Our regular readers are probably well aware of Steven Wiegand and his company Micetrap Distributions. However, many people living in Wiegand’s town of Cherry Hill are still totally unaware that he has been peddling Neo-Nazi merchandise there for over 20 years.
So it is our intention to change that and create an environment in Cherry Hill so inhospitable to Micetrap that Mr. Wiegand will be forced to either close up shop or relocate somewhere far away. Like the fucking moon.
On learning of recent racist activity around the city, Philadelphia Antifa decided it was about time to make some visits.
Keystone United (aka KSS/Keystone State Skinheads/complete fucking garbage) are a pack of backwards racist boneheads that have not just a bullshit nonsense ‘ideology’, but also a string of misery wherever they go. Murderers, rapists, abusers, that’s who Keystone United is. They want new blood, and they’ve been out on Philly’s streets, advertising.
Crews of Philly Antifa responded in kind. We thought we should hit up Joey Phy’s (of 4383 Salmon St.) hood to let his neighbors know they have a Nazi in their midst. Not only should people know when they live next to a toxic dump of a ‘person’, we also want them to know that we are there, and are watching out for them. Joey Phy should not be comfortable spreading his propaganda, or walking the fucking street for that matter.
We also went back up to the northeast, where lots of KSS stickers were removed and destroyed recently. We blanketed that area too, covering up nazi symbols and messages with our own. Our friends at La horde (http://lahorde.samizdat.net/) will be happy to see their anti-fascist imagery put to use in silencing Keystone. Greedy gentrifier advertising was also disposed of; their community shattering tactics and property grabs dismantle deep and powerful neighborhood bonds that are the lifeblood of this city. Where they tried to take space for their messages, we took space back and stomped out their words.
When the Nazis try to crawl out of their holes, Philadelphia Antifa will be there, to bury them.
From a Philly antifascist:
Post Trump election days have empowered every sort of white supremacist
across the states. Northeast Philadelphia, always an active, stinking
cesspool of racist skinheads, has seen the reemergence of the Keystone
United (previously known as KSS/Keystone State Skinheads). They have
been a menace for years. Their legacy has nothing to do with “heritage.”
Their “heritage” is about about a trail of murders, violent attacks, and
rapes wherever they pop up. Recently, the bigots have been back at it,
covering the area with their fascist propaganda, showing up along major
corridors, spreading their vile filth in their old recruiting grounds.
Local Philadelphia Anti-Fascists were quick in killing their messaging
dead in its tracks. They cannot be allowed back into Philly’s hoods and
communities, and racists will be met everywhere they are.
They will not recruit.
They will not have a place to speak.
They will not feel safe.
No quarter, no inch, no space to breathe for fascists.
From May 1st Anarchist Alliance
The surprise victory of Donald Trump this past Tuesday has quickly presented people in this country (and around the world) with a vastly different political landscape than we had expected. We are seeing a rise in right-wing attacks as the far right is emboldened by the victory, much like what happened earlier this year after the success of the Brexit referendum in the UK. The incompetence and capitulation of the Democratic Party has forced many of its former supporters to recognize that the fight against the far right cannot be won by liberal electoral politics. This new reality forces anti-authoritarians of all stripes to rise to the challenge of building strong movements for working class self-defense in this new atmosphere.
Much writing in the coming weeks will be dedicated to figuring out, from the Democratic perspective, “what went wrong.” Already many authors have argued that Trump’s success is solely the result of white nationalism and misogyny. Part of Trump’s appeal is that his ideas are a racist response to there currently being a black president. Trump’s open embrace of white supremacy and patriarchy was crucial to his victory, but we do not believe it can tell the whole story. It cannot, for example, explain why Trump received more votes than other recent Republicans from latinos, women, and black voters.
Another narrative states that in the rust belt as in Europe, the devastating effects of decades of austerity, neoliberal trade agreements, and an orientation towards multinational corporations have been challenged. That challenge in the U.S. and elsewhere has come in the form of xenophobic nationalism. There is a significant amount of truth to this as well, but it can’t explain much of Trump’s success without acknowledging the serious appeal that open white nationalism and misogyny has gained in this election.
Perhaps the most revealing aspect of this moment is that after spending months describing Trump as a grave threat to the lives of women, people of color, queer and trans people and the disabled, the entire Democratic Party has immediately capitulated to him. They have made clear that they always held preserving their broken system to be far more important than our lives. Many among their base are for the first time seeing the party’s true colors, and are reaching out to radical organizations in the interest of carrying on the fight that the Democrats so quickly abandoned. Already we are seeing attacks on muslims, immigrants, people of every color besides white, queer and trans people. This is not abstract, it is already happening. We should expect more of this and must make organizing to oppose it a top priority.
