Illinois State Trooper and Politician Beaten on St. Patricks Day for Making Racist Comments

Kenneth D. Snider, an Illinois State Trooper, Carlinville school board member, MaCoupin County democrat, and former security chief for Governor Patrick Quinn, was attacked on St. Patricks Day for making racist comments at a local Carlinville bar. The media is being slow to acknowledge the racial element, but according to witnesses and dozens of internet postings, the story goes like this: when a black student from nearby Blackburn college entered the Anchor Inn, Ken started making racial slurs including, "What's a ****** doing in a white man's bar?" The policeman was next seen leaving the bar bruised and bleeding. Ken Snider has since resigned from all official positions while an "internal investigation" is underway, but few official details have been released.

State Police probing former chief of Gov. Quinn’s security detail

SPRINGFIELD--The Illinois State Police has opened an investigation into a former chief of Gov. Quinn’s security detail who abruptly resigned this month after allegedly exhibiting erratic behavior.

Kenneth Snider, 49, stepped down from his post as supervisor of Quinn’s south security detail on March 18, the same day of an “altercation” he had with at least one college student in a downstate Carlinville bar, police sources said.

Earlier, in late January, Snider is alleged to have been “running and sliding on his belly on the snow” on a downtown Springfield sidewalk before jumping on the hood of a woman’s car and damaging her windshield, the Springfield State Journal-Register reported in its Saturday editions.

The governor’s office declined to discuss allegations against Snider and referred questions to the Illinois State Police, which refused to confirm a probe of Snider.

Snider is also chairman of the school board in Carlinville, a town of about 5,700 people 50 miles south of Springfield, and chair of the MaCoupin County Democratic organization.

“We have not disclosed the person under investigation or specifics regarding the investigation, other than the fact the Illinois State Police is conducting an investigation involving one of our off-duty officers,” State Police Master Sgt. Isaiah Vega said.

Carlinville’s police chief told the Sun-Times on Friday that Snider was involved in an apparent bar fight and his police department had turned over the matter to the State Police for investigation.

“My agency received a call for assistance from Mr. Ken Snider pretty much at 1 in the morning on the 18th due to an altercation at the Anchor Inn,” Police Chief David Haley said, referring to the bar where the fight occurred.

“My office responded, spoke to a bartender, Mr. Snider, a couple other people. Basically, we did a short preliminary investigation and [later that day] ... I contacted the Illinois State Police and referred it to them for investigation.”

The owner of the Carlinville bar, who did not want to be identified, said Snider and a student at the town’s Blackburn College were involved in the altercation.

Asked if there was a racial component to their dispute, the owner told the Sun-Times “you’re probably on the right track,” but declined to discuss the matter further.

No arrests were made nor did anyone require medical attention, said Haley. He would not identify the student.

Springfield police believe Snider may have been drinking before his Jan. 27 encounter with the motorist, whom he paid $300 for damaging her vehicle, the Journal-Register reported. No arrests occurred in that case, which the Springfield Police Department would not discuss Saturday when contacted by the Sun-Times.

Snider had been employed by the state since 1984 and was elevated last December as supervisor of Quinn’s south security detail, a job that put him in charge of overseeing executive protection officers, scheduling, routes and movements, Vega said in a prepared statement late Friday.

That assignment lasted until Jan. 19, when he began to use benefit time until his resignation on March 18, he said.

Immediately after the March 18th incident, Snider resigned his chairmanship of the Carlinville school board and the MaCoupin County Democratic organization.

A message for Snider left Saturday with a woman at his home was not returned.

Chi-Town Antifascists Attack Secrets..AGAIN!

Taken from Chicago Indymedia:

After attempting, and almost with success, to mislead enquiring customers, it was confirmed that Suzan M Lenner, a member of the National Socialist Movement(NSM) still works at Secrets (3229 N Clark). As you should expect Chicago Antifascists responded appropriately by launching a cinder block that read "fire suzy"through the glass front door. This is the second time there windows have been smashed adding to the list of attacks including locks being glued shut and there sympathetic manager being pelted with eggs.

