Anti-Racist Action
Encyclopedia
The Anti-Racist Action Network (ARA) is a decentralized network of anti-fascist
and anti-racist
s in North America
. ARA activists organize
actions to disrupt neo-Nazi
and white supremacist
groups, and help organize activities against fascist
and racist ideologies. ARA groups also oppose sexism
, homophobia
, heterosexism
, anti-Semitism
, and the pro-life
movement. ARA originated from the skinhead
and punk
subculture
s.
in the late 1980s by members of the anti-fascist
skinhead
group Minneapolis Baldies and other activists. ARA then expanded to several communities in the United States
and Canada
. Members of Love and Rage
, a revolutionary
anarchist
organization, played a major role in building ARA groups and the ARA Network in the 1990s, and the group's structure was formalized in 1994 at the first Midwest Anti-Fascist Network conference, in Columbus, Ohio
.
On July 4, 1998, Daniel Shersty
and Lin Newborn
, members of Las Vegas
ARA, were murdered execution-style by neo-Nazis in the desert outside the city. Shot at close range with a shotgun, their bodies were found in an area known to be used by white supremacists for target practice.
On August 24, 2002, a large neo-Nazi demonstration was planned in Washington, D.C.
, and
some neo-Nazis were planning to take a bus from the Baltimore Travel Plaza
to Washington. Several ARA affiliates demonstrated against the neo-Nazis, and in the melee that resulted, 28 of the ARA activists were arrested. Within about 36 hours, most had been released from jail. Many claimed that they were not properly informed about any crime they had allegedly committed until their release, if informed at all. The group became known as the Baltimore 28, Parking Lot 28, Baltimore Anti-Racist 28 or the Anti Racist 28. Charges against 26 of the 28 activists included: inciting a riot, malicious destruction of property, aggravated assault
, and disorderly conduct
. The charges were eventually dropped. One of the 28 was not charged with any crimes due to her status as a minor
.
On October 15, 2005, ARA members participated in a protest in Toledo, Ohio
against the National Socialist Movement
, in an incident that became known as the 2005 Toledo Riot
.
On March 21, 2010, ARA members scouted downtown Chicago waiting for the "White Pride World Wide" march that was advertised months prior by the Illinois National Socialist Front . Apparently, the INSF had backed out of the march several weeks prior. Four Neo-Nazis were spotted on Michigan avenue and were confronted by local plain clothed antifascists. Two members of two different racialist groups were then arrested and a nearby pro-diversity rally made it on site to chant and deliver the final voice of opposition. No Anti-fascists were arrested.
On April 15, 2011, ARA members confronted the National Socialist Movement's annual conference in Pemberton, NJ. A melee
ensued with reports indicating 4 members of the NSM being hospitalized and the conference being shut down. The following day in Trenton, NJ the NSM Held a 90 minute rally at the Statehouse which was outnumbered fourfold by anti-racist counter-protesters.
1.We go where they go. 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!
2.We don't rely on the cops or courts to do our work for us. This doesn't
mean we never go to court, but the cops uphold white supremacy and the
status quo. They attack us and everyone who resists oppression. We must rely
on ourselves to protect ourselves and stop the fascists.
3.Non-sectarian defense of other anti-fascists. In ARA, we have a lot of
different groups and individuals. We don't agree about everything and we
have a right to differ openly. But in this movement an attack on one is an
attack on us all. We stand behind each other.
4.We support abortion rights and reproductive freedom. ARA intends to do
the hard work necessary to build a broad, strong movement against racism,
sexism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia, discrimination
against the disabled, the oldest, the youngest, and the most oppressed
people. We want a classless, free society. We intend to win!
