White supremacists may attend "anti-racism" rally

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White supremacists may attend anti-racism rally

White supremacists may attend rally

STRATFORD — Officials are bracing for a possible counter-demonstration by white supremacists to Saturday's anti-racism rally in front of Town Hall after leaflets from three hate groups showed up on residents' lawns Tuesday.
The white supremacist groups also vowed to distribute leaflets in surrounding towns to let residents know they plan to make their presence felt at the rally organized by Councilman Alvin O'Neal, D-2, to protest treatment of the South End minority community by Stratford police.

Groups calling themselves Connecticut State Skinheads, Connecticut White Wolves and North East White Pride sent e-mails to the Connecticut Post stating their reasons for attending the rally.
Scot X. Esdaile, president of the Connecticut branches of the NAACraP, will speak at the rally, as well as Stratford Mayor James R. Miron.

The groups listed a Web page in the e-mails for the North East White Pride — www.newp.org.

On the Web page, there are revolving images of Adolf Hitler and a Nazi swastika.

Top-ranking officials for both the FBI and Stratford police said Tuesday they were aware of the leaflets, which were left on a number of Stratford lawns Tuesday morning, as well as the e-mails, and are taking the warnings seriously.

Kimberly K. Mertz, special agent in charge of the FBI's Connecticut office, said in a prepared statement: "The FBI is aware of the e-mails and other communications and will be alert to any possible violations of federal law."

FBI spokesman Ron Barndollar declined comment when asked whether federal agents would be present at the rally.

Stratford police Capt. Harvey Maxwell said a number of the leaflets, depicting min
orities being arrested by police and stating support for the Stratford Police Department, were left on residents' properties Tuesday.

"We are very concerned because whenever you have groups with opposing views planning to be in the same place, the potential for confrontation and even violence exists," Maxwell said.

One e-mail states "Stratford should know there will be opposition to Saturday's demonstration. The NAACraP is a racist organization looking out for the best interests in African-Americans only."

"There will be skinheads/white nationalists in attendance at this demonstration Saturday. Should a riot break out by the blacks of Stratford, it will just go to show who the real racists are. Stratford, we will see you Saturday."

Miron assured residents police will be at the event to provide security. O'Neal said he's not worried. "This rally is to unite Stratford, and it is open to everyone," O'Neal said.
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North East White Pride's forum looks to be quite active; stop in for a visit sometime.

 

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Anti-racism rally canceled, then relaunched

Anti-racism rally canceled, then relaunched

Stratford-WTNH, July 13, 2006 6:00 PM) _ A rally to unite one local community that was canceled in the morning was back on again by the afternoon. The rally against racism and police brutality had been called off because of concerns about who might show up.

The concern was white supremacists would show up and hijack the event. At a press conference this morning the rally was called off. But Thursday evening News Channel 8 found out it's back on. A local pastor is organizing it, not the city councilman whose arrest started the whole thing.

"We're going to have a panel of individuals sit down and listen to all the complaints that the entire Stratford have that relates to, you kno
w, the racism and the injustice," Councilman Alvin O'Neal, (D) Stratford, said.

A panel instead of a rally. That's the plan from the city councilman who says he witnessed and became a victim of abuse at the hands of a white police officer.

And the reason he will not be holding a rally in front of town hall on Saturday is because white supremacist groups threatened to come, too.

"The news media isn't going to put my five minute speech on when given the opportunity to show a skinhead with a confederate flag, and so our message would get diluted," Mayor James Miron, (D) Stratford, said.

But some want the rally to happen anyway.

"To call it off would mean that it didn't happen," Rev. James Morton of First Baptist Church said. "What has happened did happen."

What happened was, in March, 15 year-old Titasheen Mitchell was arrested and, she says, punched by Officer David Gugliotti, who is white. Councilman Alvin O'Neal says he saw the
abuse and was arrested and also punched when he tried to step in.

An internal police investigation cleared Officer Gugliotti of any wrongdoing and a police spokesman stresses that the Stratford Police Department is racially diverse. But, the parents of Titasheen Mitchell say they are now being harassed by police.

Signs in front of the family's restaurant were taken by police. The mayor calls that "improper." He's planning sensitivity training for police and putting cameras in patrol cars. A group of ministers says that's good, but a rally is still needed.

"The things that Alvin - that happened to Alvin - have happened to members of this community over and over again," Rev. Morton said.

"If the thing that happened with the black girl - they got overly forced with her or whatever - if that had happened to a white person, nothing would have happened," says a woman named Sarah who says she is part of the white supremacist community.

That's the senti
ment organizers don't want at a rally.

"What do you think, would there be groups like the White Wolves out there on Saturday if this rally happens?"

"Possibility, I'm not sure," Sarah said.

Right now the rally is on. Pastor Johnny Gamble is in charge and he says the mayor will be one of the speakers.