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Augustus Invictus and the National Socialist Movement

Last month, Florida lawyer and candidate for US Senate Augustus Sol Invictus announced that he would speak at the National Socialist Movement (NSM) national meeting and rally in Georgia, April 22^nd to 23^rd. Invictus accepted the offer to speak at the NSM’s neo-Nazi gathering at a time when Invictus was receiving increasing scrutiny and opposition for his fascist politics plus his assistance to far-Right groups such as the American Front.

Now, every mention of Invictus and scheduled appearance at the upcoming NSM rally has been scrubbed from the NSM website. At the time of writing, it is unknown whether Invictus still plans to speak at this gathering. The NSM’s announcement about Invictus’ appearance remains archived here. The American Third Party Report website still contains Invictus’ own statement about his decision to participate in the neo-Nazi event (much earlier, this statement vanished from the “Invictus for Senate” Facebook page where it first appeared.)

Invictus’ writing about why he wished to speak to the assorted neo-Nazis and Klansmen scheduled to rally in Rome GA on April 23^rd insisted that “I am not endorsing the National Socialist Movement.” Rather, Invictus claimed that he wished to fight alongside the NSM in a coalition “of Libertarians, patriots, and nationalists against a common enemy.” Invictus added that “I have Hispanic children […] I date bisexual women exclusively […] any one of which would bar me from membership in the NSM.”

A new discovery suggests that Invictus’ framing of the issues in his statement may have been misleading.

In 2012, leaked membership lists of the National Socialist Movement were published online by the One People’s Project website. The name “Augustus Invictus” is listed as a member of the NSM in a September 2009 entry, with an address in Chicago IL accompanying the entry.

augustus invictus 2009 NSM membership list Augustus Invictus in leaked NSM membership list

In 2009, Invictus was indeed living in Chicago, where he was studying at DePaul University College of Law. Someone who knew Invictus as a law student described him as having a “fascination with Nazism” during this period. Such fascination would be consistent with NSM membership. The Chicago address is for an apartment complex, where mail would likely be addressed to recipients’ legal names. The DePaul College of Law is approximately half an hour by public transport from this apartment building (with the main DePaul campus being just half an hour away by foot.) Mistaken identity is highly unlikely, simply because Augustus Invictus is such an uncommon name.

So: it appears that Invictus’ invitation to the Georgia NSM event may have had precedent in his earlier membership of the neo-Nazi party. If so, Invictus has been less than fully honest about this past. Invictus’ overall fascistic politics, however, were clear well before this latest discovery.

If you have further information about Invictus’ time in the NSM, or about current white supremacist activity in Georgia, do not hesitate to get in contact.

Just Don’t Call It “White Power” – “Protect the South,” Wesley Sitton, and the Mainstreaming of White Supremacy

Introduction: White Power on Display at Stone Mountain, November 14, 2015

As the “Rock Stone Mountain” white power rally at Stone Mountain Park in Georgia approaches, now is a good time to again discuss this event’s immediate precursor, the November 14, 2015 rally at the same park. The November 14 event was one of a series of pro-Confederate flag/memorial rallies organized in the wake of Dylann Roof’s June 2015 massacre at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. These rallies attempted to protect symbols of the Confederacy during a time of increased outcry about their public display. While earlier 2015 Confederate flag rallies also involved white nationalists, at the November 14 rally the Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted a particularly “obvious” Ku Klux Klan presence. This Klan presence on November 14 is a consequence of who organized and promoted the event in the first place.

Crowd at Stone Mountain on November 14, 2015 (current “Rock Stone Mountain” organizer John Michael Estes in center wearing shirt for far-Right and racist “Rock Against Communism” movement)

According to “Restoring the Honor” blog, “Southern Rebel Patriots”–AKA Georgia residents Jodi and Greg Calhoun–first made the call for the November 14^th rally. Greg Calhoun was involved with an Aryan Nations faction before joining the International Keystone Knights of the Ku Klux Klan; Calhoun is presently assisting with “Rock Stone Mountain.” A second Facebook page that promoted the November 14 rally was part of the “Stand by the Flag Rally” national mobilization–this particular “Stand by the Flag”page was controlled by the Rebel Outlaw Knights of the Ku Klux Klan (whose former Imperial Cleric more recently also spread the word about “Rock Stone Mountain” online.)

Protect the South Facebook community

One of the biggest promoters for November 14 was “Protect the South”–this Facebook community established its own “Defend Stone Mountain” event page for the November 14 rally. The overall “Protect the South” Facebook page was launched in June 2015, while debate on Confederate symbols heated up. This page appealed to Confederate flag supporters and even pandered to that movement’s implicit racism, but the page avoided slogans known to drive numbers down, such as open cries of “white power.” In fact, the administrator of “Protect the South” would later argue that while he had no problem with “white power” talk in principle, the reality is that such slogans could make the Southern cause look bad while providing opportunities to opponents. The “Protect the South” administrator was criticized by other November 14 promoters and participants on account of this defensive stance.

What has not been mentioned in commentary so far is that the administrator for “Protect the South”–Wesley Sitton (AKA Adam Wesley Sitton) of Pembroke, Georgia–has a history as a neo-Nazi. While in recent years Sitton described himself as the head of a “True Republican Family,” Sitton’s new self-description isn’t about renouncing white supremacy, it is only about hiding it. Sitton’s strategy seems to be a perfect example of how people can organize for the goals of white power without even using the phrase “white power.” Indeed, Sitton’s abandonment of blatant neo-Nazism has created political opportunities for him. It has allowed Sitton to rally larger numbers of neo-Confederates and anti-immigrant forces, as well as to coordinate with the Georgia Security Force III% militia which nominally opposes racism. These advantages also come with a cost: Sitton’s tactical choice has angered militant racists who are invested in being explicit about their white supremacy.