Chicago anti fascists and anti-racists continue to ask for a boycott of Secrets and demand that she resign or be fired. We want a written statement of her departure from secrets, but No matter what her work status is we will continue to confront Suzy(and any other Nazis who cross our path) in the streets, on-line and even where she lives at 910 Beau DR, Unit 304 Des plaines, IL 60016-5831 

NSM to Protest Milwaukee Pridefest and "Communist" Roller Derby Team

The National Socialist Movement Wisconsin unit is planning several upcoming hate-mongering actions: a March 26th private meeting near Fond Du Lac, a May 14th protest of the Rushin’ Rollettes (a "communist" roller derby  team in Milwaukee), and a June 11 demonstration against Milwaukee Pridefest. This is not the first time the WI NSM have attempted to protest Pridefest; last time they were forced to hide behind police protection out of fear of being confronted by Milwaukee Bash Back and ARA members. We're calling out for folks to stand up against racial prejudice and homophobia by driving these racist scumbugs out of town.

Although ARA has previously released some names and pictures of WI NSM members, we want to focus on the two main players, Harriet and Paul Paletti. They live in New Berlin with their infant twins Paul and Aryan and both  have a long and sordid racist history, having organized numerous NSM events.  They plan on attending the upcoming 2011 NSM National Conference in New Jersey. Although Harriet tries to portray the NSM as a group of "community activists" doing "volunteer work at animal shelters, food pantries, and senior centers" on her NewSaxon profile, it is clear through their actions they are capable of violence against people of color and LGBTQ folk. Paul Paletti was arrested in 2008 for beating up a Mexican man outside a bar in Waukesha with a group of Nazis while shouting racial slurs. The charges were eventually reduced to simple assault and he received two years probation. Although he was ordered not to affiliate with white supremacist groups,  that hasn't stopped him from continuing to organize as the WI NSM. The fact that they are organizing public demonstrations shows they are becoming increasingly emboldened and need to be reminded that speading hate has consequences.

Harriet "Garfield" Kester-Paletti and Paul J. Paletti Phone: 414-554-2483, 414-324-1479 , 262-894-8700 Address: 20225 w coffee road, new berlin 53146, Wisconsin Email: nsm88wi @ gmail.com, oiboy1488 @ wi.rr.com

Harriet has also recently started her own business, "Garfield Accounting Services," but it is hard to believe anyone would want to trust their business records or personal details to a company  run by active neo-Nazis.

Many Chicago-area Nazis have participated in several WI NSM events. Our own Susan "Pincushion" Lenner, Chicago NSM member who works at "Secrets" headshop in Boystown (pictured here holding an assault rifle while Harriet Paletti gives the seig heil), has made the trip to Wisconsin to attend the NSM protest of Milwaukee Pridefest and a gathering at the memorial to Adolf Hitler constructed by former SS Waffen officer Herr Junker. Other Chicago nazis who attended Wisconsin events include NSM member Michael Schloer, who last we heard was still on the streets (having been kicked out of his home for abusing his girlfriend), Chicago NSM Matt who was defeated at the failed 2010 Chicago White Pride Worldwide march, and NSM snitch Tim O'Donnell, who also attended the last NSM Pridefest protest. 

Neo-nazis try to hang on the fringes of the right-wing Tea Party movement, taking advantage of rising right-wing tides to recruit, provide a context to engage in violent hate crimes, and more explicitly, promote their fascist organizing. This wink-wink relationship between Nazis, the mainstream right wing, police and politicians composes a comprehensive attack on immigrants and the working class, from discriminatory legislation down to street level hate crimes. With dozens of states following their lead, Wisconsin has become a main battlefield for this fight, with an Arizona-style anti-immigrant bill in the works, public outrage due to the Republicans passing the widely opposed anti-union bill, and a budget plan that kills in-state tuition and food stamp benefits undocumented people. Tea Party groups such as Americans For Prosperity have organized in true astroturf fashion several "Stand with Scott Walker" rallies across Wisconsin; millions of dollars have been poured into these front-groups by multi-billion dollar corporations such as Koch Industries headed by notorious right-wingers Charles and David Koch and his father Fred Koch (who co-founded the John Birch Society). The Koch family's history of supporting fascism dates back to their involvement with the Nazis during WWII where they ran concentration camps, the oil industry, and specialized in making products out of the skin of murdered prisoners. Koch is still active today promoting mainstream Tea Party front groups and supporting politicians like Scott Walker(who himself has defended notorious KKK leader David Duke by saying his issues were legitimate and not extreme enough), further demonstrating the connection between fascism, corporatism, and right-wing politics.