Anti-fascism
Anti-fascism is the opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals, such as that of the resistance movements during World War II. The related term antifa derives from Antifaschismus, which is German for anti-fascism; it refers to individuals and groups on the left of the political...
and anti-racist
Anti-racism
Anti-racism includes beliefs, actions, movements, and policies adopted or developed to oppose racism. In general, anti-racism is intended to promote an egalitarian society in which people do not face discrimination on the basis of their race, however defined...
s in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. ARA activists organize
Community organizing
Community organizing is a process where people who live in proximity to each other come together into an organization that acts in their shared self-interest. A core goal of community organizing is to generate durable power for an organization representing the community, allowing it to influence...
actions to disrupt neo-Nazi
Neo-Nazism
Neo-Nazism consists of post-World War II social or political movements seeking to revive Nazism or some variant thereof.The term neo-Nazism can also refer to the ideology of these movements....
and white supremacist
White supremacy
White supremacy is the belief, and promotion of the belief, that white people are superior to people of other racial backgrounds. The term is sometimes used specifically to describe a political ideology that advocates the social and political dominance by whites.White supremacy, as with racial...
groups, and help organize activities against fascist
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
and racist ideologies. ARA groups also oppose sexism
Sexism
Sexism, also known as gender discrimination or sex discrimination, is the application of the belief or attitude that there are characteristics implicit to one's gender that indirectly affect one's abilities in unrelated areas...
, homophobia
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
, heterosexism
Heterosexism
Heterosexism is a system of attitudes, bias, and discrimination in favor of opposite-sex sexuality and relationships. It can include the presumption that everyone is heterosexual or that opposite-sex attractions and relationships are the only norm and therefore superior...
, anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
, and the pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
movement. ARA originated from the skinhead
Skinhead
A skinhead is a member of a subculture that originated among working class youths in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, and then spread to other parts of the world. Named for their close-cropped or shaven heads, the first skinheads were greatly influenced by West Indian rude boys and British mods,...
and punk
Punk subculture
The punk subculture includes a diverse array of ideologies, and forms of expression, including fashion, visual art, dance, literature, and film, which grew out of punk rock.-History:...
subculture
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
s.
History
Anti-Racist Action was founded in Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
in the late 1980s by members of the anti-fascist
Anti-fascism
Anti-fascism is the opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals, such as that of the resistance movements during World War II. The related term antifa derives from Antifaschismus, which is German for anti-fascism; it refers to individuals and groups on the left of the political...
skinhead
Skinhead
A skinhead is a member of a subculture that originated among working class youths in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, and then spread to other parts of the world. Named for their close-cropped or shaven heads, the first skinheads were greatly influenced by West Indian rude boys and British mods,...
group Minneapolis Baldies and other activists. ARA then expanded to several communities in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Members of Love and Rage
Love and Rage
The Love and Rage Revolutionary Anarchist Federation was formed in the United States in 1993 out of the remaining groups in the Love and Rage Network.-Background:...
, a revolutionary
Revolutionary
A revolutionary is a person who either actively participates in, or advocates revolution. Also, when used as an adjective, the term revolutionary refers to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor.-Definition:...
anarchist
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
organization, played a major role in building ARA groups and the ARA Network in the 1990s, and the group's structure was formalized in 1994 at the first Midwest Anti-Fascist Network conference, in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
.
On July 4, 1998, Daniel Shersty
Daniel Shersty
Airman 1st Class Daniel Shersty was a United States Air Force serviceman who was murdered along with his friend Lin Newborn for involvement in the anti-racist skinhead movement.- Early Life :...
and Lin Newborn
Lin Newborn
Lin Newborn was an African-American anti-racist skinhead who had spent much of his adult life campaigning against racism. A native of Pomona, CA, he lived in Las Vegas, Nevada; where he was a member of the Las Vegas Unity Skins and sung in the band Life of Lies, which ended around 1996...
, members of Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
ARA, were murdered execution-style by neo-Nazis in the desert outside the city. Shot at close range with a shotgun, their bodies were found in an area known to be used by white supremacists for target practice.