Wesley Sitton’s White Supremacist History

In 2005, someone using the handle “AryanBrother88” posted frequently on Stormfront, the world’s largest white power internet forum. (The “88” part of this pseudonym is alphanumeric code for “H.H.” or “Heil Hitler.”) By 2006, this forum user was using his own name, Wesley Sitton, and providing his actual location of Pembroke, Georgia. While the “AryanBrother88” and “Wesley Sitton” accounts on Stormfront were closed down, traces of Sitton’s writing on Stormfront remain wherever he was quoted by another user. During the time he was a Stormfront member, Sitton used his account to spread the news that Alabama white nationalist and Holocaust-denier Larry Darby had two half-Chinese children, making Darby a “race traitor” in the eyes of many Stormfront users.

Wesley Sitton, recent photo

In addition to posting on Stormfront, Sitton was active with the National Socialist Movement, one of the larger neo-Nazi organizations in the US. A leaked membership list for the National Socialist Movement gives an address in Pembroke for Sitton, with the record dated November 2005.

(Not sure that this “Wesley Sitton” is the same Wesley Sitton who is the administrator for “Protect the South”? The birthday info for user “Wesley Sitton” on Stormfront matches Adam Wesley Sitton’s birthday. The street address provided on the NSM address list can be seen on an image in Sitton’s current Facebook timeline.)

While the National Socialist Movement is a Hitler-loving organization complete with military-style uniforms and swastika armbands, during 2006 Sitton also promoted white supremacy draped in the Red, White and Blue. Sitton’s website, “Taking a Stand,” proclaimed that it was “fighting to restore the American way” and featured American flags plus a Thomas Jefferson quote on its front page. Taking a closer look at the site, however, revealed articles such as “Jews, the Destruction of America!,” claims that the white race must “take control and power again in America” as well as calls for “the downfall of ZOG [Zionist Occupation Government, a white power term for alleged Jewish control of the US government].”

Taking a Stand website banner

In 2007, Sitton launched a new website, one very different to the “Taking a Stand” website in visual terms. The “Save Our Race” website now used the swastika banner of Nazi Germany instead of the American flag. The “Save Our Race” website was for “Georgia’s [chapter of the] American National Socialist Workers Party” and declared:

On July 18, 2006, 21 former state and unit leaders of the National Socialist Movement, along with 96 comrades, declared a break from the National Socialist Movement. The result from this action was the creation of the American National Socialist Workers Party.

Sitton is listed on the site as the “Georgia Leader” for the new Party.

Save Our Race website banner

Sitton’s time as ANSWP leader must not have lasted long, however. “Save Our Race” disappeared from the web quickly. Chris Drake of Augusta became the new Georgia leader for the ANSWP, only for the ANSWP to collapse after its leader Bill White’s arrest by the FBI in October 2008. (If you want to know about White’s legal saga, just read his Wikipedia page.)

Let’s move forward several years. It would be nice to believe that Sitton had abandoned his extreme racism and far-Right worldview, but this does not appear to be the case. For example, in January 2015 Sitton was openly celebrating James Earl Ray, the assassin of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Wesley Sitton would prefer to celebrate James Earl Ray day, apparently

Starting in mid-July 2015 after the Charleston massacre, Sitton began a flurry of activity on behalf of the Confederate flag and its cause. One of the first events promoted by Sitton’s newly-launched “Protect the South” page was a rally in Statesboro, Georgia which was part of a “Stand by the Flag” day of coordinated protests at Walmart parking lots due to Walmart’s decision not to sell Confederate flags. These protests were not just promoted on Facebook, but also on white nationalist sites such as that of the Council of Conservative Citizens (the organization whose materials had helped to radicalize Dylann Roof in the first place.)

Sitton has subsequently used “Protect the South” to promote several other Confederate rallies and events, including the November 14 Klan-organized event at Stone Mountain. Indeed, Sitton seems to have played a key role in persuading members of the (nominally non-racist) Georgia Security Force III% militia that the November 14 rally had nothing to do with the Klan and that the Klan would not be present.

Georgia Security Force III% leader Chris Hill post to “Defend Stone Mountain” page

Meanwhile, Sitton was also active on another front. Following the November 13 terror attacks in Paris, Sitton circulated a petition online calling for a Georgia Governor Deal to stop any settlement of Syrian refugees (called “potential terrorists” by Sitton) in the state. Sitton’s petition rapidly gained thousands of signatures. On November 16, Governor Deal announced that he would not accept Syrian refugees in Georgia–Deal’s decision may have been partially influenced by the same sort of public pressure mobilized by Sitton.

Conclusion

Since abandoning the more explicit cries of “white power” and use of symbols such as the swastika, Wesley Sitton achieved some organizing successes: creating a Confederate flag Facebook page followed by thousands; organizing local militiamen to do security for a Klan-organized event even while persuading them that no Klan would be present; and finally helping to push through anti-immigrant measures in Georgia.

Sitton is still a racist who has worked with the neo-Nazi groups and other organized white supremacists. Sitton’s new discourse about “heritage, not hate” and “southern pride” are tactical preferences for him. Anti-racists must fight white supremacy in its most blatant forms–such as that of neo-Nazis–but we must also oppose forms of white power organizing in which the same message has been repackaged to appeal to broader numbers.

At present, Sitton is attempting to portray himself as an opponent of the Klansmen and neo-Nazi organizers who will show up for “Rock Stone Mountain” on April 23, even claiming that he will protest these forces. Given Sitton’s own history as a neo-Nazi; his continuing racist organizing; and his spreading of misinformation around the earlier November 14 event at Stone Mountain, Sitton’s current maneuvers should not fool anyone.

“Protect the South” likes the explicitly white power event “Rock Stone Mountain,” image courtesy of Restoring the Honor

Fascist Lawyer Augustus Invictus Dropped from International Left Hand Path Consortium Event in Atlanta

Fascist lawyer and candidate for US Senate Augustus Invictus has been dropped as a presenter at the International Left Hand Path Consortium occultist event in Atlanta, April 8-10. The story of Invictus being removed from the Consortium lineup appeared on Watcher of the Dawn, a website serving as a “watchdog for the occult scene.” Invictus’ removal has also been independently verified by other sources.

invictus rac Augustus Invictus speaks in front of banner for Rock Against Communism, a racist and far-Right movement, December 2015

The decision to remove Augustus Invictus as a presenter appears to be partially due to some Consortium presenters dropping out from the event because of Invictus’ fascist politics and political organizing with neo-Nazis. A more proximate cause of Invictus’ cancellation, however, seems to have been Augustus Invictus having an online meltdown, in which Invictus goaded his critics to “kill me”. This appears to have unsettled event organizers and caused them to pull the plug on Invictus.

