NEWSPAPER OF THE JOHN BROWN ANTI-KLAN COMMITTEE

220 9th Street, #443, San Francisco, CA 94103 $1.00 October 1992 UNHEARD VOICES OF THE L.A. REBELLION political prisoner/prisoner of war Dr. Mutulu Shakur, p.4 A a representative of the progressive Korean community, p.ll A a report from LA.'s gay community, (Black & white), p.22 A a spokesperson for Latino people ha- rassed and deported bytheINS,p.l5 A an Atlanta stu- dent leader, p.20, and the A Crips/ Bloods' plan to re- develop L.A., for Which records incite violence?.. s the dust settles from the most deadly gave rise to the rebellions in L.A. and other places, p 13. and costly urban rebellion in U.S. histo- These perspectives have mostly been ignored by the main- ry, politicians and the media are rapidly stream media. No KKKJ is pleased to print them here for rewriting May 1992 into oblivion. None our readers. of the issues that triggered the rebel- THESE ARTICLES START ON PAGE 4 lion—uncontrolled police terror against ABlack people and other people of color, constantly rising INSIDE unemployment figures, INS (Immigration and RACISM IN GERMANY, 1992 ELECTIONS, Naturalization Service) harassment of Latino people—are VOTERS ON THE RIGHT, LETTERS, NEWS BRIEFS, even being addressed. DEATH PENALTY = LEGAL LYNCHING, We are bringing No KKK' readers six articles that give POETRY AND MORE voice to some of those who have not been heard. A Black LETTERS

commons area where a majority of the DearJBAKO I am a college student in North students gather, about 100 students, Carolina Not too long ago there was a most of whom would be classified as Klan rally in Wilson, NC. This was not "jocks" (although I heard one of the two far from where I go to school so I helped people claiming to be nazi and one of organize a group to "bear witness" and the two claiming to be SHARP skin- peacefully protest heads were involved) gathered around a This rally was the first time I had ever boy wearing black makeup and began to come face to face with the hatred and yell slurs referring to homosexuals, made bigotry of the KKK. Alt I can say is that threats to his life, threw bottles and cov- it made me sick! ered him in spit Many members of the I want to very much be a part of the student body and the community are movement to end the hate of the KKK outraged. Since the incident there have and to battle racism in all its forms- been various meetings and conferences AAAAAAA concerning the situation and there are still more planned. A number of us are DearJBAKC: talking about starting something in our I have been in France for the last few school or in the community to combat months. I couldn't pass up a chance to all forms of prejudice and do our best to see how other like-minded people were make sure something like this doesn't ^^ handling the increasing world-wide happen again. xenophobia It is more prevalent in France than the papers would have you AAAAAAA believe. It is hard to believe the reaction DearJBAKC: of the people of France to the changes in We are a British-based organization their world... they are reacting like fighting the rise of racism and fascism on hordes of barbarians are going to rush in our continent (but have a global per- and take over the city. It is unbelievable. spective). We were originally the AAAAAAA Campaign Against Fascism in France, and during a visit by French Nazi Le Pen DearJBAKC: Here in Birmingham in the last 3-4 in December (1991) we managed to mo- months a lot of shit has been going bilize opposition so successfully that Le down with the punks and nazis and the Pen had to flee via a back door, without Klan. For a while it seemed like they a single Conservative member of were gonna be gone except for 2 or 3 of Parliament daring to associate with him them so we weren't too worried. But I publicly. This was a severe setback for guess we should have been, because now his hosts, Western Goals, the extreme a man named Bill Ricio, the so-called right group which hoped to build a Euro- leader of the Klan and starter of a pean network with Le Pen as leader. W. A.R. chapter here has been really stir- Now Western Goals have invited ring it up. The skinhead or racist skin- your very own Pat Buchanan to Britain. head problem is getting way out of We have therefore launched a Com- hand!!!! mittee to Stop Buchanan and intend to AAAAAAA fight him as bitterly as we fought Le Pert... DearJBAKC: WRITE TO JBAKCl WE NEED TO Recently at my high school in Mc- HEAR FROM YOU TO KNOW Minnville OR we experienced a hate WHAT'S HAPPENING! crime. During morning break in the

; • No KKKI No Fascist USA! NEWS BRIEFS Cleveland 'Indians", have changed BLACK COMMUNITY SAYS NO their name. Since Atlanta's manage- ..... HE TO NAZIS IN BIRMINGHAM ment rejected the demands for a name change, expect more demos at the Hundreds of demonstrators, mostly 1992 championship playoffs. Illrlli®^ Black, mostly young marched in Birm- ingham, Alabama on June 13,1992 to contest a white supremacist march of 60 PAT ROBERTSON nazi skinheads. Led by members of the ON FEMINISM Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, a Black political organization that supports Evangelist Pat Robertson, who iio!ii;i self-determination for the Black commu- made the Monday night keynote ad- nity, the demonstration started with a ral- dress at the Republican Convention, ly in downtown Linn Park, where both in a fund-raising letter organizing groups rallied, separated by a fence against an equal rights amendment to erected by the police. Speakers called for the Iowa constitution: the Black community to defend itself from white supremacist violence and for anti-racist white people to organize op- MEMBER IN GOOD position to nazi skinheads in the white STANDING community. Instead of "chasing after the PAT ROBERTSON Klan," the rally continued after the FEMINIST ALLIANCE racists went on their march. When the racists returned to the park, the Black demonstrators confronted them and Left husband X drowned them out with chants for a Killed children X quarter of an hour. Then, led by mem- bers of the Malcolm X Grassroots Practiced witchcraft X Movement the demonstrators went on Became a lesbian X their own march through downtown and Destroyed capitalism. 0 family in a cabin in northern Idaho the projects, chanting "Whose streets? since February 1991 when he failed to Our streets!" show up in court on a Federal weapons What the heck, 4 out charge, surrendered to U.S. marshals of 5 ain't bad! TAKING AIM AT in a deal negotiated by Col. Bo Gritz, RACISM IN SPORTS once Weaver's commanding officer in the Special Forces (and this year's 'This proposal," Robertson writes, presidential candidate of the white su- Demonstrations at the 1991 World "is not about equal rights for women. Series, led by the American Indian premacist Populist Party). One marshal Instead, it is a socialist, anti-family was killed on August 19,1992 in an Movement (AIM) and supported by political movement that encourages Against Racism in Sports Events exchange of gunfire with the occu- women to leave their husbands, kill pants of the cabin. Weaver's wife (ARISE), demanded that Atlanta's their children, practice witchcraft, Vicki and a 13-year-old son were also baseball team drop their racist logo - destroy capitalism and become les- the 'Tomahawk Chop" - and stop call- killed in the Shootout. Weaver called bians." them "martyrs for the white race." ing themselves "braves." Action was Weaver is accused of selling illegal also taken at the Super Bowl against ARYAN NATIONS FUGITIVE sawed-off shotguns and is believed to the Washington "Redskins." They have planned to sell weapons to Black have been urged to change their name SURRENDERS IN IDAHO gangs to increase the death rate among by the Washington, D.C. City Council. The Columbus, GA Randy Weaver, an Aryan Nations "Indians," a farm team of the soldier who has been holed up with his CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

No KKKl No Fascist USA/ UNHEARD VOICES I

The Trial: "NO RIGHTS THAT TWELVE WHITE MEN ARE BOUND TO RESPECT"

BY DR. MUTULU SHAKUR

Dr. Mutulu Shakur is a Black political message upon which to make a people's Valley. Now, Simi Valley is all retired po- prisoner and prisoner of war currently held in consensus to the policemen's behavior lice officers. So when they went to Simi the U.S. Federal prison in Lompoc, Colt' against the African population. So at the Valley, the fix is in. Now Terry White is fomia, on charges of helping Black liberation trial torture was described with words in there with ajury panel with 2% Black Army leader Assata Shakur escape from a such as "pain compliance" and "PK 40" people. So he picks his jury, and if that is New Jersey prison in 1979 and other politi- for batons to make sure that they had suc- not bad enough he picks his jury with cally motivated acts. A doctor o/acupunc- cessfully set in motion an acceptance for three ex-policemen on the jury....That de- ture, Dr. Shaker kd the Black Acupuncture the brutal beatings and killings of African cision is made by the prosecutor, which is Association of North America (BAANA), a people all over this continent. a political appointment. clinic that provided free alternative medicine They put on the stand a Captain When the decision was made to go to the Black and Puerto Rican communities Michaels of the LA.P.D. who got trained with that jury... what the governor's of- of New York. The following is excerpted from by the FBI in Quantico, Virginia. He ex- fice did was say that they were not going a longer interview. plained the justification for 52 blows. to make race an issue in this case....In the I watched the trial for four hours al- They cut that tape down to seconds, 52 future litigation of this case that is going most every day... For a while I was won- framed seconds; they justified the fact to be an'essential error. So what the pros- dering why the defense was so hell-bent that this man was hit, justifiably because ecution did is to set out to prove that on showing the Rodney King beating on he did not prostrate his whole being and these policemen operated on a criminal this video time and time again. Then it mentality, his everything, to the will of basis outside of their job description. So when they went on trial the attorneys for the police proved they did not operate outside of the policy and training of the They put the policy and the training methods LA.P.D. and they were supported by Captain Michaels agreeing that their on trial and the jury voted for the policy and training mandated that they operate in that way. said that these men did not They put the policy and the training methods on trial and the jury voted for do anything illegal. the policy and said that these men did not do anything illegal because what they did was in the framework of the policies laid occurred to me that they were very clear the white man and that is what they put out and their training in the L.A.P.D. who their jury was. They knew that they across during the time of the trial. Now the political leaders want to focus had a jury of their peers, and what they During the trial here in Los Angeles on the four policemen and try to get a were doing was to set out a political ob- various [radio and TV] stations were sup- [Federal civil rights violation] verdict jective that had been discussed and out- porting the police and supporting the against these men when, in fact, they lined by the Reagan and Bush administra- prosecution; that became a poll as people were following their orders. We need to tions for law and order and repression of began to call into that station. When focus ourselves on the policies of the po- the masses of African people. they believed they had gotten a sufficient lice department in America and identify They brought to the trial the use-of- number of white middle class people to them as a violation of Black and Third force experts. These experts' objective accept that beating they ended the case. World people's human rights by this na- was to desensitize the masses to the type The prosecutor, Terry White... put on tion, not by its individuals. By its nature it of brutal torture that Rodney King felt. the case that he thought was sufficient in is designed to disrespect, dehumanize and He was hit 52 times in 85 seconds. They view of the evidence that he had.... But torture us. As we go into the 21st century, wanted Middle America to accept this be- the error here was that Terry White was we have resisted and we have recognized cause Black men and women have no subordinate to the prosecutor's office in that we have no rights that white men are rights that the United States government Los Angeles. The prosecutor's office bound to respect or this government is is bound to respect. This was a very clear agreed with the change of venue to Simi bound to respect. A