On August 24, 2002, a large neo-Nazi demonstration was planned in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and
some neo-Nazis were planning to take a bus from the Baltimore Travel Plaza
Baltimore bus terminals
-Greyhound Terminal:The main terminal for Greyhound is located at 2110 Haines Street just off Russell Street south of downtown Baltimore . This location opened on June 24, 2004 near the intersection of I-95 and MD-295...
to Washington. Several ARA affiliates demonstrated against the neo-Nazis, and in the melee that resulted, 28 of the ARA activists were arrested. Within about 36 hours, most had been released from jail. Many claimed that they were not properly informed about any crime they had allegedly committed until their release, if informed at all. The group became known as the Baltimore 28, Parking Lot 28, Baltimore Anti-Racist 28 or the Anti Racist 28. Charges against 26 of the 28 activists included: inciting a riot, malicious destruction of property, aggravated assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
, and disorderly conduct
Disorderly conduct
Disorderly conduct is a criminal charge in most jurisdictions in the United States. Typically, disorderly conduct makes it a crime to be drunk in public, to "disturb the peace", or to loiter in certain areas. Many types of unruly conduct may fit the definition of disorderly conduct, as such...
. The charges were eventually dropped. One of the 28 was not charged with any crimes due to her status as a minor
Minor (law)
In law, a minor is a person under a certain age — the age of majority — which legally demarcates childhood from adulthood; the age depends upon jurisdiction and application, but is typically 18...
.
On October 15, 2005, ARA members participated in a protest in Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
against the National Socialist Movement
National Socialist Movement (United States)
The National Socialist Movement is a neo-Nazi party operating in the United States. The group was founded in 1974 by Robert Brannen, former member of the American Nazi Party before its decline. The group claims to be the largest and most active neo-Nazi organization in the United States. Its...
, in an incident that became known as the 2005 Toledo Riot
2005 Toledo Riot
On October 15, 2005, the National Socialist Movement , a Neo-Nazi organization, planned a march to protest African-Americans gang activity in the North End of Toledo, Ohio...
.
On March 21, 2010, ARA members scouted downtown Chicago waiting for the "White Pride World Wide" march that was advertised months prior by the Illinois National Socialist Front . Apparently, the INSF had backed out of the march several weeks prior. Four Neo-Nazis were spotted on Michigan avenue and were confronted by local plain clothed antifascists. Two members of two different racialist groups were then arrested and a nearby pro-diversity rally made it on site to chant and deliver the final voice of opposition. No Anti-fascists were arrested.
On April 15, 2011, ARA members confronted the National Socialist Movement's annual conference in Pemberton, NJ. A melee
Mêlée
Melee , generally refers to disorganized close combat involving a group of fighters. A melee ensues when groups become locked together in combat with no regard to group tactics or fighting as an organized unit; each participant fights as an individual....
ensued with reports indicating 4 members of the NSM being hospitalized and the conference being shut down. The following day in Trenton, NJ the NSM Held a 90 minute rally at the Statehouse which was outnumbered fourfold by anti-racist counter-protesters.
Points of Unity
Anti-Racist Action has four points of unity to which all chapters must agree.1.We go where they go. 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!
2.We don't rely on the cops or courts to do our work for us. This doesn't
mean we never go to court, but the cops uphold white supremacy and the
status quo. They attack us and everyone who resists oppression. We must rely
on ourselves to protect ourselves and stop the fascists.
3.Non-sectarian defense of other anti-fascists. In ARA, we have a lot of
different groups and individuals. We don't agree about everything and we
have a right to differ openly. But in this movement an attack on one is an
attack on us all. We stand behind each other.
4.We support abortion rights and reproductive freedom. ARA intends to do
the hard work necessary to build a broad, strong movement against racism,
sexism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia, discrimination
against the disabled, the oldest, the youngest, and the most oppressed
people. We want a classless, free society. We intend to win!
See also
- Anti-fascismAnti-fascismAnti-fascism is the opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals, such as that of the resistance movements during World War II. The related term antifa derives from Antifaschismus, which is German for anti-fascism; it refers to individuals and groups on the left of the political...
- Anti-Fascist ActionAnti-Fascist ActionAnti-Fascist Action was a militant anti-fascist organization founded by members of Red Action and other left-wing groups in the United Kingdom in 1985....
- Skinheads Against Racial PrejudiceSkinheads Against Racial PrejudiceSkinheads Against Racial Prejudice are anti-racist skinheads who oppose neo-Nazis and other political racists, particularly if those racists identify themselves as skinheads....
- Red and Anarchist Skinheads