In recent weeks, main Consortium organizer Laurie Pneumatikos had staunchly defended Invictus’ appearance at the Consortium, removing any anti-racist criticism from the event Facebook page. With the cancellation of Invictus from the Consortium in Atlanta, Pneumatikos’ written defense of Invictus (in response to concerns raised on this site) has also vanished from the Consortium website.

At least one additional Consortium presenter has now dropped out of the event in solidarity with Invictus, a development which suggests that parts of the occult milieu remain deeply divided over fascism and how to respond to it (or not to respond.) Now seems like a good time to give kudos to those who made the potentially-uncomfortable decision to speak out against fascism and racism in their community.

Meanwhile, Augustus Invictus remains scheduled to speak at the flagrantly neo-Nazi gathering/rally of the National Socialist Movement on April 23 in Rome, Georgia.

Update: The International Left Hand Path Consortium has now issued a statement. For whatever it’s worth, you can read it here.

Fascist Lawyer Augustus Invictus to Speak at National Socialist Movement Meeting/Rally in Rome GA, April 23

Update 3/14/2016: Invictus has been dropped from the International Left Hand Path Consortium event mentioned in this article, see story here. Invictus remains scheduled to speak at the NSM gathering on April 23.

Florida lawyer, candidate for US Senate and fascist Augustus Invictus has announced that he will give another speech in Georgia this April. As discussed earlier, Invictus is being hosted as a speaker on April 10^th by the International Left Hand Path Consortium occultist gathering in Atlanta. Now, Invictus has also agreed to talk at the National Socialist Movement (NSM) national meeting plus white power rally planned for Rome, Georgia on April 23^rd. The NSM is a blatant neo-Nazi organization. Its April 23^rd rally in Rome GA is co-sponsored by groups such as the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan as well as remnants of the Aryan Nations.

augustus invictus speaking at NSM Rome rally dl 3 9 2016 National Socialist Movement announces Augustus Invictus as speaker at April 23^rd gathering in Rome GA

Invictus announced that he will speak at the National Socialist Movement gathering in a March 8^th Facebook post at the “Augustus Invictus for US Senate” page. This post is no longer available on Facebook at the time of writing. However, its complete text has been archived at the American Third Party Report website. In his announcement, Invictus claims that “I am not endorsing the National Socialist Movement” while he sets out his reasoning for participating in the neo-Nazi event in Rome. (As usual, Invictus cites his “Hispanic children” as evidence for his lack of racism.) The overarching theme of Invictus’ piece is the need for “unity of Libertarians, patriots, and nationalists against a common enemy.” Invictus claims this enemy is the “Federal Government” controlled by “globalist”/ “internationalist” forces; it is on this political basis that Invictus argues for an alliance with neo-Nazis.

Invictus’ fascist politics were already apparent when Atlanta Antifascist Notes first raised the issue of Invictus’ participation in the April 10^th Left Hand Path Consortium event. However, since that time Invictus’ far-Right worldview plus his role in regrouping and organizing white supremacists have all become even more apparent. For example, while visiting the Pacific Northwest late February Invictus spoke before a gathering of neo-Nazis affiliated with the American Front, the organization whose Florida leader Marcus Faella Invictus represented in court. Following his time in the Northwest US (including a minor fracas with antifascists while visiting Portland, Oregon) Invictus attempted to enter Canada to speak in Vancouver, BC. Invictus was turned away at the border due to his links to neo-Nazis; white supremacists including a former leader of a “Blood & Honour” neo-Nazi faction had planned to attend Invictus’ Vancouver event.

Despite Invictus’ role in far-Right organizing–including his increasing efforts alongside neo-Nazis–the International Left Hand Path Consortium organizers insist on hosting Augustus Invictus as a speaker at their upcoming Atlanta event. At times, these organizers have taken ludicrous positions while defending their decision to host Invictus–for example arguing that Invictus’ use of the symbol of the fasces does not imply any sympathy towards fascist ideology, a point which is easily debunked.

invictus american fascist Augustus Invictus describes himself as “American Fascist”

If you wish to express concern about Invictus’ speaking engagement at the International Left Hand Path Consortium, contact the Sheraton Atlanta Airport Hotel venue here.

Background on the NSM event in Rome is here. If you have further information about Invictus’ appearance or the Rome rally, please get in contact.

Initial Venue for “Rock Stone Mountain” Evening Show Cancels

This Just In…

The venue for the evening show accompanying the April 23 “Rock Stone Mountain” white power rally in Georgia has canceled, according to the event’s Facebook page. Event organizers are now scurrying to secure a replacement venue.

Rock Stone Mountain initial evening venue cancels

Interestingly, today’s Facebook post does not mention Definite Hate, a musical act linked to a 2012 racist massacre that had previously been advertised as playing the evening show. Of course, this omission does not guarantee that the act is actually no longer on the bill.

Now is an excellent time to commit to showing up and opposing the Klan/neo-Nazi organized event at Stone Mountain (just outside Atlanta) on April 23rd. Visit All Out ATL for information on the anti-racist mobilization to shut down this white supremacist event.

Will Band Linked to Racist Massacre Perform for “Rock Stone Mountain” White Power Gathering, April 23 in Georgia?

Summary: On April 23rd, racist organizers are promising an evening concert following the “Rock Stone Mountain” rally in Georgia during the day. One of the musical acts advertised as playing this evening show is Definite Hate, a longstanding racist rock group. In 2012, one of Definite Hate’s guitarists, Wade Michael Page, murdered six people (and then killed himself) in an attack on the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek. Definite Hate remains affiliated with the violent Hammerskin Nation organization, and the band continues to call for bloodshed in its lyrics. The fact that “Rock Stone Mountain” planners are using this notorious act to draw a crowd to their event reveals the organizers’ violently racist political vision. It also makes clear why we must come together against such race war politics.