No KKKI No Fascist USA! Racist Violence on the Rampage in Unified Germany and Rest of Europe

BY ANNIE JOHNSTON AND MICKEY ELLINGER

Sept.25,1992'As we go to press, amonth-longwaveofracistat- The attacks are often carried out by organized racist forces, but tacks on immigrants in Rostock and other titles in Germany is being ac- they are widely supported. tively or passively supported by much of the population. It is also being met A correspondent jrom Brussels: "21% of the population of former by demonstrations of tens of thousands of anti-racists confronting the neo- East Germany say they have sympathy for the people who attack for- Nazis and their sympathizers and protesting government passivity. eigners. 38% of the population of West Germany say they have sym- Alt/ioug/i the situation has finally hit the mainstream U.S. media, No pathy for the racists." KKK/ correspondents have been writing to us for more than a year with details of racist attach and anti-racist responses, as well as re/lections on the causes of the growing boldness of violent racism. This article brings together information from No KKK.' correspondents and anti-/ascist organizations here and in Europe. Berlin: A No KKK,' correspondent: "In the autumn of 1991 a house with foreigners was attacked nearly every day, and several foreigners were killed." Another correspondent: 'There were more than 1,500 incidents of racist violence reported in Germany in 1991. This represents an increase of five and a half times the num- ber recorded the year before." Hoyersweda, September 1991. Racist attacks on Racist violence is on the rise throughout Europe and the fascist Vietnamese in refugee hostels went unopposed by the government and racist organizations are forging new links. Dennis Mahon, a until anti-racists mounted country-wide demonstrations, including a KKK leader from Oklahoma, made a tour of Germany in November huge convoy from Berlin in late September. 1991 seeking to build ties between the U.S. and European fascist Mannheim, June 1992: Racist attack on a refugee housing movements. In France the violently anti-immigrant National Front project in the suburb of Schoenau went on for two weeks from the of Jean Le Pen has'enjoyed considerable electoral success (more than end of May until the middle of June. The city promised to expel the 15% of the vote.nationwide), and similar parties have sprung up in single men among the refugees and replace them with families. Anti- Flanders and Germany. In Holland, Belgium, Germany, Austria, racist demonstrations held off the racist attackers until the police fi- Switzerland, Spain, England, and France, fascist parties today often nally stepped in. Efforts at solidarity demonstrations with the receive 10% ID 25% of the popular vote, pushing the entire political refugees were banned by the local government, and anti-racist youth spectrum far to the right. organizations and youth centers were attacked by the police. Why is racist violence growing so fast? Actually, even with all the Rosfocfc August 1992: For more than a week racists attacked recent immigration from Eastern Europe, Western Europe has less refugee housing where 300 people, many of them Rumanian gypsies, than 2% foreign population. But, unlike the U.S. where it is very are living. These attacks and those in other cities were coordinated difficult to get political asylum and refugees are subject to deporta- by nazi organizations like German Alternative and were carried out tion (such as the Haitian refugees turned back by Bush in the sum- by nazi skinheads and other racists with the tolerance, even support, mer of 1992), European countries and Germany in particular have of the local population. fairly permissive asylum laws. So as the countries of the former We have received reports of such attacks from Belgium, the Soviet bloc disintegrate into ethnic and national violence, hundreds Netherlands, Germany, Hungary, Spain, Poland and the Balkans. of thousands of people have sought refuge. Our correspondents ana- The targets are Rumanian gypsies and other peoples who have lyze some of the political consequences. sought asylum in Germany from the racial/ethnic violence of Eastern Europe, as well as Vietnamese, Africans, Jews and gays. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

No KKK! No Fascist USAI CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 Lubeck Bootboys and Girls organized a tional anti-fascist network (LAFO) is grow- Amsterdam: "The fascistpartie s in march protesting politicians who mobilize ing there. New links are being forged, for Holland are gaining votes from disillusioned skins for their own reactionary purposes. instance, through cooperation between ille- people who used to vote for the social-de- Their main slogan: "Skinheads are not gal immigrants and squatters to get housing mocrats. There is also a danger from the Nazis!" In Amsterdam on March 21,1992, for illegal immigrants. populists, who are making immigrant policy 100,000 people took to the streets to protest Immigrants are also organizing them- their major theme. In the emotional crisis against the rise of racism and fascism. In selves. A correspondent in France says that of our society, politicians are abandoning Germany, in addition to the banned there more than 4000 self-defense and self- ties with the people. Racism and fascism are demonstration in Mannheim in June, there help organizations have been established by rising and becoming strong emotional ele- was a demonstration of tens of thousands immigrants. Another in Germany reports ments in the minds of lower class people opposing racism in Rostock. that in the north German town of who are ignored by politicians. Berlin: A No KKK/ correspondent tells Norderstedt refugees have occupied a Berlin: 'This [Rostock] is only the latest us that the Revolutionary Cells (RZ) have church to resist their forced transfer to an- and most extreme attack in an increasing been attacking government agencies which other town. wave of racist and fascist violence in deport refugees. Immigrant youth are also fighting back. Germany. The situation has no doubt been Amsterdam: A No KKKJ correspon- A No KKK/ correspondent in Holland re- instigated by neo-nazi groups, but it feeds dent reported that a clandestine Dutch ports that "the violence of racist police in off a large bed of racism and xenophobia in group, Radical Anti Racist Action France, Britain, and Belgium leads to race the German population as evidenced by the riots between police and immigrant young- large crowd of onlookers made up of'nor- sters... The Turkish youth of Berlin (also) mal Germans.' have a reputation for using effective tactics 'The state and mass media play a large against nazi skinheads." The latter have re- part as well. Blame for the worsening social conditions in Germany, especially in the Berlin cently formed a new organization in the Potsdam I Berlin Turkish community, Anti-fascist east, has been placed on the refugees, chan- Liibbenau • neling the rage away from the state. Also Youth. the political debate around the asylum laws worsen the situation. The right wants to WHAT CAN WE DO? change the constitutional guarantee to po- GERMANY One group, Antirassistische Initiative in Berlin, asks for solidarity actions at German litical asylum, and the liberal Social ^LUXEMBOURG Democrats are slowly coming to this posi- £f% ' embassies, consulates, and corporations. tion too. Instead of confronting the rising ;,;;e',HCE/ "Demand an end to the racist violence in fascism in Germany, the parties placate '-/SWITZERLAND Rostock and elsewhere; demand that the them and use them for their own goals. In ijjj§j& refugee policy not be tightened in Ger- the last years it has again become legal for many; demand free and open borders for all, asylum seekers to be put in assembly camps (RARA), claimed responsibility for two not only in Germany, but everywhere, espe- until their applications are processed. In bomb attacks in "pr°test against growing re- cially the U.S. whose policy of deporting these camps, they can't work, and must get pression against refugees, immigrants and Haitians is more barbaric than anything the permission to leave or to receive visitors. left radicals by politicians in Holland and in German state does." The asylum procedure is also being short- other countries like France, Germany and ened." Belgium." The bombs exploded at the ORGANIZATIONS TO CONTACT Capitalists in a united Europe facing a house of the Minister of the Department of IN EUROPE: declining birth rate actually want immi- Immigration, and at the Office of the We don't have addresses for all the orga- grants. But they also want more control Department of Immigration of the Nether- nizations listed above. The addresses we over the immigrant and refugee population. lands. They caused neither casualties nor have are: Part of unification is a uniform asylum poli- injuries, and were termed, by the RARA Antira-Info-Bla,tt, Gneisenaustr. 2a, cy and more militarized borders between communique, "necessary actions of anti-vi- 1000 Berlin 61, Germany the European Community's 12 nations and olence." Dwars-antifa (Youth Against Fascism, other states. More recently, the left has begun focus- Racism, and Sexism), Postbus 2671000 AG The left in Europe has responded with ing on the issues driving the new popularity Amsterdam, Holland anti-fascist mobilizations, often engaging in of racism. They are working with youth Campaign Against Fascism in Europe, physical confrontations to kick Nazi skin- gangs, countering anti-immigrant propagan- P.O. Box 30, London SE15 SEP, England heads out of neighborhoods or community da with educational work, and working in Antifa Jugendfront, Gneisenaustrasse 1, activities. When leading fascist figures ap- coalitions to address social problems such as 1000 Berlin 61, Germany. pear in public, the anti-fascist left organizes unemployment, housing, etc. A Holland No Antirassistische Initiative, Yorckstr. 59, militant opposition. Skinheads from the KKK/ correspondent reported that a na- D-1000, Berlin 59, Germany. A

No KKK! No Fascist USAI ANTI-RACIST ACTION AND THE 1992 ELECTIONS t seems like only yesterday that we is also a racist attack on the extended fending the Simi Valley verdict acquitting sat around a meeting of the John family, the intergenerational family, the the Los Angeles police who beat Rodney Brown Anti-Klan Committee in actual family for tens of millions of people King within an inch of his life. And while San Francisco and discussed what it of color. In fact, Dan and Marilyn's fanta- Bush may promise to rebuild obsolete meant that David Duke was enter- sy family is a reality for less than 10% of Homestead Air Force Base to make jobs Iing the Republican primaries. Nine the U.S. population. And, while the me- for the victims of Hurricane Andrew, the months later as we go to press we have dia focus is on Quayle's attacks on Republicans appear to have nothing to the spectacle of George Bush running for re-election on the political platform of David Duke and Pat Buchanan. At the same time the Democrats have made clear that they intend to focus their electoral appeal on the white suburban middle class. It's one of those times when anti- racists face a double challenge: to fight the boldest right-wing electoral assault in 30 years; and at the same time to look for creative ways outside the electoral arena to put anti-racist action on the U.S. polit- ical agenda. .

ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS—THE GOP By now even the network news com- mentators have figured out that the Re- , publican party has been captured by its They're dying for us to get elected." right wing. (For a closer look at how this happened, see the article on the right Murphy Brown, the real target of his at- say about the millions of inner city vic- wing strategy for local government and tack on single mothers is on the millions tims of twelve years of Reagan/ Bush cuts Republican Party organizations in this is- of working women, white and of color, in social services and available housing. sue.) From Pat Buchanan supporting par- who are, through choice or necessity, As anti-racists, it's important to recog- ents' "freedom of choice" to send their heads of the households in which their nize that the GOP platform is a serious children to subsidized religious (i.e. funda- children are growing up. victory for the right wing. The right wing mentalist Christian) schools, to Dan This rediscovery of the precious white has a comprehensive agenda rooted in Quayle's unrestrained gay-bashing, to family evokes the founding myths of a white and male supremacy, militarism and George Bush expressing his fervent desire white settler state—the pioneer family religious intolerance. They believe that to be the first U.S. president to set foot on fighting off the bloodthirsty savages on women's place is in the home and the the soil of a "free" (sic) Cuba, it's clear the plains; the flower of Southern white place of people of color is at the bottom of that the Grandiose Old Party is running womanhood menaced by brutal slaves and a very stratified heap. Even as the candi- as the party of the televangelists, racist freedmen; the pedestal on which white dates try to distance themselves from some right-wing journalists and mercenary ad- women were placed to keep them out of of the most outrageously racist and fascist venturers. politics, education, and business. of the platform planks, they are also ex- The Republican strategy seems to be , plicitly running against human rights. THE WHITE FAMILY IS THE simply to ignore the problems facing peo- RIGHT FAMILY ple in the cities, immigrants, and people A WHITER SHADE OF PALE—SLICK The Republicans came out of the con- of color. Dan Quayle no doubt speaks for WILLIE AND THE NEAR RIGHT vention as the defenders of the traditional many Republican candidates when he re- But anti-racists find little comfort with American family. In addition to an obvi- duces the Los Angeles rebellion to "point- the Democrats either. With the Repub- ous effort to foment anti-gay hysteria, this less violence", as does George Bush de- CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

No KKK1 No Fascist USAI CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 licans in their attacks on "welfare." And 1. OPPOSE THE COLUMBUS licans captured by the far right, the the Democrats seem at least as willing as CELEBRATIONS Democrats have moved to the near right. the Republicans to send young people Support Native people. Educate about While the demographers project a coun- (most of them of color) into combat what the European invasion of the West- try that is a majority of people of color by against Iraq or any other competitor of ern Hemisphere meant to the people who 2020, in 1992 both parties are vying for the U.S. ruling class. were already here, as well as to the the 60% of the electorate that lives in the African people who were kidnapped and suburbs of the central cities. This 60% is WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH brought here as slaves. Support what about 90% white, products of three Tough economic times can promote Native people in your area are doing to decades of social policy that have subsi- class consciousness or racist scapegoating organize about 500 years of resistance to dized housing in the suburbs while collud- or both. As the bad economic news keeps colonialism and genocide. Oppose the ing in the collapse of the central cities. coming, the Republicans don't seem to be heroic myth of the Europeans "discover- Bill Clinton's and the Democrats' able to do much but blame the recession ing" an empty continent. If there's noth- strategy was dramatically symbolized by on the Democrats in Congress. On the ing where you live, organize something.

2. FIGHT ENVIRONMENTAL The anemic confines of the electoral system RACISM. More than 90% of all the toxic waste don't address the life and death issues for dumps in the U.S. are located in commu- nities of color. Whether it's air pollution, people of color, gay people, women water pollution, contamination of the soil, hazardous substances on the job, people of and poor and -working people in the U.S. color bear the brunt of the poisoning of the planet. Opposition is growing every- Clinton's highly publicized attack on other hand, the Democrats are glad to where to these attacks on the lives of poor Sister Souljah's support for the people of blame the state of the economy on Bush, people, especially people of color. Usually Los Angeles who rebelled after the L.A. but are they blaming him for looting of these campaigns are led by the communi- police who beat Rodney King were ac- the economy by bailing out savings and ties most affected. Anti-racists can make a quitted. This orchestrated rift with Jesse loans that were plundered by Bush poli- difference by joining in these campaigns Jackson sent a message to the suburbs that cies, Bush cronies, even Bush children? to support the demands of the communi- the Democrats no longer feel their tradi- No! Instead they're blaming them for let- ties. There's probably a struggle near tional obligation to pay lip service to the ting companies send jobs overseas. you—against lead poisoning, against a human rights of people of color. Nobody's talking seriously about convert- toxic waste dump, against chemical spills. There is little comfort for anti-racists ing from war spending to spending for hu- in what either party has or does not have man needs. The pervasive racism of the 3. FIND AND OPPOSE THE to say about the human rights of people of Reagan/Bush attack on affirmative action RIGHT IN YOUR BACK- color in the United States. The Repub- is not being spoken to; in fact both parties YARD. licans support anti-immigrant hysteria seem to have agreed to keep civil rights The right wing is not only trying to through support for a closed border. The and affirmative action for people of color take over the Presidency; they are run- Democrats support anti-foreign hysteria out of the campaign discourse. ning for school board, hospital board, by accusing Bush of shipping U.S. jobs sheriff and judge right in your community, overseas. The Republicans give aid and NEEDED: CREATIVE ANTI- often keeping a very low profile about comfort to supporters of English Only; the RACIST ACTION their politics. Expose them; let people Democrats are silent on the subject of It's a time to be wary of getting too know their real agenda; find out who language rights. wrapped up in the Presidential campaign backs them and where their money comes The Republicans support the assault and the candidates. If we want to con- from. Don't let local talk show hosts or on social services and education at both front the rise of racism in our society newspapers get away with pushing a right- federal and state levels. The Democrats we're clearly going to have to organize wing agenda without opposition. support some kind of comprehensive outside the anemic confines of the elec- health care, an issue that affects millions toral system to bring attention to the is- 4. FIGHT RACIST VIOLENCE. of white working people as well as poor sues that are matters of life and death for So-called "hate crimes" continue to people and people of color; but instead of people of color, gay people, women and rise. They feed off the climate of racism. proposing social service programs to help poor and working people in the U.S. Here The voices and organizing energy of anti- repair the damage of the dirty dozen years are some ideas we have: let us know what racists can make a real difference between of the Reagan/Bush administrations, they you think and what people are doing downplaying these crimes and mobilizing seem to be competing with the Repub- where you are. people to oppose them. A

No KKKI No Fascist USAI BIG BUCK$ BACK RIGHT-WING'S GRASSROOTS ELECTORAL PUSH BY ALAN HUFF

t's an election year and the media debates, focusing instead on speaking at Assembly, the party's most important or- are working overtime to draw pub- local fundamentalist churches and mak- ganization of volunteers. By 1991, the lic attention to the presidential ing sure the members register and come Christian right had taken over most of campaigns. Any leftover time is out to vote. Many have limited their the Republican county central commit- Iused to cover races for the U.S. Congress leafleting to church parking lots and tees in that state and elected its candi- and other high offices. With the fizzle of have used church directories for their date for state party president This year, David Duke's and Pat right-wing Christians are ex- Buchanan's presidential panding their activities bids, it's easy to imagine throughout California, in- that the far right is off in cluding efforts at capturing die corner licking its seats in the state legislature. wounds and waiting for Joining together under 1996. Perhaps in a couple of 1 P names such as Citizens for years they will resurface Responsible Government with a new contender trying and Pat Robertson's Chris- to achieve what white su- tian Coalition, they are also premacist Duke and ultra- heavily involved in conservative Buchanan statewide campaigns for such failed to do in '92 and conservative pet projects as Christian right evangelist school vouchers (allowing Pat Robertson flopped at in parents to use public school tax money for the private education of their kids), re- OUT OF THE PEW stricting abortion rights, pro- AND INTO THE moting welfare cutbacks, VOTING BOOTH and blocking or overturning But the Christian right gay rights ordinances. tasted another kind of vic- tory at the Republican Convention in phone canvassing. "This is a God-in- CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT Houston in August—the adoption of spired movement," Jay Grimstead, California is not the only right-wing the right-wing agenda as the Republican founder of the Coalition on Revival, target. Oregon is expected to pass a state platform—which has added new vigor to told the San Francisco Chronicle; "there's constitutional amendment declaring that the Christian right's grass roots strategy. nothing the liberals can do to stop it." homosexuality is "abnormal, wrong, un- Distrustful of "moderate" George Bush, Although drawing on support from natural and perverse" and that "state for the last four years die Christian right- coalitions of far-right politicians, Chris- monies shall not be used to promote, facil- wingers have been directing their efforts tian groups, and local churches, diese itate or encourage" homosexuality. Lon to revolution from below. In California candidates have often hidden their polit- Mabon, author of the amendment and and across the country, they have quietly ical and religious agenda until after the leader of the Christian rightist Oregon yet persistently been going after smaller elections. And they have been winning. Citizens Alliance, "was feted in victories, using ballot initiatives to bring San Diego County in southern Cali- Washington by Housing Secretary Jack right-wing issues to a vote and running fornia is seen as a model for grass roots Kemp and Republican Senators Orrin candidates for positions on school right-wing Christian campaigns. In 1990 Hatch and Phil Gramm," the New York boards, city councils, hospital and odier about 90 ultra-right candidates ran for a Times reported. Meanwhile, opponents of boards—even irrigation district posts. number of local offices. Sixty won. At the Oregon amendment have had their Dubbed "stealth candidates," these the same time, the fundamentalists have homes, businesses, and offices vandalized. Christian fundamentalists have general- been infiltrating and quietly taking over ly avoided public forums, interviews and chapters of the California Republican CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Mo KKK! No Fascist USAl 10

