Community | September 28, 2009 | 3 comments

Group marches for 'white civil rights' in wake of bus beating

Image
Future_America
A group waving flags adorned with swastikas traded insults with and challenged a crowd of about 250 onlookers from behind yellow wooden barricades manned by police including SWAT members during a midday protest Saturday.

After an hour of loud protesting by white supremacists, who were countered by a silent demonstration, police ended the two downtown rallies at 12:30 p.m.

While a police sniper watched from the roof of the police station, 22 members of white supremacist groups, shouted obscenities and made obscene hand gestures. One man, who had a crew cut and wore a black uniform, told the crowd of onlookers, "Wake up white America!"

"We were out there to denounce the violence," said Belleville resident Jason Bonn, who is a corporal with the National Socialist Movement, a group with a name similar to the Nazi Party of Germany during World War II. Bonn’s group is "fighting for white civil rights."

Around the corner from the shouting protesters on West Washington Street, several dozens participated in a silent counter-rally on South Illinois Street. The Rev. John Curry, of Conqueror’s Christian Center in Belleville organized the counter protest: "Our message is to preach love for all groups, skinheads, KKK, Nazis, all groups. Hate has got to stop. Our message is silent love."

The white supremacist rally was held in response to a Sept. 14 attack on a Belleville West High School bus, where two black students beat a white student. Members of the National Socialist Movement were joined by other pro-white groups and held signs that said, "It was a hate crime."

More @ link
  1. groups:
    Community
  2. tags:
    Racism Race Rally Nazis 4 more
  3.     
    |

3 comments // Group marches for 'white civil rights' in wake of bus beating

more from Community:

top videos