The Story So Far…

On April 23, 2016, two nationally-organized white supremacist gatherings are scheduled to take place in Georgia. The National Socialist Movement (NSM)–a blatantly neo-Nazi organization–has announced that it will hold a rally in Rome, GA on April 23. Also that day, another group of Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazi militants will hold “Rock Stone Mountain,” an event which organizers have billed as a “White Power March up Stone Mountain.” (Stone Mountain Park is a short distance outside Atlanta; an earlier article discusses this site’s significance for neo-Confederates and ideological racists.) The NSM event in Rome was announced at the very beginning of this year, whereas “Rock Stone Mountain” has been promoted since November 2015–in fact, “Rock Stone Mountain” follows on from another Klan-organized rally at Stone Mountain Park that occurred mid-November.

The two separate white supremacist rallies slated for April 23–and the differing styles of the two groups of organizers–have been discussed elsewhere on this site. Both the NSM and the “Rock Stone Mountain” organizers claim to have evening entertainment lined up following their respective daytime rallies. The NSM has advertised an evening event taking place at the white power-friendly Georgia Peach Oyster Bar in Draketown (near Temple) GA. The “Rock Stone Mountain” organizers are currently being more guarded about their evening plans, stating that their “after-event party/concert venue will not be released until the day of the event.” (If you have additional information about this event, please get in contact.)

At the time of writing, the anti-racist All Out ATL mobilization is preparing to confront and shut down the white supremacist march at Stone Mountain Park on April 23. Atlanta Antifascist Notes wholeheartedly endorses this mobilization and urges you to get involved. The importance of effective, large-scale opposition to white power organizing becomes even clearer when one examines the history of one of the rock bands announced as playing the “Rock Stone Mountain” after-event.

Definite Hate

On August 5, 2012 white supremacist Wade Michael Page entered the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek, fatally shooting six people and wounding others before turning his gun on himself. At the time of this massacre, Page was a full member of the Hammerskin Nation, a long-running and violent bonehead (racist “skinhead”) organization which presently exists on several continents. It also was revealed that Page had a long history in the white power music scene, having played with such racist rock bands as Intimidation One, 13 Knots, Page’s own project named End Apathy, and finally Definite Hate.

Wade Michael Page

Page was not a founding member of Definite Hate, a Hammerskin-affiliated act that is based in North Carolina. Page was not mentioned, for example, when Definite Hate’s early days were discussed in a 2001 article for GQ. However Page is credited (as “Wade”) on the second full album by Definite Hate, 2011’s “Madder Than Hell – Meaner Than Shit.” Prior to moving to Wisconsin, Page lived for half a year in North Carolina with Edward Brent Rackley, a Hammerskin and long-serving member of Definite Hate. (Rackley also played music with Page in the groups 13 Knots and End Apathy.)

As a group, Definite Hate has never attempted to put real distance between itself and the massacre by its former guitarist. Contacted in the immediate aftermath of Page’s murder rampage, the most Rackley could come up with was: “I’m not interested. This is him. I don’t care to be bothered anymore.” This attitude is hardly surprising from a member of an act whose lyrics include such endorsements of racist murder as: “riding through the city projects / creeping real slow in the dead of the night / a group of monkeys on the corner / with no idea that death’s in sight” (the song “Lock and Load” from the 2005 full-length “Welcome to the South.”)

Definite Hate member and Hammerskin Edward Brent Rackley of North Carolina

The Hammerskin Nation as a whole was defiant following Page’s killing. For example, the Hammerskin-linked record label Antipathy Records offered a celebratory “WADEPAGE” sale soon after the Wisconsin murders.

The latest line-up for Definite Hate has in no way toned down its message or loyalties. In 2015, for example, Definite Hate played a show in California paying tribute to David Lane. Lane (1938-2007) was a participant in The Order/Brüder Schweigen white supremacist terror group during the 1980s. It has been alleged that Lane was the getaway driver when The Order assassinated Jewish talk radio host Alan Berg in 1984. While imprisoned for violating Berg’s civil rights and other charges, David Lane became something of a cult figure within the white supremacist movement, coining the “14 words” slogan–“We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children”–now ubiquitous in white racist circles. (“Rock Stone Mountain” promotional materials also reference David Lane’s “14 words.”)

Definite Hate playing David Lane memorial show, California 2015. Rackley playing guitar in background.

Is Definite Hate on the Evening Bill for “Rock Stone Mountain”?

It is no secret that the organizers for Rock Stone Mountain love the music of Definite Hate. An Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigative report has already highlighted Rock Stone Mountain organizers circulated a Definite Hate song as part of their event outreach on Facebook.

There have also been other hints that Definite Hate will play the April 23rd event. A now-deleted fan page for Definite Hate on Facebook listed “Rock Stone Mountain” as one of the group’s “Upcoming events.”

google cache of definite hate FB deleted rock stone mountain upcoming dl 2 15 2016 “Rock Stone Mountain” as an “Upcoming Event” on (now-deleted) Definite Hate fan page.

On their own, the above two facts would simply lead to conjecture. However, one of the “Rock Stone Mountain” organizers is himself spreading the word that Definite Hate will provide evening entertainment on April 23rd. In December, “Liam O’Aghairle” (a pseudonym) announced on Facebook that Definite Hate would be “starting the rock lineup” for the Rock Stone Mountain evening concert. The same post identifies Tracy Cantley, a neo-Nazi who plays “rebel country music” as another act on the Rock Stone Mountain evening bill.

Liam O'Aghairle FB image Dec 19 2015 dl 2 11 2016 “Liam O‘Aghairle” discusses the Rock Stone Mountain show line-up.

“Liam O’Aghairle” is the same person as “Johnny Rebel” or “John E. Rebel” (also fake names) who was the Imperial Cleric of the Rebel Outlaw Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in Arizona. (The Rebel Outlaw Knights of the KKK seem to have disbanded, although their website may still be found online–that site’s main image is the same as the profile picture for “Liam O’Aghairle” on Facebook.) The Rebel Outlaw Knights were involved in promoting the November 14, 2015 rally at Stone Mountain that set the stage for Rock Stone Mountain. “O’Aghairle” is in contact with other key organizers for Rock Stone Mountain and would presumably not circulate information about the evening show without their consent. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also quoted a “John E. Rebel” in its coverage of the upcoming Stone Mountain rally, although that may be someone else using the same pseudonym.)