For anti-authoritarians, this presents a fundamental challenge that we must rise to. Many on the left will continue to advocate for independent candidates, third parties, or “progressive” Democrats like Bernie Sanders. In response, we must not only articulate that this is a dead-end strategy but offer serious alternatives for people to engage in and understand what we mean by our watchword of Community Self-Defense.
Across the US, from cities to rural areas, it is imperative that anarchists and anti-authoritarians strive to build organizations to battle the emboldened far right, to advocate through militant action the needs of working-class communities, and to combat state repression. We must encourage broad participation from those who are now looking for an alternative to the failed strategy which has got us to this moment. Moving forward, we must be sure to resist the pull of nonprofits and electoralism which will surely return to stymie any radical activity once the Democratic Party recovers.
Trump is an opportunist who understood the frustration of mostly struggling white people and tapped into that anger. He is not currently a fascist but has fascist tendencies that emboldens fascists and authoritarians of many stripes. Calling him one can limit our understanding of fascism, which we need to develop in order to better oppose it.
We are encouraged that so many have taken to the streets across the country. We hope more will do the same. Trump’s attacks in the form of policy and his supporters physical attacks and intimidation, must be opposed from day one.
Our organizations must be effective. The sense of despair many are feeling is grounded in the reality of an ascendant far right. Right now, they face little resistance. The sense of urgency many of us have felt is a recognition of the need to build that resistance. It is time for us to take up that task, to find new comrades ready to fight, and to fight. No one is coming to save us–we cannot use the electoral system to fight the far right effectively. It’s time to stop waiting and defend each other in the streets!
What Needs to Be Done:
1. No to National “healing”, working with, or a grace period for the Trump Regime
2. Take to the streets – build a militant resistance
3. Build working-class defense organizations that resist racist attacks, sexual assault, immigration and homeland security raids and deportations, police brutality and state repression
4. Agitate and organize for workers actions – including a general strike against Trump
5. No to containment of the struggle back into the Democratic Party, electoralism and the Non-Profit Industrial Complex
From our comrades at Central PA Antifa:
Bring signs, banners, flags, noisemakers, and fuel (snacks and water) to keep yourself hydrated and nourished!
It has come to our attention that the National Socialist Movement (NSM) is planning a rally in Harrisburg, PA on Saturday, November 5th.
Any attempt to establish and build support for racism, fascism and any form of bigotry must be enthusiastically confronted and shut down. This year with the presidential election circus, we have seen a rise in hate crimes, whether Islamphobic, homophobic, xenophobic – the fear mongering is out of control.
There is no compromising or common ground with fascists and racists. Their views must be combatted everywhere, and never allowed to go uncontested.
Join us on the 5th to show that Harrisburg stands together against hate and bigotry!
*black bloc is encouraged but not mandatory.
¡No pasarán!
–
Check out the fb event for more info.
We would like to encourage all of our supporters to come out in force for Harrisburg. White Nationalist Golden-boy Matthew Heimbach will be speaking at this event, as will NSM head Jeff Scoep. Join us in giving them the proper welcome.
The stage was set. A rainy morning broke through to a sunny brisk afternoon, but Boathouse Row along Kelly Drive was still nearly deserted. A few die-hard joggers and bikers raced by. Philly PD was there; they even brought two swat vans and a paddy wagon. You know we were there. Around 30 Anti-Fascists from Philly and the immediate surrounding area braved the weather and cops to let Keystone United, also known as the Keystone State “Skinheads,” know that they are not welcome in Philadelphia. We ate soup provided by Food Not Bombs – Affinity (thanks again), chatted, and waited.
For most of the nearly 10 years, it was a similar scene. But this time, there was something missing. Everyone there was attractive. No one was yelling. There was no idiotic collection of flags from European Countries waving in the wind. Slowly, it dawned on us: they weren’t coming.
Leif Erikson Day was a point of pride for Philly KSS for several years. It was the one time a year when they would openly call for an event in Philadelphia. They would bring allies from as far away as Texas, Indiana and the Pacific Northwest. The first time anyone protested it, in 2008, it was just a handful of Anti-Racists against the combined forces of KSS, The Vinlanders Social Club, Volksfront, and several other smaller Neo-Nazi crews. The event being used to bring together such distant (and previously hostile) organizations, combined with the political activism KSS was engaging in all over the Philly metro area, was a threat that Anti-Fascists could no longer ignore.
Opposition to Leif Erikson Day grew from there, culminating in 2013 when KSS, now operating under the banner of Blood and Honour, was met with hundreds of protestors from around the city and region. They were unable to hold their march down lemon hill for the first time, and retreated back to their cars after only a few minutes of being shouted down and laughed at by the statue.