However the rising tides of oppression manifest themselves, whether through the state and politicians like Scott Walker or by the Fascists protesting Milwaukee pridefest, they must be exposed, confronted and destroyed.

Stop Indiana from becoming the "Arizona of the Midwest"

 (Some SB590 updates since our last article Indiana Anti-Immigrant Bill Reflects A "Quiet Awakening" of Racists)

In Indiana, the Republican-controlled house and senate are waging a full-on attack by attempting to pass anti-immigrant, anti-worker and homophobic bills, revitalizing Indiana's fascist history and putting Indiana back on the map as the "Arizona of the Midwest". Although proceedings are currently stalled (several democrats have boycotted and fled to Illinois to avoid quorum), the Indiana Republicans are not backing off. Recently, they proposed another anti-immigrant law: HB-1402, which eliminates resident tuition to the undocumented. Indiana republicans are also attempting to pass a constitutional amendment banning civil unions and gay marriages - a step backwards considering many states (including Illinois) are beginning to recognize gay marriage as legal.

Bloomington residents take
to the streets against SB590

In response to the rising tide of fascism in the Midwest, more and more people are taking to the streets. On February 21^st, hundreds marched in Bloomington demanding  that IU President Michael McRobbie take a stand against SB590.  An occupation staged at IU, with an info-point distributing handouts educating people about the bill, was eventually shut down by IU administrators and police. Bloomington citizens are also organizing know-your-rights trainings and discussions on the current status of the bill and how to effectively fight it. On March 10 in Chicago, hundreds took to the streets to "come out of the shadows" as undocumented and unafraid.  The march culminated at "Liberation Square" with speeches, food, and music. Also on March 10, hundreds of immigrant rights activists rallied in Indianapolis and La Porte, marching in opposition to SB590 (in addition to the massive workers-rights demonstrations). In Wisconsin, Voces de la Frontera Action organized twenty buses to Madison for the colossal March 12 demonstration to show solidarity with the general strike and opposition to the Arizona-style anti-immigrant bill. On March 15, hundreds more rallied yet again in Indianapolis against SB590. 

Matt Parrott
1145 Golfview Dr Apt F
Carmel, IN 46032
(317) 324-8282

During the Indianapolis March 10 action, a handful of racists gathered to counter-protest the immigrant rights march, holding signs showing their support of SB590 and demanding people to "go back to Mexico". Attendees include Jaenelle Antas and Matt Parrott from the hate groups Hoosier Nation and Council of Conservative Citizens, and members of the neo-nazi skinhead crew Vinlander Social Club (including leader Brien James from Indianapolis who inanely attempted to provoke the crowd by shouting, "Who wants to make some anarchy? You wanna go in the alley and make some anarchy one on one? I’ll take on any of you"). We want people to be aware of active racists in their neighborhoods (and we have previously posted address info for Jaenelle Antas and Brien James) but if you have any choice words for Matt Parrott his address is listed on an application when he applied for a permit when he and his white supremacist friends rallied in support of Jerry Piland and several other white Indianapolis police officers who savagely beat a young person of color in June 2010.

Nick "NordicHeathenVinlander"
"Hjalmar Hellstrom"

Another Vinlander affiliate actively promoted the counter-protest on racist websites stormfront.org, wotansvolks.webs.com and ingunowners.com. Nick (who goes by the aliases NordicHeathenVinlander and Hjalmar Hellstrom), also created a Facebook account friending many groups and individuals associated with the immigrant rights movement around Indianapolis in the weeks before the event.  While posting several comments and links pretending to be against SB590, he was simultaneously posting on stormfront.org, encouraging people to "call Immigration Customs and Enforcement" because he "heard there are going to be illegals tomorrow" (even providing lists of phone numbers for different ICE offices). Nick eventually revealed his true colors as a Hoosier Nation and VSC supporter after word was put out warning people of his futile attempts to gather personal information in order to report people.

