MARCH 4TH
On March 4th racists, fascists and white nationalists of all stripes began to trickle from their various miserable corners of the country and into Michigan to attend Richard Spencer's speaking event which was to take place on March 5th. They may have been expecting a Nuremberg rally, but instead they were met with a two-day festival of failure brought on by a combination of their own inability to organize effectively and bold community opposition to their abhorrent views. The alt-right was refused platforms and gathering places at all of their planned stops in Detroit, Lansing, and Ann Arbor, clearly showing that the people of Michigan will not allow hate in their homes. After being denied entry at every turn, from their original venue, The Carpathia Club in Sterling Heights to Tipsy McStaggers, a bar in Warren, Michigan, the defeated group of racists slunk off to an AirBnB outside Ann Arbor. The alt-right may have felt they would be safe in the remote mansion hidden among trees and only accessible by a road that ran one way in and one way out but they were unable to keep even this location a secret. Within hours they were forced to flee yet again, presumably seeking shelter scattered among any local motels with vacancies as they tried to rally themselves for the next day and stewed in their obvious defeat.
MARCH 5TH pt.1
March 5th began with a large group gathering in opposition to Spencer’s event in the parking lot of the MSU agricultural pavilion, a venue normally used for livestock auctions. As small groups of fascists tried to make their way through the opposition in order to hear their beloved glassjaw spout his hateful views, it quickly became clear that they would not be able to do so without risking the same consequences their idol famously experienced on film and they scurried back to whatever holes they had crawled out of. After some time the Traditionalist Workers Party(TWP) arrived along with fascists who where turned away earlier, clearly laboring under the incorrect assumption that their sieg heils and shouts of “white power” would get them through the crowd gathered to oppose them. Their proud walk slowly turned to cowering stances as they slowly realized they were outnumbered and outmatched by over 100 antifascists who took to the streets to block their path. Scuffles began almost immediately as the TWP foolishly attempted to push their way through and were forced back at every attempt, unable even to protect their leader, Matt Heimbach, who was struck on several occasions. The look of fear on the nazi’s faces clearly echoed their defeat as they clung desperately to each other and shouted, often almost in tears, at the cops who were unable to protect them from the antifascists’ focused opposition. Finally the police were able to intervene and the roundly defeated TWP made a walk of shame, cowering behind the cops who protect them, back to wherever they came from.
MARCH 5TH Pt.2
Despite the risk of facing down the assembled antifascists in order to enter the building, small groups of racists continued to attempt to get through the opposition throughout the day. Most had the good sense to know that calling on the cops for an escort was their best chance of success, but even those chances proved to be slim, as police continually failed in their efforts to safely guide the racists through opposition lines. In these moments, both the fascists and cops who were there to protect them were shown that this event and those in support of it would not be tolerated. The cops even found themselves struck and pelted with rock on multiple occasions as the community made it clear that they hold both fascists and those who protect them in the same regard. This event was a clear victory for all who oppose fascism and it was a day of miserable failure for fascist organizing, which was reflected by terrible event attendance (TWP organizers included) and the cancellation of Richard Spencer's college tour. Slowly but surely the alt-right is falling on its ass. Good riddance!
On March 4th racists, fascists and white nationalists of all stripes began to trickle from their various miserable corners of the country and into Michigan to attend Richard Spencer's speaking event which was to take place on March 5th. They may have been expecting a Nuremberg rally, but instead they were met with a two-day festival of failure brought on by a combination of their own inability to organize effectively and bold community opposition to their abhorrent views. The alt-right was refused platforms and gathering places at all of their planned stops in Detroit, Lansing, and Ann Arbor, clearly showing that the people of Michigan will not allow hate in their homes. After being denied entry at every turn, from their original venue, The Carpathia Club in Sterling Heights to Tipsy McStaggers, a bar in Warren, Michigan, the defeated group of racists slunk off to an AirBnB outside Ann Arbor. The alt-right may have felt they would be safe in the remote mansion hidden among trees and only accessible by a road that ran one way in and one way out but they were unable to keep even this location a secret. Within hours they were forced to flee yet again, presumably seeking shelter scattered among any local motels with vacancies as they tried to rally themselves for the next day and stewed in their obvious defeat.MARCH 5TH pt.1
March 5th began with a large group gathering in opposition to Spencer’s event in the parking lot of the MSU agricultural pavilion, a venue normally used for livestock auctions. As small groups of fascists tried to make their way through the opposition in order to hear their beloved glassjaw spout his hateful views, it quickly became clear that they would not be able to do so without risking the same consequences their idol famously experienced on film and they scurried back to whatever holes they had crawled out of. After some time the Traditionalist Workers Party(TWP) arrived along with fascists who where turned away earlier, clearly laboring under the incorrect assumption that their sieg heils and shouts of “white power” would get them through the crowd gathered to oppose them. Their proud walk slowly turned to cowering stances as they slowly realized they were outnumbered and outmatched by over 100 antifascists who took to the streets to block their path. Scuffles began almost immediately as the TWP foolishly attempted to push their way through and were forced back at every attempt, unable even to protect their leader, Matt Heimbach, who was struck on several occasions. The look of fear on the nazi’s faces clearly echoed their defeat as they clung desperately to each other and shouted, often almost in tears, at the cops who were unable to protect them from the antifascists’ focused opposition. Finally the police were able to intervene and the roundly defeated TWP made a walk of shame, cowering behind the cops who protect them, back to wherever they came from.
MARCH 5TH Pt.2
Despite the risk of facing down the assembled antifascists in order to enter the building, small groups of racists continued to attempt to get through the opposition throughout the day. Most had the good sense to know that calling on the cops for an escort was their best chance of success, but even those chances proved to be slim, as police continually failed in their efforts to safely guide the racists through opposition lines. In these moments, both the fascists and cops who were there to protect them were shown that this event and those in support of it would not be tolerated. The cops even found themselves struck and pelted with rock on multiple occasions as the community made it clear that they hold both fascists and those who protect them in the same regard. This event was a clear victory for all who oppose fascism and it was a day of miserable failure for fascist organizing, which was reflected by terrible event attendance (TWP organizers included) and the cancellation of Richard Spencer's college tour. Slowly but surely the alt-right is falling on its ass. Good riddance!