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 some cases already passed—can be A Reason, another California tank, The Christian right's electoral activi- traced to think tank position papers on advocates private ownership of infra- ties in California are being exposed by conservative agenda items such as structure, such as roads, sewage treat- groups like the Mainstream Voter Project school vouchers, anti-abortion and anti- ment plants, and 'airports. An idea for in San Diego and Project Tocsin—Warn- gay legislation, English-only policies private toll roads, first offered in a news- ing of the Dangers of Theocracy in Sacra- (which prohibit bilingual education), paper opinion piece by Reason's presi- mento. Also investigative reporters who criminal penalties for sex outside of mar- dent, Robert Poole, was picked up and have revealed financial ties between State riage and for use of contraceptives in or passed by the California legislature. Assembly candidates and wealthy south- out of marriage, deregulation of work- A The rebellion that followed the ern California businessmen such as place safety, privatization of public ser- Rodney King verdict gave the Bush ad- Robert Hurtt and Howard Fieldstead vices, welfare cuts, tax limits and cuts ministration a chance to act on the pri- Ahmanson Jr., who have bankrolled and other reductions in government— vatization concept the White House many Christian right projects. even selling off the national parks. A recommended selling LAX to private Hurtt and Ahmanson were founders major push is directed at schools—to al- businesses to finance urban renewal. of the Capitol Commonwealth Group, low school prayer and biblical accounts A Michigan's Governor John Engler which screens candidates "to get solid of creation in science classes, and to ban and Massachusetts' Governor William pro-family, pro-business people in of- sex education. Weld have staffed their administrations fice." Hurtt also chairs the Capitol The tanks are increasingly visible on from right-wing tanks' ranks. Resources Institute, affiliated with the local and state political scenes: A The Heartland Institute in "Focus on the Family," a Christian A California Governor Pete Wilson's Chicago, formed as a result of the suc- broadcast ministry. proposed welfare cuts are based directly cessful effort to deregulate taxi service Ahmanson is a well-known benefac- on the argument pushed by the Heritage there, is franchising itself throughout the tor of Christian right causes, including Foundation that poverty is caused by be- midwest. Its Wisconsin tanklet orches- the Christian Reconstructionist move- havior, and that welfare should be based trated the campaign that blocked a state ment, which seeks to impose a strict bib- on behavior modification, that is, pun- health insurance plan. lical law on modern society in prepara- ishment for behavior the state finds tion for the second coming of Christ. detrimental to its interests. CORPORATIONS CONTRIBUTE Reconstructionists claim that the Old Heritage publications call for an end The smaller think tanks and similar Testament requires the death penalty for to increases for welfare families who organizations are usually linked to larger homosexuality, bestiality, witchcraft, and have additional children; Wilson's plan institutions, such as Heritage, Heartland, the "rape of a betrothed virgin." would repeal all aid to pregnant women and the Madison Group, which provide and freeze grants to mothers already re- them with resources and training. Herit- PICK A BILL, ANY BILL ceiving aid if they have more children. age, founded in 1973 with a $50,000 Rich donors assure that grass roots Heritage would penalize long-term wel- grant from beer baron Joseph Coors, candidates are not restrained by meager fare recipients; Wilson's plan reduces gained in influence after providing the grass roots financial contributions. Then, payments for families on welfare longer policy blueprints for the early days of the if elected, city, county, and state legisla- than six months. Wilson has warm rela- Reagan administration. Some credit it tors gain substantial right-wing support tions with a number of think tanks. Last with creating Reaganism. Today Herit- for legislative activism. A growing num- fall he ran his welfare plan past the "ex- age is a $20 million operation. Financing ber of wealthy ultra-right foundations perts" at Stanford University's Hoover for the think tanks comes mainly from and think tanks have begun directing Institute, the oldest and richest conserv- right-wing foundations such as Coors, their efforts and resources away from ative tank. Scaife, Earhart, and Carthage; from cor- Washington and towards state and local A Supreme Court Justice Clarence porations such as Chevron, Amoco, campaigns. Central to the effort to pro- Thomas developed his "natural law" the- Shell, Xerox, Dow Chemical, Ford ject a conservative agenda are a host of ories under the auspices of the Institute Motor, and Dean Witter; and from thou- small think tanks. Over 100 "baby of Contemporary Studies, a San Fran- sands of rich individuals. tanks" are located in Washington, DC, cisco tank which has published more An important link between the tanks with many others springing up around than 70 books since its founding in and legislators is the American Legis- the country. The tanks' strategy has been 1972. Along with its domestic legal and lative Exchange Council (ALEC), to win over legislators, who often lack social programs (Wilson has sought its which is closely affiliated with the the time and staff support (and, too of- advice), ICS also promotes a rigid free- Heritage Foundation. Committed to ten, the brain-power) to investigate is- market ideology in the Third World "free markets, free enterprise, limited sues and form opinions, to conservative through the International Center for government and individual liberties," policies by deluging them with studies Economic Growth and the Washington- ALEC pushes corporate interests at the and policy papers. With increasing fre- based Sequoia Institute, both funded in quency, legislation—proposed and in part by the U.S. Government CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

No ICfOCf No Fascist USAI 11

UNHEARD VOICES II "THIS WAS NOT BETWEEN BLACKS AND KOREANS" AN INTERVIEW WITH KYUNG KYU LIM

No KKK': I have three questions for came into undermining the community, never overestimated the system, the legal you, from your perspective of Young such as the heavy competition among system. We should have realized that a Koreans United. What was behind the ethnic groups. Since Watts [the Watts re- problem was going to occur when the tri- rebellion in Los Angeles in May? What bellion in 1965], Latinos have come into al venue was moved up to Simi Valley, lessons were learned from it? And, what South Central so that Latinos comprise a and we should have realized that this type kind of positive campaigns do you see go- very large percentage of the South Cen- of upheaval was up and coming, and we ing on in its aftermath? tral population. Korean merchants have should have done some actions to orches- YKU: The Mure of the federal pro- moved into the scene and have taken out trate concrete political action, and yet we grams towards domestic needs brewed a portion of the limited resources there. failed to do that. this civil discontent for many years. So, coupled with a bad economy, deterio- A second lesson is that the problems There was a great deal of funds devoted rating socio-economic conditions and se- in our urban areas are incredibly severe, towards military efforts, building up the so severe that people are willing to ex- military industry. press their frustration at any moment That in turn contributed to the milita- In 7945, the U.S. The situation is like trying to light a rization of the economy, and at the same match in a dry forest. The slightest mis- time domestic programs lagged. That colonized Korea and take will result in a massive blaze. So problem was very apparent during the everything has to be careful. Reagan and Bush administrations. So instilled the Korean A third lesson is that the establishment that the failure of the domestic programs and the media wi}l do their best to inflame shaped the overall civil discontent people with the same the situation rather than alleviate it The Also, infrastructure, education, social example is the LAPD, the National programs and other areas deteriorated biases that exist here— Guard cordoning off the Los Angeles area during those two administrations, and just before the suburbs and the white- very little has been done to address these they exported racism owned business districts. It basically led to areas. In fact, much was done to under- people of color, whether it's African- mine the achievements gained during the to Korea. American, Latino, Korean, Chinese, civil rights movement, such as affirmative Cambodian, Vietnamese, Arab—just let action, labor, education and busing. Over vere competition for limited resources, them have it out among themselves. So the years, the problem was especially there was a period of civil discontent there was very little "enforcement of the acute in South Central. The poverty rate brewing, and then it just finally exploded law." The establishment and the media has increased over the years. In 1965, upon the verdict of the "Rodney King tri- are very quick in blaming the problem as a around the time of the Watts rebellion, al". And, people just basically expressed so-called racial conflict between the peo- the poverty rate for South Central was their frustration by saying that they had ple of color. The media has really focussed about 20 %. Nowadays, it's a little bit had enough, and took to the street in on the so-called Black-Korean conflict above 30%. Things have not improved It was unfortunate that there wasn't as if that was an underpinning factor in but in fact deteriorated. any leadership to amass this energy into this upheaval, when in fact the core of the Unemployment among African- concerted political actions. Instead, the problem is socio-economic degradation of American youth has fluctuated around very limited voices of reason, progressive South-Central. The core of the problem is 50% for many years. Police brutality has voices, were quickly overwhelmed by peo- neglect from the federal government to- been a severe, severe problem for the peo- ple's very strong desire to express frustra- wards domestic programs. And yet the es- ple in South Central. Civil rights were tion. So it turned into massive violence. tablishment and the media are trying to completely disregarded in the streets. Some of the lessons that we can draw distort the issue by portraying it as a specif- African-American people in a group set- from this is that the progressive move- ic conflict between African-Americans ting were denied their civil rights, and ment has basically failed to be in touch and Koreans. Totally untrue. were arrested for the reasons of being with the people. Many of us were shocked The fourth lesson is that the establish- poor, Black and living in South Central. by the Rodney King verdict We should- Not only that, a lot of other factors n't have been shocked. We should have CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