Massively outnumbered, all they could do was attempt to engage in "debate" with a few anti-SB590 protesters, by spouting their tired xenophobic arguments. As ARA, we do not believe in giving any platform for fascism to spout their hate and find it disgusting that such individuals walked around in broad daylight openly affiliating with known nazis. Freedom of speech is a concept that both the right and certain factions of the left, argue for-- ultimately minimizing our ability to actually act and creating a society where you can say whatever you want so long as you don't do anything about it. Unfortunately for them, not only we do see this as deceptive but we believe that if Nazis want to preach oppression and genocide, then those who they wish to oppress, and who oppose this, should fight them by any means necessary. We also do not believe that an attack on them can even be considered a violation of freedom of speech, as opposed to say an imprisonment for such rhetoric, but rather an act of free will based out of a necessity to eliminate apparatuses of oppression. Furthermore, we do not believe in appealing to politicians to seek petty reforms and willingly give up power. Whether through militant confrontation, occupations, or general strikes, the only way forward is direct action.

Confront David Irving’s 2011 Holocaust Denial Tour

The notorious holocaust denier and Nazi sympathizer David Irving is at it again, attempting another US tour of thirty cities across the Southern, Western and Midwestern states. The topic of this year's speaking engagements? "The Life and Death of Heinrich Himmler, Hitler's lieutenant." Irving's fraudulent and methodical endeavors to rewrite history commonly attract other neo-Nazi miscreants and white supremacists to his gatherings. We’re calling upon anti-racist organizations and individuals to confront his tour every step of the way, and send a clear message that revisionism and fascist organizing is not welcome in our communities.

His troubled recollection of basic history must extend to the more recent past, when he encountered fierce antifa resistance the last time he came to the states in late 2009. The fact that Irving can't go out in public without facing angry mobs trying to run him out of town has forced Irving to organize in secret, going through great lengths to screen potential attendees to his event, never revealing the location until the last minute, and hiring private security. This has never stopped protesters from shutting down his events nor has it provided any sort of security or privacy for the racist scum that attempt to hear Irving speak.

In New Jersey, dozens of anti-fascists filled the Pompton Plains hotel, chanting and struggling with attendees.  They were so effective in disrupting the event that police had to escort attendees out. Thesame happened a day later in NYC, where the event was not only disrupted, but both Irving's tour manager Jaenelle Antas and neo-Nazi friend Alex Carmichael were pepper-sprayed. Faced with humiliation and defeat, Irving was forced to cancel his next few scheduled appearances, but the chaos did not end there. Days later his Chicago event was shut down when dozens of masked anti-fascists stormed into the Edelweiss restaurant turning over tables, destroying his merchandise, and assaulting attendees, while Irving and Antas locked themselves in a supply closet in a magnificent display of cowardice.

Right in the middle of his failed east coast appearances, his websites were also attacked by anti-fascist hackers who released his private emails and databases to WikiLeaks. The emails gave hilarious details of the frustrations caused by Irving's infatuation with his much younger assistant Jaenelle, and also eventually caused his landlord to kick Irving out of his Winsdor home. More importantly, this leak revealed private speaking locations as well as names and addresses of dozens of racist Nazi sympathizers who purchased tickets - a warning to those who would consider purchasing a ticket to Irving's gatherings.

The conflicts that populated Irving's 2009 tour exemplify the danger that venues are sure to face should they host his events. Irving, fearing confrontations during his tour, had hired "Tip of the Spear," a group which advertises private security for white power events. At the 2009 Palm Beach function, the very people he hired for security had initiated a knife fight amongst warring neo-Nazi attendees Christopher Nachtman and John Kopko. The event was booked under Focal Point Productions and the Ritz-Carlton had no idea who Irving was. Additionally, one person attending last year's Chicago function, John Gisselbrech, was hospitalized during the antifa disruption, hurt so badly that he has hired the prominent Deratany Firm to file a lawsuit against David Irving, his publishing company Focal Point Productions, and Edelweiss Restaurant (who hosted Irving for the second year in a row) for failing to make adequate security precautions. The million dollars at stake may shut down these businesses down--yet another warning of what might happen to spaces that host fascist speaking events. Further, they give warning to the puerile few considering attending, as to just what might happen if they do attend. They will be confronted, exposed, shut down, and humiliated.

