this idea is? And if such a stupid idea is used to promote a campaign of violence against people who are no threat to anybody, how else can we respond but by directly confronting that threat and eliminating it?
A comrade in Germany>
Observer
09.06.2008 - 17:27
"Victim? Who was causing the violence? From a strategic standpoint, the gays where stupid in that they helped fuel the NSM by being violent and giving them more to feed on."
Firstly, the only violence at that demonstration was carried out by the police. Secondly, Don't even speak about violence outside of the context of millions murdered in the holocaust, and thousands more killed every year by bigoted thugs.
"I know you want freedom and peace and whatever, but if you're going to achieve that you can't just hand them more reasons to hate you on a silver platter."
They hate queers for no reason. Nothing we do can add or detract from that insanity. The only solution is to be completely unwilling to accept a threat upon us or our community. Piece now, peace later."
"You know thats exactly why they set this thing up, theres a reason they made sure it wasn't a uniform event, there was no cursing allowed, and no violence on their side,"
Because they are cowards and were to afraid to reveal their actual ideology and racist violent tendencies.
" to make the gays look like the bad guy."
This is laughable at best. They are fucking nazis.
This has nothing to do with pride. This has nothing to do with any "ism". Queer and Trans people will never again accept the violence forced upon them by nazi scum. These people want to destroy us. The desire is mutual.
"Although there are some corrupt cops out there, generally I'd give the police the benifit of the doubt."
Idiot.
Sykes>
wuttt
11.06.2008 - 10:53
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that goes both ways. As I've said, I have nothing against gays but that s*it is gross. And part of nationalism is celebrating "the beauty of others around them.""
is this statement just going to be ignored? i don't know if i'm misunderstanding or something, but is this person really trying to say that "the gays" and queerness or homosexual acts in general are gross? and then go on to say that they want to celebrate the beauty of others around them? i just don't understand this statement.
all i can say is this: don't yuck my yum. and i won't yuck yours.
also, what's this shit about black people breaking into cars? dude, i think your "constant suspicion of any black person in my neighborhood" and "growing unconscious hatred of these people" stems less from pride in your car and anger at having your car broken into and more the fucked up stigma and stereotypes surrounding blackness.
oh man.
jim>
both sides
15.06.2008 - 16:33
Shame on both sides.
!>
simple question
24.06.2008 - 09:17
Which one's are the anarchists and which ones are the neo-nazis?
Seriously>
"Shame on both sides"
25.06.2008 - 00:06
Shame on those who stand-asside or passively walk away when violent neo-nazis target our community. "Just ignore them", you say. "Never" say we. When nazis and police beat queers in the streets, expect resistance. This isn't a matter of free speech. This isn't a matter for abstract debate. This isn't your existential liberal garbage.
These people want us dead.
What are you doing to do about it?
Dwayne>
|
|