No KKKl No Fascist USA! 12 ment is constantly trying to prevent the little knowledge about Koreans. They stances, because I believe drat merchants forging of coalitions between communi- only view us as merchants. That was the have been despicable towards the cus- ties. In Los Angeles the majority popula- only contact they have had. African- tomers, and die customers expressed their tion is the ethnic minorities: Asians, Americans may find out that diey have a anger in die midst of violence. But in African-Americans, Latinos, Arabs, and a lot of commonality with Koreans, in general, Korean merchants have not been whole assortment of edbnicities. We com- terms of family values, in terms of some targetted. The fact is that many odier prise the majority and the establishment is struggles that Koreans have had in die merchants including African-American, fearful of coalitions existing. So they use past, very similar to African-Americans Arab, white, Chinese, Cambodian, the timeless tactic of divide-and-conquer in their attempts to free themselves from Vietnamese, Latino have also received to make sure that we fight it out among slavery. We have tried our utmost to free damages. So die damages have been just ourselves and not amass our political ourselves from foreign intervention. So, spread around the community. strength so that we translate our political commonalities and dialogue. It appeared that the Korean communi- strength into the ballot, into elections, Another dung is demanding federal in- ty received destruction from the outsiders, into legal implementation of changes. tervention in domestic programs. De- but that's not really true. People have the Another lesson is that things can re- manding federal intervention around the notion in mind that Koreatown means occur. Things are so fragile, so sensitive at world to cease. Demanding the peace divi- that it's inhabited mostly by Koreans, but this point that problems can re-occur at dend. Intervention in urban areas: that's the fact is that over 80% of Koreatown is the slightest tremor, at the slightest insti- where Koreans and African-Americans inhabited by African-Americans, Latinos gation. The four police officers are about can come to kind of a coalition-type set- and other ethnicities. Koreatown means to be tried at the federal level, but there's ting, in that effort. Concretely, Koreans Korean-owned stores; about 40% of the no guarantee that they will be convicted. and African-Americans can rally to de- stores are owned by Koreans. So when And if they're not, if they go scot-free this mand justice for Rodney King. The trial is these people seized the moment to take time, then we cannot predict what kind up at the federal level, and it's important essential items such as clothes, appliances, of response will come from the communi- that the Korean community shows soli- food, from the shops, it appeared that ty. If they are not sentenced, then who darity in making sure that Rodney King is Koreatown was invaded by outsiders from knows what might happen. served jusdy. other communities. But this was just Some things have to happen very soon In terms of actions, I think it's impor- purely within the community, and con- to alleviate this pressure, and alleviating tant for young people in the community tained within the community. this pressure means engaging in dialogue. to get together. In die Korean communi- I also mentioned that the police and I cannot speak about other communities. ty, young people who have been educated die National Guard cordoned off a very I have some idea about the Korean com- here, who realize that there is no such large section of Los Angeles, and within it munity. The Korean community knows thing as the American dream, are coming was Koreatown, so since violence was left very little about African-Americans. out to the front, wondering what's hap- to grow, that it just grew into Koreatown, Koreans have been basically conditioned pening. They're very curious, willing and that Koreatown was in its path of growth. by the United States with institutional- eager to understand much more thor- That is why it appeared that Koreatown ized racism that exists here. In 1945, the oughly about what has happened, and was targetted, but it really wasn't. U.S. colonized Korea and has instilled the they're wanting to find ways of improving Korean people with the same biases in community relations and addressing die Also diere were a lot of Korean-owned the media, entertainment and education problems of socio-economic breakdown. stores in South Central, and when the vi- that exist here; exported racism to Korea So we have people out there who are olence broke out these stores were sacked When Koreans have immigrated to the looking for ways of getting together. So and it wasn't as if these people specifically U.S., we brought with us the same racism die thing to do is to organize, in blocks, in targetted Korean stores, but just that that is so prevalent here. So that racism is communities, at gatherings. there were so many of them. reflected in the marketplace between the The positive side I believe is really un- I'm saying diat if we keep saying that Korean merchants and the African- seen. But the positive thing is that right Koreans were targetted, we fall into the American customers, which is the venue now there's fertile ground to plant seeds trap of legitimizing that idea of racial con- that Koreans actually have contact with for progressive thinking, to plant seeds for flict as a motivating factor for die up- African-Americans in. community dialogue, seeds for actually or- heaval. That's going to only please die es- This racism has to stop. This will come ganizing in the community. Now is a good tablishment, which always uses that divide from really serious efforts to understand time to do things that the progressive and conquer tactic to make sure that we the struggles of African-Americans, un- forces have been trying to do for many don't amass our strength. derstand their history, their culture, and years, to engage in community dialogue. Young Koreans United of Los Angeles: the great strides they made during the There's a notion diat Koreans were Attn: Kyung Kyu Lim civil rights movement that benefit targetted, and I think that's a very serious Koreans to this day. So, dialogue. And allegation. I don't deny that certain 2530 Crenshaw Blvd. vice versa: African-Americans have very Koreans were targetted in certain circum- Los Angeles, CA 90016 A

No KKKI No Fascist USAI UNHEARD VOICES III Crips and Bloods' Plan to Rebuild L.A.: "GIVE US THE HAMMER AND THE KAILS, AND WE WILL REBUILD THE CITY"

our months after the LA. re- competency test to verify that they are welfare building to serve as day care cen- bellion, plans to rebuild South up-to-date with subjects and modern ters.... Central have mostly vanished teaching methods. Psychological testing into thin hot air. Below are will also be required for all teachers and 4. LAW ENFORCEMENT excerpts from a plan put forth educational administrators, including the ($6 MILLION) Fas coming from the Bloods/Crips after Los Angeles School Board, every four The Los Angeles communities are de- the truce in L.A. (which started just be- years. manding that they are policed and pa- fore the rebellion and appears to be get- trolled by individuals who live in the ting firmer over time). 3. WELFARE ($1 BILLION) community and that the commanding of- (The proposal calls for three new hos- ficers be ten-year residents of the commu- 1. FACELIFT FOR LA. ($2 BILLION) pitals, forty health care centers, and den- nity in which they serve. Former gang Every burned and abandoned struc- tal clinics within ten miles of each com- members shall be given a chance to be ture shall be gutted. The city will pur- munity, as well as the reconstruction of patrol buddies in assisting in the protec- chase the property...and build a commu- city parks.) tion of neighborhoods. [They] will be re- nity center.... quired to go through police All pavements/sidewalks in Los training and must comply to Angeles are in dire need of resurfacing.... all of the laws.... Each bud- All lighting will be increased in all dy patrol will be supplied neighborhoods.... with a video camera and All trees will be properly trimmed will tape each event and the and maintained....New trees will be officers handling the police planted to increase the beauty of our matter.... neighborhoods. A special task force shall be assigned 5. ECONOMIC to focus on the cleanup of all vacant lots DEVELOPMENT and trashed areas throughout the de- ($20 MILLION) prived areas. The city will declare a Loans shall be made neighborhood clean-up week wherein all available by the federal and residents will be responsible for their state governments to mi- block. nority entrepreneurs inter- ested in doing business in 2. EDUCATION ($700 MILLION) these deprived areas. ... All schools shall have new landscap- These loans shall not ex- ing...completely upgrade the bath- ceed a 4% interest per year. rooms.... The businessman shall not ...accelerated educational learning be required to have securi- programs shall be implemented for the ty for the loan; however, he entire Los Angeles Unified School must present at least two District to provide aggressive teaching We demand that welfare be complete- years of business operation and taxes methods and provide a curriculum simi- ly removed from our community and with a city license before funds will be lar to non-economically deprived areas. these welfare programs be replaced by allocated.... Assistance for business The LAUSD will provide up-to-date state work and product manufacturing plans shall be made available by the books to the neglected areas and enough plants that provide the city with certain Small Business Administration. ...busi- books to ensure that no student has to supplies. State monies shall only be pro- ness owners shall be required to hire share a book with another.... vided for invalids and the elderly. The 90% of their personnel from within All teachers shall be given a standard State of California shall provide a child their community.... A

No KKKl No Fascist USA! 14 CHICAGO COALITION, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL EXPOSE POLICE TORTURE

BY BOB WELLS

n December 1990 the London of- dismemberment. They even described two white cops were killed on the city's fice of Amnesty International is- the same little racist 'jokes' by Burge. In Westside, Burge personally directed a sued a world bulletin accusing the several cases he introduced Black prison- week-long wave of terror. Officers set up Chicago Police Department of a ers to another white cop in the station, roadblocks, kicked in doors, rounded up policy of systematic torture. This saying "this is Machine-gun Gordon, he Black men en masse and took them to Iwas the first time Amnesty had ever al- killed Fred Hampton, and he'd like to the station house where Burge and oth- leged the use of torture by police inside kill you too." ers subjected them to terrifying brutality the United States. until they "gave up a name." Eventually, The Chicago press corps, which had TORTURE SQUAD EXPOSED Andrew Wilson was arrested and his tor- been turning its back on the story for The federal jury ruled that Andrew ture followed. more than a year, covered the Amnesty Wilson's constitutional rights had been Because of unrelenting pressure from report reluctantly and without mention- violated and that the Chicago police the Task Force, Burge and two other ing the name of the main offender, com- had a policy of torturing suspected cop white cops were finally suspended in late mander of detectives Jon Burge. Surge's killers, but they would not find against '91 and charged with torture—but only name had been well known in the police Burge. Seeing that the police system and of Andrew Wilson. The white establish- department for years. But he first came the courts would not deal with this tor- ment has rallied to get them off the to public attention in 1989 when And- turer, progressive lawyers joined with ac- hook. Mayors Jane Byrne and Richard rew Wilson, a Black man serving a life tivists to form the Task Force to Con- M. Daley have personally supported sentence in the killing of two cops, sued front Police Violence. Over the next them. Two chiefs of police have sup- Burge and the police department in fed- two years, this group forced police tor- pressed an internal report charging eral court for violating his civil rights by ture into public view, with demonstra- Burge with torturing more than 50 Black torturing him. tions and press conferences at Surge's men. (It became public only because of police station and many other city of- "Deep Badge" and acourt order.) The A DOZEN TORTURE VICTIMS fices. Chicago Tribune reported that until Los During the Wilson trial an anony- What emerged was that we were not Angeles blew up after the "Rodney King mous source within the police depart- dealing just with one or two rogue police verdict," the police board was "probably" ment, whom the lawyers nicknamed torturers but with a consistent policy of going to reinstate Burge and the others "Deep Badge", identified a dozen other the Irish-dominated white Chicago with back pay. black men who had been tortured by Democratic machine to control the Burge going back to 1972. (Since then Black community through police terror- KEEPING THE LID ON more that 70 victims have been identi- ism, and to defend and protect police The savage beating of Rodney King fied, all Black men.) The pattern of terrorists. The first complaint of torture (and so many thousands of others), the abuse was the same: officers attached the against Burge came in 1971 just after he wave of police killings of Blacks, the use men's ears, fingers and genitals by elec- joined the force following a stint as a of torture in Chicago (and, let's face it, trodes to a hand-powered "black box" military police interrogator in Vietnam. in other cities), and the surge in the generator, and subjected them to violent Over the next 15 years while he accu- Black prison population are not the re- electric shocks; covered their heads with mulated a file of torture complaints, he sult of rogue cops or crime waves. They plastic shopping bags (or, when they bit was promoted up through the ranks to are the way an oppressed people is kept their way through, by rubber typewriter one of the highest jobs in the depart- under control. Though it will be an im- covers) to the point of suffocation; ment on the strength of his ability to ob- portant victory to get Jon Burge re- forced guns into their mouths while tain confessions from Black suspects. moved from the Chicago Police Burge or his men clipped off "shots" in a Along the way he developed a torture Department, we know this will not solve game of Russian roulette; squeezed their squad composed entirely of white detec- the problem. But if we can convince noses, fingers or genitals with bolt cut- tives, and his techniques began to spread America that there is a problem, it will ters while Burge threatened them with through the department. In 1982 when be a good beginning. A

No KKKl No Fascist USAl 15

UNHEARD VOICES IV

CENTRAL AMERICANS DENOUNCE HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES AFTER LOS ANGELES REBELLION

he Central American many detainees, even in cases where they LAPD RACISM Refugee Center had no criminal records. Dozens of people The unlawful interrogations and ar- (CARECEN) of Los Angeles were subsequently held in INS custody un- rests were largely due, CARECEN be- has documented wide- der appalling and overcrowded condi- lieves, to racist comments by LA Chief spread civil and human tions, which drove some detainees to ur- of Police and U.S. Attorney General Trights abuses of Latinos by Los Angeles gently seek deportation rather than singling out Latino and Central police in the weeks following the Rodney remain in detention. In less than two American immigrants as a major cause King rebellion. weeks, over 700 persons arrested during of the uprising. Fearing unlawful ar- CARECEN's investigation revealed that the rebellion were removed from the U.S. rest, many inner-city residents were re- at least 452 persons were stopped for little by the INS. ported to CARECEN as being too fearful or no reason by the Los Angeles Police City and state laws prohibit the of leaving their apartments even to go Department (LAPD), interrogated as to LAPD from detaining persons on the ba- to the store to buy food for their fami- their immigration status, and summarily sis of their immigration status or hand- lies. handed over to the Immigration and ing them over to the INS unless they "The incidents of the post-riot period Naturalization Service (INS), with no criminal charges ever brought against them. The LAPD acknowledged that these incidents were in direct violation of city law regarding the police depart' ment's intervention in im- migration matters. Other Latinos were stopped, questioned in the street, and arrested by Border Patrol forces sent to the city supposedly to pro- tect residents. Still others were arrested for alleged un- documented status after un- constitutional arrests and interrogations in the course of apartment-building raids, conducted without search warrants, supposedly target- ed at suspected looters.