“Rock Stone Mountain”: Image and Reality

While the Definite Hate performance could potentially get canceled, it is clear that the Rock Stone Mountain organizers are trying to build attendance with the promise that this group will play. (“O’Aghairle” shared his note about the event line-up to the white nationalist American Freedom Party group on Facebook, a place where other Rock Stone Mountain promotional materials are posted almost daily.) The use of Definite Hate’s name and the promise that they will play the evening event points to a tension in the “Rock Stone Mountain” organizing. While Rock Stone Mountain is partly being organizing by Billy Roper, who has a long history as a neo-Nazi, the organizers are also encouraging Nazi flags not to be brought to Stone Mountain. Similarly, the event is being pulled together by Klansmen, many of whom will leave their Klan robes at home on the day of the 23rd. Finally, Rock Stone Mountain planners consistently claim that their cause is opposition to “white genocide” which they believe is underway as the demographics of the US change (this theory has some support on racist far-Right.) However the event organizers are also trying to draw a crowd with a musical act that sings about racist killings, and whose old guitarist enacted those same murderous politics just a few years ago.

The politics of the Rock Stone Mountain organizers must be seen clearly: they are the politics of race war and mass murder. Anyone who takes this as an exaggeration should pay attention when Greg Calhoun, a Georgia Klansman assisting with Rock Stone Mountain (and a key organizer for the November 14 rally of last year), writes about what white people should do.

Greg Calhoun on Liam O'Aghairle FB posted Jan 3 2016 dl 2 11 2016 Discussion by Greg Calhoun on the Facebook page of “Liam O’Aghairle.”

Conclusion
The announcement that Definite Hate will play Rock Stone Mountain makes it clear that rally organizers are building bridges between those who celebrate racist violence, and those building capacity to enact it. It is crucial that those who call for violence against people of color, Jewish people, sexual minorities, and leftists be prevented from having their way. They must not be allowed to plot and recruit without any opposition. This is why a mass show of strength against the Klan and Nazis on April 23rd is so important. Read about the All Out ATL anti-racist mobilization on its website, tell your friends, and consider getting involved.

Occultism and Fascism: Augustus Invictus to Speak at April “International Left Hand Path Consortium” in Atlanta

Update 3/14/2016: Invictus has been dropped from the International Left Hand Path Consortium event, see story here.

An occultist gathering to be held at the Sheraton Atlanta Airport Hotel on April 8-10th will feature a Florida lawyer and candidate for US Senate who circulates fascist iconography plus writings online, and who proudly claims to be “friends” with militant neo-Nazis.

Augustus Invictus

The “International Left Hand Path Consortium” gathering in April has included Augustus Invictus as a presenter at the occultist event. As a Libertarian Party candidate for US Senate, Invictus’ campaign website prominently displays the fasces, the original symbol of Italian fascism. In October 2015, the then-Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Florida, Adrian Wyllie, resigned from his position within the Party in protest of Invictus’ nomination as Libertarian for US Senate, citing Invictus’ far-Right politics as the reason for this resignation.

Fascist symbol incorporated into Augustus Invictus’ campaign logo

While Invictus has claimed that he does not endorse the racist pseudoscience of eugenics, his US Senate campaign site criticizes the US Federal Government because:

It has abandoned its eugenics programs & elitist mindset in favor of a decadent ideology that rejects the beauty of strength and demands the exponential growth of the weakest, the least intelligent, and the most diseased.

Invictus claims not to be a racist because “My four children are Hispanic.”

As a lawyer, Invictus has defended Marcus Faella, Florida leader of the American Front (a white supremacist organization.) Invictus however goes beyond legal work in referring to Marcus Faella as a “friend” on his campaign website.

Invictus’ legal/political website includes readings from the works of Francis Parker Yockey, one of the major theorists of post-war fascism. Augustus Invictus also expounds on his beliefs on the website of the “National Anarchist Tribal Alliance,” a neo-fascist group. (For information on national anarchism, see here.)

If you wish to object to Invictus’ speaking engagement at the “International Left Hand Path Consortium,” the event organizers may be contacted at: [email protected]. Contact info for the Sheraton Atlanta Airport Hotel may be found here.

* * *

Note 2/23/16: the main organizer of the International Left Hand Path Consortium has issued a response to this article, most of which consists of rationalization and excuse-making. Two points are enough:

“National anarchism” is a distinctly fascist brand of politics that has little to do with anarchism proper. See for example this article stressing that: “despite the [‘national anarchist’] name, National-Anarchists have not emerged from inside the anarchist movement, and, intellectually, their origins are not based in its ideas.”
The International Left Hand Path Consortium response explains a pro-eugenics quote from Augustus Invictus this way: “Augustus wrote that paper while he was in law school and has since recanted it […] Can you name one person who has not written or said something in their youth who later regretted it?” In fact, the quote is taken directly from Invictus’ “Declaration of the Failings of Federal Government” not his earlier pro-eugenics paper. Invictus’ “Declaration” remains live on the Invictus for Senate campaign website without any sort of retraction.

UPDATES: Anti-Racists Mobilize Against “Rock Stone Mountain” White Power Event, April 23rd /// Neo-Nazi Rally in Rome, GA Same Day

Everyone Out Against the “Rock Stone Mountain” White Power Rally in Georgia, April 23rd!

An anti-racist mass mobilization against “Rock Stone Mountain”–the explicitly “white power” event planned for April 23rd at Stone Mountain, Georgia–is taking shape. As discussed elsewhere on this site, the Rock Stone Mountain rally is being organized by Klansmen, former members of the Aryan Nations, plus Billy Roper, the Arkansas white nationalist who used to chair White Revolution. Rock Stone Mountain is being promoted on major white supremacist websites such as Stormfront, as well as on blogs and Facebook. The racists plan “an openly White Power March up Stone Mountain that climaxes in a rally at the top. It is to be followed by a Pro White concert at a seperate [sic] location that evening.”