Interestingly, David Irving's tour manager and personal assistant for the second year in a row is Jaenelle Antas (7823 Ella Dobbs Ln, Indianapolis, IN 46227 317-379-8871 / 305 923 9400). Despite the unforgettable troubles stemming from the 2009 tour (the pepper-spray and Irving's elderly sexual advances) is giving him another chance and is handling all booking and ticket sales for his tour. The former Assistant to the Chair of the Indiana Libertarian Party, Jaenelle is also involved in her local white supremacist scene in Indianapolis, belonging to the hate group "Hoosier Nation" which is organizing to support Indiana's anti-immigrant bill SB590.

David Irving, much like our own Chicago-based holocaust denier (and Northwestern University professor) Arthur Butz (2214 Central St, Apt 3 Evanston, IL 60201) and all other proponents of holocaust denial, have a very specific agenda that, upon further examination, has less to do with spreading their distorted fantasies, and more about Nazi sympathy, scapegoating Jews, and legitimizing racism. Holocaust deniers are attempting to lift the taboo off the holocaust in order to make Nazism a more accepted mass political ideology; in other words, they deny the holocaust so that it can happen again. Even some Nazis, such as William Pierce, find this to be absurd, claiming that holocaust denial proves one to be incapable of living up to the duties of white nationalism. Pierce and those who recognize that the holocaust happened believe it is something to be proud of and feel it should be understood as something necessary.

We anti-fascists find this historical perversion appalling, but -- more importantly -- find it an impetus to destroy their quest of creating a potential for fascism to gain ground. David Irving's attempts to legitimize such a movement and to victimize Nazis as being bad jacketed must be met with organized militant resistance and shut down everywhere he attempts to make an appearance.

The Anti-Racist Action Network's first point of unity: "Whenever fascists are organizing or active in public, we're there. We don't believe in ignoring them or staying away from them. Never let the Nazis have the street!"

Below are the dates and locations where David Irving is scheduled to make an appearance. He frequently books his events under fake names to mislead the venues into not knowing what exactly they are getting into, and to prevent the possibility of being confronted by anti-fascists.

February 28: Miami, FL
March 1: Orlando, FL
March 2: Savannah, GA
March 3: Columbia, SC
March 4: Raleigh, NC
March 5: Richmond, VA
March 6: Washington DC
April 9: Indianapolis, IN
April 10: St. Louis, MO
April 12: Dallas, TX
April 13: Houston, TX
April 15: San Antonio, TX
April 16: El Paso, TX
April 17: Albuquerque, NM
April 20: Las Vegas, NV
April 21: Phoenix, AZ
April 22: Sherman Oaks, CA
April 23: Orange County, CA
April 28: San Francisco, CA
April 29: Sacramento, CA
May 1: Portland, OR
May 2: Seattle, WA
May 3: Spokane, WA
May 4: Kalispell, MT
May 6: Billings, MT
May 8: Bismarck, ND
May 9: Fargo, ND
May 10: Minneapolis, MN
May 11: Madison, WI
May 12: Chicago, IL
May 13: Detroit, MI

March 10 Immigrant Rights Mobilization / Liberation Square

From Moratorium on Deportations and Immigrant Youth Justice League:

The recent struggles for liberation in North Africa has served to fuel the combatant spirit all over the world. In the US, the struggle in Wisconsin is the assertion of the ongoing workers movement that has found a strong echo in the struggles in Ohio, Iowa and Indiana. Public sector workers, youth, anti-war organizations and disability activists are consolidating their unity to address the multifaceted system of oppression that produces inequality and constructs borders between oppressed communities, keeping us divided. This is the time to expand even further the political vision of mainstream organizing in the United States. It is time to bring forth a vision and concrete tools to challenge the politics of scapegoating and austerity that conceal the root causes of the current social, political and economic crisis.