INS REIGN OF TERROR have been charged with serious crimes. will only serve to heighten the tension After being delivered into INS custody, The Border Patrol activities in Los and mistrust between the city's Latino many of the arrested Latinos were pres- Angeles, meanwhile, violated constitution- community and the LAPD and other law sured into signing voluntary departure re- al protections which require that interroga- enforcement authorities—tension and quests, thereby giving up their rights to an tions and arrests be based on probable cause mistrust which must be avoided in Los immigration hearing. The INS imposed to believe a crime has been committed, and Angeles these days at all cost," CARECEN exorbitant bonds of up to $20,000 on not on ethnic appearance alone. charged. A

No KKKI No Fascist USAI 16

an. wlto. Pat Claorlc ol Penalty Focus Y" "^T" "^e interviewed Pot Clark on No KKK So Black life is considered kind of thing you get into when you play life \ / May 13,1992, three weeks cheap in the United States. and death games. The U.S. should know 1 A / after Robert Afon Harris died Pat Clark: I think "considered cheap" is better; they've not been able to determine V V mt/iegasc/uzmbermSan being generous. There is no value placed on how to do this in a fair and equitable way, Quentin, t/K first execution m California in 25 Black life—we only have to look at how and that's because there is no fair and equi- years. Ms. Clark, a Black woman, is executive Rodney King was treated. Here we have a table way to kill someone. We're playing director of Death Penalty Focus. situation where, as Tom Bradley said, we games when we try to make it into some- No KKK: Why has the death penalty saw it with our own eyes, and it didn't mean thing that is fair and right and just. been reinstituted at this time, in California anything. We saw Rodney King being beat- No KKK: Could you speak a little about and nationally? en brutally and viciously by white police of- the broader question of imprisonment in Pat Clark: The death penalty is like le- ficers, and still you had a jury that came out general? Right now there are over a million galized lynching in many respects. You only and said these people are innocent people in prisons and jails nationally, and need to look at who is on death row across No KKK: What is the perspective of 100,000 in California the nation. In California we find that 52% your organization on die death penalty in Pat Clark: I have worked in places like of the people on death row are people of general? You're saying it is inequitable; Alabama on prison reform issues, and I can color, 36% of them Afro-Americans, 12% would it be good if it was made more equi- tell you that unfortunately for some sectors Mexican-Americans, and the rest evenly table? Would that be an answer? of our society, prisons have become an in- split between Asians and Native Pat Clark No, absolutely not. The credible economic boon to a place that get a Americans. The death penalty is used by Death Penalty Focus of California adamant- prison moved in. It's a guarantee of a certain politicians to give the appearance of being ly opposes killing people under any circum- number of jobs, and unfortunately people tough on crime, but we know that it is also stances. First of all, we don't believe that are making money off the backs of people— targeted against Afro-Americans specifical- you can say there's any way to humanely kill many of whom should not be in prison. ly. I think it is one of the most overt forms someone; we have got to take responsibility Again, we talk about prison, the death of racism that exists in our country and, as for the fact that killing is wrong, whether it's penalty and a criminal justice system, and fk as I am concerned, the most serious hu- an individual that kills or the state that kills. overt racism is a major part of how every- man rights violation that we have. Furthermore, we don't believe that thing gets played out. It's not by accident, At the same time you can talk about there's any power, whether it be the state or again, that 25% of all Black men will come 52% of the people on death row being peo- whether it be a religious entity, that can de- under some form of criminal justice supervi- ple of color, when you look at who the vic- termine who should be killed and who sion at some point in their life. tims of people on death row are, you find shouldn't be. Even if you felt that there were One of the reasons why I am so involved that, overwhelmingly, 95% of the victims of circumstances under which the death in this issue of the death penalty is because I death row inmates are white. For example, penalty might be applied, there are just too have two nephews that I'm raising, 7 and 5. the first white person since the reinstate- many examples of innocent people who The society that we're living in right now, ment of the death penalty in 1977 to be ex- have been executed. We know that in this the society that I see, is not going to give ecuted for killing a Black person occurred century alone, 23 innocent people have two young boys a break. I know that there is last year, in 1991. And even then, that per- been executed. And 349 innocent people a great possibility that they will wind up in son actually killed nine other people, all of have been convicted in capital cases; fortu- jail or prison at some point in their lives re- whom were white; it just so happened that nately, their innocence was determined be- gardless of what kind of background and the last person he killed was a Black persoa fore they were executed This morning I was training and value system I implement, be- It's very telling that in twenty years since listening on one of the morning news pro- cause the society outside of my community the reinstatement of the death penalty and grams, and it said that a Russian spy said doesn't place the same value on issues and with over 170 people executed in this coun- that the Rosenbergs—who were executed philosophy that I do. try since that reinstatement, only one white in the electric chair in 1953—were inno- It's very telling that we're willing to person has been executed for killing a Black cent, and never were responsible for passing spend so much money on prisons at the person. on atomic secrets to the Soviets. That's the same time that we're slashing money from

No KKK! No Fascist USAI 17 education, we're slashing money from job bellion. What's behind the state's response? development, we're slashing money from Pat Clark: I think one of the reasons housing, we're slashing money from drug that you have so many people of color just- and alcohol abuse prevention programs. ly or unjustly going to prison is because All of those programs that supposedly give there are no legitimate means to make a a damn about the quality of individual life living, to survive, and so people survive the have been slashed repeatedly. But if you best way that they can. For example, the look at the 1990 election in California the people who were involved in the looting only sector that was voted any money and the rioting and so forth. I remember whatsoever was the prison sector. I think seeing one young Black girl, when people there's a two-pronged message. There's the were about to bum a building, with shoes message that we don't want Blacks to ever in it. She went in to get herself a pair of gain total access to the system. Secondly, shoes, because, she said, "If those shoes are people have realized that prisons are prof- going to burn up anyhow, it makes better itable to some people, and again, it's not to sense for them to be on my feet." Now for people who are people of color. me, that was logic that made sense. No KKK: I found a statement by By and large, what happened was that Ralph Arons, past warden of Marion the rioting and the arson fed into Federal Prison in Illinois, who testified in Governor Wilson's and George Bush's abil- federal court that the purpose of the ity to take the focus away from the real in- Marion Control Unit is to control revolu- justice, which is that four white police offi- tionary attitudes in the prison system and cers specifically, and many more in in the society at large. I wonder if they re- addition to that, before our eyes, betrayed ally have any intention of protecting peo- not only Rodney King, but betrayed a ple from crime, and making things better whole sector of people. in society in general, or if the intention re- For people like Wilson and Bush to try ally is rather to just put a lid on everybody? to prevail upon people to exercise calm Pat Clark: Yeah, the prison system is and reason makes no sense whatsoever. not about change, it's not about rehabilita- One of the things we have to remember is tion. The prison systems in this country that for years and years and years it was doesn't even use the word rehabilitation kw enforcement, back in the fifties and anymore. So that can give you an indica- the sixties, who encouraged the Klan, en- tion of how far away from the initial con- couraged white supremacist organizations cept of prisons we've come. By and large, to do violent harm to Black people. Just prisons are used for warehousing people. because those four police officers had on And I think it's a very telling statement blue suits does not change the imagery that this person said, that what they want that's only too real in the history of Black to do is control possible revolutionary ac- Americans. Historically we know that tivities, and where they expect those ac- there's a connection far too often be- tivities to come from are from people of tween law enforcement and our worst en- color. They know that people of color emies, and to see those policemen get off have been oppressed, and that at some was like reliving the fifties. point in time that oppression is going to be I really believe that the execution of challenged. So it's not by accident that Robert Harris and the Rodney King ver- you have so many people of color in dict were tied together and jointly respon- prison. sible for the level of violence that we saw No KKK: Well, that leads us to Los recently. Here we had a state saying that Angeles. The incredible police state that's because of their respect for law and order been there all along was exposed by the they were going to implement this ulti- Rodney King beating in the first place. mate punishment. But as soon as the ver- And now 20,000 people have been arrest- dict came out as far as Rodney King was ed for looting and rioting; the Immigration concerned, it was Pete Wilson, our es- Service has been rounding up and deport- teemed governor of this state who said ing hundreds of people; there's a lot of fo- 'Violence begets violence." I just want to cus on the six Black men charged with beating a white truck driver during the re- CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