Leif Erikson Day, 2013
In 2014 KSS did not show up until weeks after the holiday, holding a quick photo op and running off. In 2015 KSS announced they would be in the Park at Noon Leif Erikson Day weekend, but when Anti-Fascists mobilized to meet them they instead hid until they could hold their rally under cover of darkness that night. It seemed like Leif Erikson Day might be a thing of the past, replaced with “Leif Erikson Night,” or “Celebration 2 weeks after Leif Erikson Day.”
A lot can change in a year. Donald Trump’s presidency has electrified the racists and nationalists; KSS are both. Furthermore, after years of successfully embarrassing and exposing KSS members living all over the city and state, KSS has adopted an almost flattering obsession with us. For every KSS social media account, there are three “Anti-Antifa” sites or accounts being operated by members of KSS. Their Tumblr and Twitter are filled with images like this:
pictured: Not KSS
Following the melee in Sacramento when members of the Golden State Skinheads stabbed several Anti-Racists while fleeing after being routed on their way to a planned rally at the Capitol building, KSS posted accolades for the “Aryan Warriors” who stood up to “the red scum.” Surely, this year, when Antifa announced so publicly their intentions to be in Fairmount Park for Leif Erikson Day, naming the date and time, KSS would be there to show their “Anti-Antifa” chops first hand, no?
Apparently not. Maybe we don’t understand this whole “Anti-Antifa” dynamic. Like, we’re Antifa. When Fascists are holding demonstrations in our town, we are there. What exactly do these “Anti-Antifa warriors” do, other than print t-shirts and stickers? You name a time and place, we show up, you hide until the middle of the night. We name a time and place, we show up, you still don’t come through. Come to think of it, no one can really remember seeing yall on the streets in Philly in like 2 years.
We have no doubt that KSS has or will hold some sort of “Leif Erikson Day Celebration.” It might have been in the middle of the night again. It might have been held somewhere outside of Philly. It might have just been printing T-Shirts and selling them on their Tumblr.
Pictured: Not a rally
Despite all this, it was important for Anti-Fascists to be in the park to meet and oppose KSS, especially right now, with a resurgent right organizing all over the country. We’d like to thank everyone that came out and stood in the rain with us to make sure that Philly remains an Anti-Fascist city.
Solidarity, Liberty and Equality,
When: Sunday, October 9th @ 11:00am
Where: Thorfin Karlsefeni Statue, Boathouse Row
It’s that time of the year again.
Every October, The Keystone State “Skinheads” attempt to hold a public rally along boathouse row in Fairmount Park. This rally is billed as a “Leif Erikson Day Celebration.” It is, in reality, the one time a year that KSS tries to hold a space in Philly, if only for an hour. This grants them some measure of legitimacy as “activists” and represents their last foothold of a street presence in Philadelphia. They have encountered opposition most of the past 10 years. Last year, in order to avoid Anti-Fascists, KSS held their event in the middle of the night after announcing they would be in the park at noon.
Antifa Philadelphia intends to be in Fairmount Park on October 9th, Leif Erikson Day. We will gather at the Thorfin Karlsfeni statue on Boathouse row and rally against Racism, Colonialism, and KSS organizing in our city and state. We are calling on all Anti-Racists and Anti-Fascists to join us in confronting KSS and showing them that they are (still) not welcome in Philadelphia.
In Solidarity,
WHEN: Friday, 9/2/2016 @ Noon
WHERE: People for People Charter School, 800 N. Broad
WHAT: Show Trump he is NOT WELCOME in Philly
This is short notice because it was intentionally kept secret, but The Inquirer is reporting that Donald Trump will be attending a private meeting with conservative Black voters above the People for People Charter school, run by the Greater Exodus Church.
The hall was rented out by the Trump campaign. Trump was not invited by anyone associated with Greater Exodus, nor anyone at all as far as we know.
A demonstration has been called by Philly Coalition for REAL Justice to oppose Trump, and we would like to encourage all Antifa who are able to go and lend their support.
Update 9/2: Some members of the media are incorrectly attributing Lichterman’s leave from work in the early 2000’s to the Blood and Honour hack in 2010 and also reporting that he has been on Philly PD payroll during the time he was reportedly (by himself on social media) working as a security contractor in the middle east, so we have updated that section with a more thorough explanation of our observations during that time. We also added the connection between the e-mail used in the BNH hack and Lichterman’s badge number.
Two updates 9/1:
We previously incorrectly implied that the “311” in Lichterman’s flikr and instagram accounts might be a reference to an outdated number code for KKK, but several people pointed out to us that “0311” is the Marine Occupational Speciality (MOS) code for a rifleman.
We also removed an erroneous description of Lichterman engaging in Third Reich soldier “Cosplay,” after an actual Cosplayer contacted us and informed us that they are actually engaging in re-enactment and wearing uniforms, not costumes, and asked that we not associate their generally badass hobby with Nazis and Nazi sympathizers. Apologies to cosplayers.