The white supremacist gathering will be resisted. Anti-racists are organizing a mass presence at Stone Mountain to shut down the white power rally and disrupt the racists’ plans. Following a series of discussions between anti-racists, a website has now been established for the anti-Klan mobilization. Check out All Out Atlanta’s website here for more information and to see the principles guiding our organizing. The site will be regularly updated with news and outreach materials. If you’re on Twitter, be sure to also follow us here.

The website for All Out Atlanta is now online, see here.

It is time to commit to making the anti-racist mobilization a success. All Out Atlanta is not organized as a handful of leaders telling a mass of followers what to do. We want a strong and multifaceted response to the Klan and neo-Nazis. This cannot be done unless large numbers make this effort their own. Get in contact and get involved!

Some initial things you can do:

Spread the word! Outreach is essential at this time. Please share information about the anti-racist organizing that is underway with your friends, co-workers, community group, and so on.
If you are a member of an organization, consider endorsing this mobilization by contacting All Out Atlanta.
Host an educational event or a fundraiser in your community.
If you’re out-of-state, now is the time to make travel plans! If you are too far away to travel to Stone Mountain/the greater Atlanta area, consider an event in your own community to challenge white supremacy and racist organizing.

(Note: All Out Atlanta is distinct from the neo-Confederate protest against “Rock Stone Mountain” that has been covered by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The broader neo-Confederate movement played a key role in setting the stage for the April 23rd white power event at Stone Mountain. Atlanta Antifascist Notes believes that it is disingenuous for the neo-Confederates to now oppose the blatantly white power event, claiming that it makes their cause look bad.)

National Socialist Movement to Rally in Rome, Georgia April 23rd

Another white power event is also now on our radar.

The National Socialist Movement (NSM), one of the nation’s largest neo-Nazi organizations, has announced that it will hold a rally in Rome, Georgia on April 23rd–the same day as “Rock Stone Mountain.” The NSM rally is being endorsed by the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations activists, Aryan Strikeforce, and a handful other organizations. Rome, GA is approximately two hours away from Stone Mountain (slightly less from Atlanta).

The NSM’s initial release for the rally in Rome stated that the event would coincide with the organization’s “annual National Meeting in Georgia this year.” NSM members from across the country are expected to congregate in Rome. NSM leader Jeff Schoep initially gave the dates of “April 22nd and 23rd” for the NSM event on Twitter, which suggests that some NSM members may be arriving in the city before the 23rd.

schoep on Rome rally

Some readers may be confused why Klan members and Aryan Nations militants are involved in two different white power events in the same state on the same day. A full explanation cannot be provided here, since we do not yet have all the facts. However it is important to note that different Klan groups seem to be endorsing different white power events–the Loyal White Knights are attending the NSM rally in Rome, while members of the International Keystone Knights are involved with planning “Rock Stone Mountain.” Further, while past affiliates of the Aryan Nations are involved with both events, this illustrates the highly fragmented nature of the Aryan Nations right now, in particular after Morris Gullet–one of the more prominent Aryan Nations leaders of recent years–completely shut down his operation last year. Aryan Nations holdouts had a “World Congress” on December 13, 2015 at the Georgia Peach Oyster Bar in Draketown (near Temple) GA that was attended by both NSM and Loyal White Knights representatives. The Aryan Nations/NSM coordination in December seems to have fed into the broader NSM plans for Rome.

It is also worth noting the differences in style between the two events. “Rock Stone Mountain” invites neo-Nazi rock bands to play in the evening; it uses an image of white supremacist terrorist Robert J. Matthews in promotional materials; and it involves notorious neo-Nazi Billy Roper in its organizing. However, the Rock Stone Mountain organizers for some reason do not want their attendees to bring Nazi flags on April 23rd, writing on the Rock Stone Mountain community page on Facebook: “Those who wish to bring ANY version of the Confederate battle flag or any of the Confederate national flags to this event are encouraged to do so. However, we respectfully ask that participants not bring flags or banners representing any foreign nation or power, historical or current, to the rally.”

By contrast, the National Socialist Movement fetishizes Third Reich imagery and the swastika. It is not a coincidence that their rally in Rome will take place on the weekend after Hitler’s birthday (April 20). It is likely that the different events on the same day do not reflect some sort of neo-Nazi grand strategy as much as they are the consequence of tensions between white power organizations and individuals, who have different ideas about how to organize and what’s important.

The National Socialist Movement has already released a flier for their post-rally evening event–they will be travelling to Draketown (near Temple) GA for an “after party” featuring a cross lighting and a live band. The NSM are giving the location for this event as the Georgia Peach Oyster Bar, a business which openly advertises itself as a “Klan bar” and frequently hosts neo-Nazi events (such as the Aryan Nations “congress” of December 13, 2015, and major gatherings of the neo-Nazi “Hammerskin Nation” in the past).

NSM rome flier

NSM event: rally in Rome, GA and evening event in Draketown/Temple, GA

It is presently unknown whether the “Rock Stone Mountain” organizers will attempt to combine their evening event with the NSM one, or whether there will be a separate white power concert for “Rock Stone Mountain” attendees.

Information Wanted

With all this going on, it is more important than ever for anti-racists and anti-fascists to be watchful about local far-Right organizing. If you have information on white supremacist organizing in Georgia (especially but certainly not limited to Metro Atlanta) please contact Atlanta Antifascist Notes. Leads about the April 23rd white power events can also be sent to All Out Atlanta. Information will be double-checked and then put to good use.

White Power Rally and Racist Rock Show Planned for April 23 2016: Stone Mountain, GA and Atlanta Region

Summary: Neo-Nazis and Klansmen are planning a rally on April 23, 2016 at Stone Mountain, Georgia, as well as a racist rock show at a venue elsewhere that evening. Anti-racists will organize against these white power events. Please spread the word. We must resist this show of force by militant white supremacists.

The Upcoming “Rock Stone Mountain” Event

White supremacists are busy organizing an “openly White Power March up Stone Mountain” plus a “White Power concert at a separate location that evening” in Georgia. The march and concert are scheduled for April 23, 2016. It is being promoted on Facebook, Twitter, and on white supremacist websites such as Stormfront. Figures such as former White Revolution chairman Billy Roper in Arkansas are assisting with publicity. The event’s Facebook attendee list includes ex-members of the Aryan Nations and current Ku Klux Klan activists. The post-rally concert will feature rock acts catering to a bonehead (racist “skinhead”) audience. The “Rock Stone Mountain” Facebook page mentions that one or more bands could be supplied by the international Blood & Honour neo-Nazi network.