No KKK! No Fascist USAI 18 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 know, uifiose violence begets violence? III Because he was a conspirator in the ulti- mate violence, which was supposed to de- ill ter people from crime, which was supposed to give people a new respect for law and or- der. It's just amazing to me that the worst crime and the worst violence to occur in this state happened after Pete Wilson and Dan Lundgren, the attorney general, im- plemented violence against an individual. All the candidates for the US Senate seats here in California are in favor of the death penalty. Bill Clinton—who is this Bill Clinton who is supposed to be the man for all people, who goes back [to Arkansas] to personally oversee execu- •-;-••---• < -• -• ;-'-;;;:^x: '-y tions? One was the execution of a mentally retarded Black man who didn't have any capacity to discern right or wrong. Is that the kind of leader we want? That's not a : ';£«..- i ~.'/ >:;L'rS.:,i 'S-. -SffiSSStoSglS ?;2pH , . i* - '"-. 'W,:~ W;. - ^ leader to me. It seems to me that people have got to lead, and bring the politicians along. BI??'*Ii ^^ No KKK: How do you think people's minds can be changed about the issue of !!llSl!!!!II!i crime? SSSiiO™;: :;'"?™ Pat Clark: One of the things we need IS3:2!- to remember is that even with the imple- mentation of the death penalty, which is 11111 supposed to be the ultimate penalty, in states that have consistently used the death penalty like Texas and Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, the crime rate has actually gone up. And it makes sense: in California, we're willing to spend a bil- lion dollars to try to kill 328 people, whereas that money would serve a lot more children, people who are trying to gain jobs, housing, whatever. Until we change |if?H!lt ii£ilPil our priorities we're going to have a high crime rate, because those people who do not hive are going to find a way to get what ^ they need, legally or illegally. That makes sense to me; that's logical to me. If I were a person without a job and I had the three 111I11B kids that I have and a mother to support, - -:L:-:;^:.;; -.- -'/•y^ • • •• -•;;'•':::>:•••;;': , :::^:";;:''::': ;'>:l:-;::'; '':''^'^ '-••' 'y' ';'• '•'•'••'*'• '••'-••''';''' v..;:;";":; -V:" ^^Q^^^^ I'm going to find a way to support them SS^'^^ one way or the other. So until we allow people to take advantage of the same op- pP^piiS™*;;;;^*^;!^:?*^ portunities that we ourselves want to have, we're going to have a high rate of crime. ^lx|lfS:^:--:--;:'li1:"-:*l!:::"-lS But we con take that same money that's be- ing used to try to kill a few people, and place it back at the front end of the prob- lem, and start dealing that way. A

No KKK! No Fascist USAI 19

ith anti- racists about a decade be- VIDEO Whind the white supremacist movement in media sophis- REVIEW tication, JBAKC wanted its new video, "Behind the Burning Cross: Racism U.S.A.," to be a go-any- where-tell-everyone presen- tation; a teaching, agitating, and mobilizing tool; a kind of 30-minute All-You-Need- to-Know-About-the Klan- to-Get-Really-Pissed-Off- and-Start-Organizing- in-Your- Community. So we crammed a lot of information—and drama— into a fast-moving half hour. We've shown it to commu- nity groups, in schools, churches, music clubs, and on public access TV, and audiences have fronted on a talk show by a former body- than it does to the endurance of an ex- told us it does the job. The Guardian guard. tremist fringe. newspaper described BefaW the Burning The video is especially strong in exam- The video is valuable, too, in showing Cross as "ambitious... a quick-cutting sur- ples of calculated Klan violence. In anoth- that, although Blacks have always been its vey of the Ku Klux Klan and other racist er segment, a voiceover reminds us, as we main target, the white supremacist move- groups, individuals and trends nationwide watch Texas white-supremacist Louis ment attacks Jews, gays and lesbians, and since Reconstruction." The video features Beam leading camo-dad Klansmen on any women who reject the traditional "lit- documentary footage of Klan cross-bum- military maneuvers, that "Beam, Metzger tle woman" role. News clips and inter- ings, rallies, and paramilitary training ses- and their followers are not just talking; nor views with farmers, in rural areas of the sions; white supremacist leaders Tom are they playing weekend warriors." The midwest where few Blacks live, document Metzger and David Duke speaking to evidence is everywhere: We see the out- the use of anti-Semitic, anti-gay, and anti- their followers; racist rock bands; Nazi come of Klan rhetoric and Nazi organizing woman ideology (now being milked so ef- skinheads in street marches and brawls; again arcl again: bombed churches, assas- fectively by Bush and Quayle under the anti-racist skins from the groups SHARP sinations, gay-bashings, anti-racist banner of family values) to win support for and ARA; and police attacks on civil marchers (Black and white) beaten by Aryan political and religious groups. Klan rights marchers in the '60s and anti-Klan paramilitary goons or skinheads. There's a and Nazi leaders speak freely in these demonstrators in the '90s. lot of kicking and clubbing in this half video clips: The Klan's view of abortion? Interspersed with the documentary hour, along with historical stills of smiling "All it does is give the Jew the legal li- footage and archival shots dating back to whites at lynchings and racist rallies; the cense to kill the white Aryan Christian." the Civil War are excerpts from Holly- true history of "racism U.S.A." isn't pretty. The extreme right's plan for gays? Like wood films dealing with the Klan: from But the video goes into the American Nazi Germany's, extermination. D.W. Griffith's "Birth of a Nation," which psyche, too, with the degrading, stereo- And the video is perhaps unique in helped revive the Klan in the 1920s, to typed images of thick-lipped, watermel- dramatically explaining why the police Costa-Gavras' "Betrayed," which drama- on-eating Blacks and grinning, big-nosed and courts cannot be counted on—that tized the robberies and assassinations car- Jews that have filled popular imagery for only a broad anti-racist movement will ried out by the Order. two centuries—these images have shaped defeat the white supremacists. The case Some of the footage is rarely seen— Americans' most gut-level feelings about against the FBI is particularly strong, ex- and truly eye-opening. In documentary race. (White supremacy in the media was posing their shameful support for the footage from 1924,40,000 robed not the invention of Tom Metzger; he Klan in the 60s. In a chilling, dramatized Klansmen march through Washington, just carried it onto cable TV.) The video confrontation, a Black Freedom Rider DC. In one sequence, White Aryan argues that the continuous history of the Resistance leader Tom Metzger is con- Klan owes more to grassroots attitudes CONTINUED ON PAGE 23

No KKKI No Fascist USA! 20

UNHEARD VOICES V Atlanta University Center Students: "THE ISSUE IS MORE THAN POLICE TERRORISM- IT'S SELF-DETERMINATION"

No KKKJ interviewed Khalid and taken to jail again Friday night businesses in the black community, and Stewart. Stewart, a recent Spelman No KKK: What organizing grew out that we would only support those black graduate, was a leader of the Black Youth of these events? businesses that were accountable and re- Coalition, an ad hoc group that arose in KS: One of the organizations that sponsible to our communities. Out of response to the L.A. acquittals. emerged was Students for African- that event emerged the African These observations are excerpts from American Empowerment (SAAE). Community Coalition. a longer interview. They were in the forefront of taking doc- I work with the Malcolm X Grass- KS: (The night of the verdict) Wed- umentation, affidavits from people after roots Movement. We've called for a hu- nesday ... about 11:30 p.m. a group of everything happened, collecting data man rights campaign that other organi- Atlanta University Center students zations and individuals who are not in marched down to the state Capitol... the Grassroots Movement can partici- there was no person or group of people pate in. The first part is a petition that at that point to give leadership.... We don't control we're going to present to the City Thursday another group of Atlanta Council. It states that our civil and hu- University Center students marched anything In our man rights were violated by illegal ar- from the school. By 6 o'clock Black rests and the invasion of the Atlanta youth in Atlanta had shut down the en- community. When University Center. We call for them to tire public transportation system of the turn over their evidence to a community city....This was a manifestation of frustra- we get beat down organization to investigate their wrong- tion with the system. I believe that it doing. was completely and entirely spontaneous by cops we can't We're also planning a rally around and entirely disorganized. And it was Columbus Day, and then a tribunal beautiful for that, because it didn't take even go to our around police terror in our [Black] na- somebody standing on a corner to say tion. "Look, we have to do something." The own court. The police weren't just the issue. ...It's youth were ready to be out there and not about the fact that Rodney King got they just came. beat down by police. It's about the fact The city of Atlanta arrested over 300 that we don't control anything in our people and charged them with disorderly and video documentation. I believe that community. When we get beat down by conduct... They were using preventive SAAE is trying to become a permanent cops we can't even go to our own court detention, sweeping the streets in order organization in the Atlanta University ... When we want to go to the grocery to prevent anything else from happen- Center. store we can't even go to our own gro- ing. I worked with a formation called the cery store. When they turn off our tele- Friday, the Atlanta Police Depart- Black Youth Coalition. Our two purpos- phones 15 minutes before a rally we ment illegally invaded the Atlanta es were to provide students with survival can't do anything about because we University Center. The students had aids they needed, as well as to try to don't control Southern Bell. planned a peaceful noon rally on the come with some way to lend some direc- And so that became the issue, not po- campus, but by 8 am. the campus was tion to all the rebellions. lice terrorism, but self-determination, completely surrounded by the police. We decided to have a rally in West which was the real issue. It's we have to The rally was stopped when it tried to End Park where we would make the is- control our own communities, and then leave the campus; then the police invad- sue self-determination and highlight the we believe, in the New Afrikan In- ed. Some one picked up a rock, and the contradictions that brought us to the dependence Movement, that we must cops went crazy. A liquor store got de- point of rebellion. The rally talked about control our own nation, that we must be stroyed. ... A lot of students got beat up a boycott of all unprincipled nonblack independent. A

No KKK! No Fascist USA! 21 MORE BRIEFS

Black people while bringing money to serving a 12 year sentence for weapons premacy. When we talked to him in the Aryan Nations coffers. Weaver possession and "other politically moti- early September he was working in a claimed to be part of the racist Chris- vated criminal acts" (a designation coalition to build a national demon- tian Identity church of Aryan Nations that Amnesty International uses). leader Richard Butler, whose heavily While in prison Berkman devel- armed encampment at Hayden Lake, oped Hodgkin's disease, a form of lym- 60 miles south of Weaver's cabin, has phatic cancer. The Bureau of Prisons been a center for nazi skinheads and ignored a judge's order to send him to other white supremacist organizations. the hospital in Rochester, Minnesota, Supporters brought the Weaver fam- the one hospital in the prison system ily food and clothing for the year and a adequate to treat his cancer. But hun- half they stayed in the cabin under sur- dreds of letters from supporters put veillance by Federal marshals. As Fed- enough pressure on the Bureau that he eral forces closed in on the cabin as served his sentence at Rochester in- many as 100 supporters staged a vigil stead of at the notorious Marion con- at the roadblock. trol unit. Talking to No KKKJ after his release, Berkman said that for the progressive ALAN BERKMAN white prisoners locked down in U.S. RELEASED prisons, anti-racism is at the core of their politics. "For people inside it Dr. Alan Berkman and Laura Whiteharn Dr. Alan Berkman, a founding means a lot to know that the John stration in November to support Mu- member of the John Brown Anti-Klan Brown Anti-Klan Committee and oth- mia Abu-Jamal, Black political pris- Committee and a long-time anti-racist er anti-racist organizers are active." oner on Pennsylvania's death row. and anti-imperialist activist, was re- Berkman remains as committed as (See article by Mumia Abu-Jamal, leased from prison in June 1992 after ever to fighting against white su- p. 18, in this issue.) A VOTERS ON THE RIGHT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 state level. The organization counts as its them with access to an extensive infor- right politicians; the Christian right members nearly 3,000 of the 7,500 state mation network and electronic data sys- and fundamentalist and Pentecostal legislators across the country. tems. By calling ALEC, legislators and churches; and ultraconservative think ALEC's strategy is based on the fact tanks, foundations, and political action that most state legislators hold other jobs committees has created an electoral and have limited time and resources. Right-wing controlled movement that can, if not exposed and There is a high turnover and many legis- opposed, have far-reaching impact in lators are new to the lawmaking process. hospital boards don't communities across the country—from In the majority of states, legislators have hospital boards that refuse to permit little or no staff and few resources for leg- permit resident doctors resident doctors to perform abortions, islative research. ALEC tries to fill this to school boards that ban books and gap with the conservative agenda ALEC to perform abortions. block sex education, to city councils sponsors meetings and seminars for law- that turn down gay rights ordinances. makers and publishes a newsletter and a Regardless whether the presidency and source book containing model bills or leg- businesses can obtain sample legislation, Congress are controlled by the Democ- islative guidelines on a host of issues. supporting data, studies, and expert testi- rats or Republicans, the right-wing These model bills have been enacted into mony, and information on what other Christian grass roots effort can be ex- law in many states. With a $3.3 million states have done on that issue. pected to continue and expand its ef- annual budget, ALEC can pay for legisla- The convergence on the local politi- forts throughout the country in the tors' trips to meetings, as well as provide cal scene in the last few years of far- years ahead. A