Liberation Square – March 10, Union Park!!

The ongoing criminalization of immigrants is part of a global economic system that finds profit in the incarceration, displacement, and repression of millions across the globe. Despite the solidarity that has blossomed among people who are recognized by the system as being citizens and those who are labeled as undocumented, citizenship continues to be one of the main mechanisms for rendering people exploitable. It has been wielded as a ruthless tool for dividing us, forcing us to compete against each other in a global race to the bottom. Liberation Square, modeled on the revolutionary community that sprung up during the Egyptian revolution, is a call to “cross borders” between struggles, between divided communities and between forced political identities. Because in a system of laws that are stacked against us, we are all becoming undocumented, exploitable – from those internally displaced to communities facing mass incarceration, from criminalized dissenters to AWOL soldiers. The struggle cannot be merely a fight for “papers”, for we are fighting the perpetuation of the same system that makes us all increasigly illegitimate: it is a fight for justice beyond all borders !!!

Here in Chicago, our unity is a microcosm of the larger interconnected struggles happening around the world. And the fights we must face together at home – against the recently introduced anti-immigrant bill in the Illinois General Assembly and a mayor with an agenda of privatization – reflect the larger ones we face as a society.

We extend this invitation to organizations and communities to join us at Liberation Square. As people committed to fighting for immigrant justice, we recognize we can no longer look to politicians and their liberal organizations for real change. Liberation Square is a time and place where we can come together and build a new culture, a new politics, to harness the power of unity and create real change.

An over view for March 10 2011-What’s happening on March 10^th 2011?

Mass Mobilization for Immigrant justice during an all day event on March 10.  Actions troughout the day will be in the form of Gathering, March, Teach-Ins, Workshops, Rally, Protest and Celebration.

How is it going to work?

Actions for March 10 are being organized starting at 12 noon and ending at 6:00 pm with a possible celebration in the evening after 6:00PM.

12:00 Noon to 2:00 PM (Reunion/diversity of small actions)

Starting Point: “Liberation Square” at Union Park (Corners of N. Ashland Ave and W. Washington Blvd) “Liberation Square”: A community gathering to share food, ideas and visions. This will be a space for teach-ins, workshops, sign-making and small creative actions, a place for different communities and struggles to come together.

2:00 PM (March Step off time)People will assemble in the Park area between W. Washington Blvd and W. Warren Blvd.

2:15 PM – 3:00 PM (March and Route)1st Part of the Route: People will march on W. Washington Blvd heading EAST. Until arriving at Boeing Corporate Offices Located at 100 N. Riverside Plaza, corners of W. Washington Blvd and the Chicago River. A teach-in at the Boeing Corporate Offices on the connections between the war economy and the deepening economic and political crisis is being organized.

3:15 PM -3:30 PM (Resume March to Daley Plaza)People will continue to march on W. Washington Blvd heading east to Daley Plaza, located on 118 N. Clark St for the Coming out of the Shadows Rally which is being lead by the Immigrant Youth Justice League and other youth organizations.

4:00 PM (Coming Out of the Shadows: Undocumented. Unafraid. Unapologetic. Rally)The Reunion for this rally is being call at 3:00 PM and program is schedule to start at 4:00 PM.  Pending on community meetings, more details to come. Visit IYJL.org for updates on the Rally.

5:00 PM (People’s March Resumes)March will assemble subsequent of the Coming Out of the Shadows Rally at Daley Plaza. People will march back to “Liberation Square” at Union Park.

6:00 PM (Arrive at Liberation Square and Celebration)The People’s March will conclude at starting point, “Liberation Square” at Union Park with a big Celebration and gathering. More details to come after planning has been finalized.

***Not all timings can be confirmed at this time, some are pending community meetings and others can change due to actual conditions and circumstances on the day of March 10. ***

Updates on the different actions can be found at:www.moratoriumondeportations.org and www.iyjl.org