FB event header Rock Stone Mountain event page on Facebook

discussion of bands for show Discussion of bands for the white power concert

Background

The upcoming April 2016 event follows in the wake of a “Defend Stone Mountain” rally held on November 14, 2015. The November rally billed itself as a Southern “heritage” protest against a proposal to add a monument in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. to the Stone Mountain site. (The debate regarding Stone Mountain has since shifted, see this story for details.)

Confederate displays on public property have increasingly been criticized and opposed after Dylann Storm Roof’s massacre of nine people at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC earlier this year. In response to the outcry about symbols of the Confederacy on public property, Confederate flag/monument supporters have stepped up their own organizing, including an August 1^st Confederate flag rally at Stone Mountain that attracted hundreds.

Explicit white supremacists and Klansmen organized and promoted the later November 14 Stone Mountain protest, which was also backed by neo-Confederate organizations. Whereas Atlanta Magazine misleadingly claimed that “No KKK members or white supremacists made their attendance known” at the November 14 protest, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has fully documented the Klan and white supremacist presence on that day. The AJC also notes that Stone Mountain officials knew that members of the International Keystone Knights of the KKK were involved in organizing the event.

klan ring on display nov 14 2015 stone mountain event November 14 2015 Stone Mountain rally: a protester displays his Klan “blood drop” ring

The November 14 protest emboldened Klan and neo-Nazi activists–the circles who are now putting together an openly white supremacist show of force at Stone Mountain. As the April 23 event page states: “It is time to stop apologizing […] If it were not for Our Race, that Flag [the Confederate flag] would not exist! They are going to call us ‘racist’ anyway, so wear it as a Badge of Honor […] Better to be called a Racist than a traitor!”

Stone Mountain is inexorably linked to Klan history—it is where the modern KKK was born one hundred years ago. The giant carving on the mountainside was begun by Klan member Gutzon Borglum, but the project ran out of funding before completion. (Only General Lee’s head was carved by Borglum.) Work on the monument was restarted by others decades later, once the State of Georgia purchased the site. Resumed work on the monument coincided with the State’s fierce efforts against the Civil Rights movement. The monument is a symbol of racial subjugation—it is no wonder why racists love the site, and why they are determined to fight for it.

While current Klan and neo-Nazi activists are tapping into an earlier white supremacist history, the plans for April 2016 also represent a more virulent form of racist politics than other recent events at Stone Mountain. Previously, Klansmen and their comrades still made concessions to fit in with the broader flag/monument protest crowd (which tried to portray itself in more moderate terms.) Now, flagrant white supremacists are confident enough to go it alone. Neo-Nazis and the Klan are completely controlling the agenda for the April 23rd events.

Who “Rock Stone Mountain” is following on Twitter. Note: “88” is alphanumeric code for “H.H.” or “Heil Hitler.”

Anti-Racists: Start Getting Ready…

The white supremacists who are organizing the April event will not go away if we ignore them. They are a real threat. Allowing blatant neo-Nazis to rally without opposition would pose at least two serious dangers. First, if allowed an easy victory white supremacists will further gain confidence, and this in turn will make violence against their perceived racial or political enemies more likely. Second, successful neo-Nazi and Klan organizing will allow others on the racist Right to portray themselves as “moderate” by comparison, which could help these other racist forces to progress towards the political mainstream. It is for these reasons and more that the April 23^rd march and gathering must be resisted. Doing work against the far-Right is especially important at a time when militant racists harass and shoot protesters against police killings in Minneapolis, and when xenophobic and anti-Muslim incidents have spiked in the US.

On behalf of some anti-racists in Atlanta who have been discussing the upcoming white power event: organizing against the April 23^rd rally and concert will begin in the not-too-distant future. We aim for a large and multifaceted response to white supremacist organizing. We are committed to doing our part in local anti-racist mobilizations.

First steps to be taken: most importantly, please circulate this news far and wide. Get in contact if you have information that may be useful in combating the Klan/neo-Nazi mobilization. Please be on the lookout for further updates, and start to talk with your circles about responses you would like to see happen. We urge anti-racists and anti-fascists to mark their calendars for the weekend of April 23-24, 2016. If you are an anti-racist living in the South—or even further afield—consider making a trip to Atlanta during this time. We promise you will not be bored.

Racist, Far-Right Propaganda and Threats Against Leftists at Georgia State University: What Does It Mean, Who Is Responsible?

This September and October a large number of far-Right propaganda stickers were plastered around the Georgia State University (GSU) campus in downtown Atlanta in order to claim political territory (see seventy-six photos here). This propaganda spree was meant not only to encourage racist students and those with far-Right sympathies, but also to intimidate students of color–who make up the majority of the student body–as well as leftists. The purpose of this article is to provide context about some of the far-Right propaganda littered throughout campus, and also to discuss who is responsible for the white nationalist campaign at GSU. The final section provides evidence that GSU economics major Patrick Sharp is responsible for the racist campaign.

The Stickers: How to Interpret Common Images and Slogans of the Extreme, Racist Right

White Lives Matter

“White Lives Matter” is not only a response to the Black Lives Matter movement. The slogan also reflects white nationalist belief that white people are under threat and fast becoming victims in an increasingly diverse society. This zero-sum worldview–in which any advance made by people of color is considered as a loss to the white population–has led to many ideological racists now claiming that a process of “white genocide” is underway.

“White Lives Matter” pages on Facebook mostly propagate crude anti-Black racism.

Celtic Cross

While more ornate versions of the Celtic Cross may be displayed by non-racists, the stylized version above has been adopted as a symbol by fascists and white nationalists. The first fascist use of this symbol was in France during the mid-Twentieth Century. Today the Celtic Cross is incorporated into the masthead for Stormfront.org, the web’s first major white racist website.