No KKKl No Fascist USAI 22

UNHEARD VOICES VI "LESBIANS AND GAY MEN ARE PART OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY"

hen the Rodney weeks after the rebellion. A curfew was Lesbian Community Service Center, the King verdict hit the strictly enforced. Latasha Harlan Justice Committee, streets in LA, the In spite of these restrictions, the AIDS Health Care Foundation, Queer Black Gay and Black lesbian and gay march in support Nation, Don Jackson (formerly of the Lesbian Leadership of the rebellion took place Tuesday May Long Beach Police Department) and WForum (Forum), went to work. They or- 12. After a press conference, cars took other speakers on police violence and ganized a coalition in- harassment eluding, among others, According to demon- the Southern Christian stration participant Ferd Leadership Conference, Egan, Executive Director The Gay and Lesbian of Being Alive-PWA Community Service Coalition, "many gay, les- Center, ACTUP/LA, bian and AIDS activists and Being Alive-PWA felt tremendous frustra- Coalition. This coalition tion" around the LA re- sponsored a Buy Black bellion, "and a personal Day (focusing Black buy- need to take an anti-racist ing power on Black and stance in the midst of the other merchants of col- media hype. This demon- or), a Rodney King "flu" stration was clearly iden- day which coincided tified as an action taken with a demonstration in by our community, and at Simi Valley, and a Boy- the same time it helped to cott day, in which people build support for an anti- in the community were racist agenda." asked not to spend any Said organizer Phill money at all. They also Wilson, "Our work in the organized educational fo- gay community had rums to address the issues tremendous value, as we that gave rise to the re- organized very inclusive bellion. and diverse participation The Forum's agenda, under Black lesbian and according to organizer gay leadership. As out Phill Wilson, was "to gay people working provide ways for people to respond to off from the Westwood Federal Building around this issue we made our presence the verdict that were nonviolent and plastered with signs pointing to the roots felt in the African American communi- not destructive to the community, while of the rebellion in 12 years of neglect by ty as well - a community from which we affirming our right to be outraged and to the federal government in cities. With are often excluded. We wanted to express those feelings." horns blaring, the caravan drove to Simi show that gay people are an integral Demonstrations at LA City Hall had Valley, where a rally was held in front of part of that community." been banned. Even demonstrations the Ventura County Courthouse. Wilson stressed, however, that "the around the Governor Wilson's anti-wel- Sponsors and speakers included tension that created the uprising has not fare initiative were not allowed to hap- United Lesbians of African Heritage, gone away. It is going to get worse. Look pen. Most large gatherings on the streets GLAAD, United Colors, Act Up, Being at what is happening now, with the of LA were banned for more than three Alive-PWA Coalition, the Gay and California budget. It's not over." A

No KKK! No Fascist USA! 23 VIDEO REVIEW NEIGHBORS AGAINST NAZIS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19 MARCH AGAINST RACISTS tells Attorney General Robert Kennedy, stations, the Aryan Nations uses a com- IN SIMI VALLEY "We were American citizens taking a bus puter networks to target enemies, funda- ride and we had the crap beaten out of mentalist Christians have reached mil- White supremacist Richard Barrett, us. When the KKK came after us in lions with commercial radio, Nazi head of the Mississippi-based Nationalist Mississippi, the FBI stood aside counting skinheads have used thrash music, and Movement, paid his second visit on the blows." In an historical clip, a beaten, David Duke has used elections, the anti- September 12,1991, to the town of Simi hospitalized white Freedom Rider, barely racist movement has struggled along with Valley, California, where a jury acquitted able to speak, says, "Segregation must be low-budget newspapers (like this one), four Los Angeles cops of wrongdoing in stopped. It must be broken down. We're sporadic 'zines, JBAKCs hotline, and oc- the brutal beating of Rodney King. A dedicated to this. We'll take hitting. casional Rock Against Racism shows. demonstration of 500 anti-racists, mostly We'll take beating. We're willing to ac- Even the network talk shows use white local residents, met his visit. The dem- cept death. But we're going to keep com- power advocates to attract viewers. Anti- onstration was organized by Neighbors ing." More recent documentary footage racist activists need, particularly, to reach Against Nazis, a Simi Valley-based coali- shows police protecting Klan marchers young people, and Behind the Burning tion that includes Mothers Against and turning around and beating anti- Cross has done this. In a recent showing Supremacists, the Simi-Conejo and San Klan demonstrators. Footage from in a Phoenix high school, the video led Fernando Valley chapters of NOW and Austin, Texas shows over a dozen police to a discussion of black pride vs. white the NAACP, ACT UP/Ventura, as well clubbing a single demonstrator cornered pride. In Santa Rosa, students considered as many concerned individuals. The against a building. In footage from the in- how white and black students could coalition was joined by People Against famous 1979 Greensboro Massacre (as overcome differences to work together. Racist Terror (PART), from L.A. horrifying to see as the Rodney King Students in San Jose questioned violence Police attacked the picket line, riding videotape), we see Klansmen shoot four in opposing racist violence. into the crowd on horses and setting po- anti-Klan activists. The police had told Behind the Burning Cross: Racism lice dogs on people in the crowd. There the Klan where to find the unarmed U.S. A. is guaranteed to get a discussion were several injuries and arrests. demonstrators—and then stayed away going wherever it is shown. 29 minutes, Neighbors Against Nazis plans to until the shooting was over. The docu- color. Available in VHS format (inquire continue their work against racism and mentary footage offers a strong visual ar- about other formats). Price: $15-25 slid- police brutality in Simi Valley and gument for the right of communities un- ing scale to individuals; $50 to institu- Ventura County. der attack to defend themselves against tions. Order from John Brown Anti- They are participating in an anti-big- violence. "Any community has the right Wan Committee, 220 Ninth Street otry action network initiated by PART, to determine how they will struggle for #443, San Francisco, CA 94103, or order and can be reached by phone at (805) freedom." by phone (415) 330-5363. A 583-1213. A This video should be in every school and library. While Tom Metzger has his Race and Reason talk show on 50 cable

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has murdered, raped, and plundered NATIONS Native nations within? After 500 years of resistance and cul- 1492 WITHIN A tural survival, Native nations are joining Black sand with other indigenous peoples to speak white foam (gold NATION out against the erosion of sovereignty — it almost) happened to Native nations like it's hap- in violent light. BY VALERIE TAUMAN pening to smaller nations throughout the Heidi Blackeye and Estevez, Native world. Three ships: American anti-nuclear activists, are head- Many of those nations who know ed off to Europe on a speaking tour, leav- America's past —an d even teach it to a red-throated ing their American passports at home. their children in schools — acknowledge songbird alerts Heidi and Pauline instead will present and respect the sovereign status of Native them to land. their Western Shoshone Nation passports nations that continue to exist in It is the slit- as the official document that verifies their America. throat identity—women of a nation within a bird. nation. It is not the fkst time Native nations There they stand have refused to supplant their own na- P/4/V ClHTUtt naked. tional status and issued passports. The Two men, three women, Onandaga and Hopi nations have used one child left on shore: their own passports for years. crow black hair, Countries all over the globe have skin the color of fired copper. readily accepted these passports because they recognize something a lot of Mr MAIM Americans do not seem to know— First a shot. many Indian nations did not give up Their entrails stream their national identity when they were away like frightened fish. overrun by Euro-Americans who came The earth to this country beginning in 1492. The they call mother Western Shoshone are a prime example of this. grown malignant, In 1969, the U.S, acknowledged it .strange. was "unable to discover an formal extin- guishment" to Western Shoshone tide They want gold to lands inNevada Nonetheless, the but there isn't any gold U.S. courts decided that die Shoshones just the sun had somehow lost their land and set aside $26,154,000 to pay for 22 million So, in Europe, for example, so-called which might have been acres of land it stole (at 1892 prices of "Indians" are very popular, so popular in enough. about $1 per acre). The Western fact that many Native Americans are re- Shoshone people continue to refuse the peatedly invited back there to educate For gold they money sitting in the U.S. Treasury to- people about their history of survival in hack off their hands, day—diey want their land. the face of U.S. aggression and injustice. hang them from In light of this, it is appalling how the Many Europeans point their fingers at United States hypocritically hurls accusa- America and shake their heads in disgust Cassava trees tions and sends military might all over when they hear American politicians giv- thirteen in number the world to "protect the sovereignty" of ing lip service to the "need to protect sov- symbolizing Apostles smaller nations. ereignty." The U.S. does not walk the and the Lord in his mercy. That's what President Bush said the way it talks, and people around the globe Persian Gulf war was all about. We sup- know it Within twenty-five years posedly went there to protect the sover- And more will know as young activists eignty of a smaller, weaker nation because like Heidi Blackeye and respected elders notoneArawak it was "the right thing to do." like Pauline Estevez bring strong words— survives. So where is that protection of sover- and Western Shoshone passports—on —Maggie Jaffe eignty in America, whose government this European tour. A

No fCJOCf No Fascist USAI