Ian Hans Lichterman (left) with 2 fellow Nazi reenactors. Lichterman was previously outed as a member of the WP network Blood and Honour and is an active Philly PD Officer
Those of our readers who have been Anti-Fascists for a few years may remember that during a period from 2010-2012 there were several successful hacks of Neo-Nazi websites that led to the identification of dozens of Neo-Nazis and White Nationalists.
One of the more interesting cases was that of Ian Hans Lichterman. Lichterman was listed as a member of Blood and Honour, an international network of Neo-Nazi organizations started by Ian Stuart Donaldson, the lead singer of Skrewdriver. Upon some investigating, it was discovered that Lichterman was also a Philly PD officer who had even recently been commended at a crime stoppers awards ceremony. The e-mailed listed alongside his name with the leak, philly3155@yahoo.com, seemed to refer to Lichterman’s badge number, 3155. The address that was also leaked with the name and e-mail is owned by Lichterman and his wife, fellow Philly PD officer Susan Bevidas.
Shortly after the hack, Lichterman appeared to leave the the Philly PD and to be working as a private security contractor (mercenary) in the middle east, presumably using his connections from his time as a Marine. Hoever, members of the media have note that during this time Lichterman was still on Philly PD payrolls. So either the move was ruse because people had been calling Philly PD asking about him and his affiliations… or he was kept on the books while working abroad for some reason. Recently, at the Philly Coalition for REAL Justice’s march during the DNC, someone noticed that one of the bike cops working the event had some shady tattoos. That cop has been identified as Ian Lichterman, back on duty in Philly.
Iron Cross Tat on Left Elbow is just the beginning
One was a rather generic Nationalist tattoo of an AR-15 over an american flag with “For God and Country” written above it. That is the motto of the American Legion, a veterans organization that was very sympathetic to Fascism in Europe before WWII.
“The president of the American Legion in 1923 was quoted as saying, ‘If ever needed, the American Legion stands ready to protect our country’s institutions and ideals as the Fascisti dealt with the destructionists who menaced Italy.’ In reply to whether this meant taking over the government, he said ‘Exactly that. The American Legion is fighting every element that threatens our democratic government-soviets, anarchists, I.W.W., revolutionary socialists and every other Red ..Do not forget that the Fascisti are to Italy what the American Legion is to the United States.'”
If that wasn’t bad enough, the other tattoo was this:
real subtle, Ian
That eagle design is called a partieadler. With wings outstretched and a simplistic design, the partieadler is distinct from the national emblem in every other era of German history, a history that stretches from the reichsadler’s first appearance in the 12th century, to its present design. It is the eagle of Nazi Germany specifically. And the word “fatherland” is also a reference to Nazi rhetoric oft-used to describe Germany during the Third Reich.
Oh, and then there’s these:
Ian Hans Lichterman (left) with 2 fellow Nazi reeanctors.
willing to kill people who hold a political belief he can’t spell
“True Americans” haven’t felt so safe since Hulkamania was taking over.
self-describing as an “infidel” is a common trope by Anti-Muslim racists.
Those pics are taken from Lichterman’s flikr account, which is under “Panzerhund0311.”
It is obvious from his past association with Blood and Honour, his Nazi tattoos, his affinity for dressing up as a Third Reich soldier and his reactionary, racist, anti-communist photoshops that Ian Hans Lichterman is an extreme danger to the people of Philadelphia (especially People of Color, Muslims and Anti-Racists) as long as he has a gun and a badge.
This information coming to light could lead to Lichterman’s removal, but one thing is certain: it will not change the fact that Police were developed specifically to protect White Supremacy and Patriarchy in this country. As long as Philly PD exist, their ranks will be full of the bigoted, power-hungry and corrupt, as well as a handful of fools and cowards who get the “good cop” label and serve to protect people like Lichterman.
For a world without Cops or Nazis, or Nazi Cops.
According to the NSM’s website and several event websites they plan to hold a “Meet and Greet” event in Ulysses, PA this Saturday at 4pm.
The event is being hosted by Daniel and Sabrina Burnside, who live at 406 State Street in Ulysses. Their house is not easy to miss at it proudly displays a Swastika flag outside.
Daniel works as a wood sculptor under the name “Lion’s Den Carvings” (link is to a video from a “Carving Rondevous” that his work was featured at. At 4:30 in the vid) and also does Tattoos out of his home as “Lion’s Den Tattoo & Piercing”
The NSM recently held a disastrous attempt at a “White Lives Matter” rally in Buffalo, NY and were routed by local Anti-Racists and Anti-Fascists. Ulysses is only about 2.5 hours from Buffalo, but it is unknown whether The Burnsides were in attendance.