Good Night Left Side

Anti-leftism and anti-socialism are long-running themes on the far-Right. This image portrays and celebrates an assault on a leftist (who is designated by a star). The “Good Night Left Side” image is implicitly a threat against leftists and others who stand up to the far-Right. This implicit threat is further amplified when the stickers are directly placed over flyers from college groups such as the GSU Progressive Student Alliance (see here.)

(The college branch of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement also had posters targeted, but in this case a “White Lives Matter” and a Celtic Cross sticker were used, see here.)

Against the Modern World

This sticker joins the slogan “Against the Modern World” with an Algiz rune (or “life rune.”) The Algiz rune is sometimes displayed by non-racist pagans, but this symbol has also been appropriated by the extreme-Right. To give one example of the racist use of this rune: it features in the logo of the National Alliance, which was at one point the leading neo-Nazi organization in the US (although it is currently in shambles.)

National Alliance logo incorporating Algiz rune, an example of its use in far-Right contexts

The slogan “Against the Modern World” is a reference to Julius Evola’s book Revolt Against the Modern World. Evola (1898 – 1974) was an esoteric “traditionalist” writer who Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke described as “an inspiration, mentor and guru figure” for the neo-fascist bombers who participated in terrorism in Italy during the 1970s and early ‘80s [1]. Decades earlier, Evola had spent the 1930s attempting to influence the Italian Fascist Party and then the Nazi SS towards his aristocratic esoteric worldview [2].

“Against the Modern World” is also a reference to the UK ‘neofolk’ musical act Sol Invictus, who have their own links to fascism although the musical project now portrays itself as non-political.

Finally, in recent times the white nationalist Traditionalist Youth Network (TYN) has used the “Against the Modern World” design in at least one of their protests. (TYN did not create the design, which seems to originate from a Belarusian right-wing clothing company.) Below is an image of a 2013 TYN protest in which the “Against the Modern World” design is featured on placards.

Stickers from the Vlaamse Jongeren Mechelen (VJM)

The Vlaamse Jongeren Mechelen (VJM) was a Flemish ultra-nationalist group which organized with neo-Nazis. It was founded in the mid-1990s and disbanded a decade later.

Further Details about the Stickers Appearing around GSU

The first three sticker designs discussed above–“White Lives Matter,” the Celtic Cross, and “Good Night Left Side”–are all sold by Tightrope, an online retailer of neo-Nazi and Klan paraphernalia whose logo is a white fist clutching a noose.

An early-September post on the racist Stormfront website made it clear that the “White Lives Matters” stickers are currently only sold by Tightrope. Approximately one week after this post was made on Stormfront, the first of the “White Lives Matter” stickers surfaced around GSU.

Unlike the other far-Right stickers that have surfaced on campus recently, the “Against the Modern World” ones are not professionally-produced, looking instead as if they were created on a photocopier or laser printer. However, it is likely that the same person who posted the stickers available from Tightrope around campus has also been placing the “Against the Modern World” ones. The “Against the Modern World” stickers have appeared alongside the Tightrope designs (see here, here and here.) Both “Against the Modern World” and Tightrope designs have been placed over “Hip Hop Lives Here” stickers on campus promoting the A3C hip-hop festival (see images here and here).This again suggests that the same person is putting up the different far-Right designs, specifically targeting hip-hop culture.

Only two stickers from the Vlaamse Jongeren Mechelen have appeared on campus. They appeared on the same campus map, posted on the same day. An “Against the Modern World” sticker appeared alongside one of the VJM designs. This indicates that the same person who posted the “Against the Modern World” designs also likely posted the VJM stickers. As indicated earlier, it seems that the person who posted the “Against the Modern World” stickers is the same person who circulated the Tightrope stickers.

The VJM stickers also suggest that someone who is highly immersed in the white power and far-Right scenes is responsible for the GSU campaign. Simply put: someone who merely dabbled in far-Right involvement would be highly unlikely to receive stickers from an obscure European organization that ended a decade ago. Materials such as the VJM stickers are far more likely to be owned by somebody who is an active networker in the white power world.

So… Who Spread the Far-Right Stickers?

There is very strong reason to believe that Patrick Sharp, who attempted to form a White Students Union at GSU two years ago, is responsible for this year’s far-Right sticker campaign on campus.

On October 1st as well as on October 8th, Patrick Sharp was observed less than a block away from where fresh stickers had appeared, just minutes before or after the new stickers went up.
The “White Lives Matters” stickers were advertised as available only through Tightrope (see advertising post on Stormfront above.) In a photo published below dating from 2014, Patrick Sharp is shown as wearing a black tanktop with a “black sun”/Schwarze Sonne design. This esoteric design is favored by many fascist and far-Right activists (the symbol was incorporated into a floor mosaic at the Nazi SS Generals’ Hall in Wewelsburg castle). Black sun merchandise such as the tanktop is available from a variety of online retailers, but Tightrope is the cheapest and most prominent source for such an item in the US. It is likely that Sharp has a purchasing history with Tightrope, which is also the source for the stickers.

Black sun tanktop sold on Tightrope website

Patrick Sharp also flaunts his racist and far-Right views on campus. Below are images of Sharp on campus November 5th which further confirm that Sharp’s public messaging is an excellent match for the stickers posted around GSU. The buttons displayed by Sharp on his backpack show his involvement in the far-Right subculture. As well as the confederate flag and the “black sun” design (discussed earlier) the crossed out “equals” sign signifies a refusal of egalitarianism. Rock Against Communism is a music scene which was born in the English far-Right of the 1970s and ‘80s but has now gone international. The musicians in the “RAC” scene do not simply oppose communism but typically endorse extreme racism and fascist politics. The message of Sharp’s RAC pin also complements that of the “Good Night Left Side” stickers around campus. Finally, the Death’s Head/totenkopf was a symbol worn by the Nazi SS and clearly designates extreme-Right politics.
The five buttons discussed here are also sold by Tightrope. (Some but not all of them are also currently sold by Micetrap, another white supremacist music and paraphernalia retailer.)
The politics represented in the stickers around GSU campus match Sharp’s racism and hatred of leftism as expressed online.
The basic contours of Sharp’s politics have been public knowledge for a couple of years, ever since Sharp tried to start the White Student Union and his online history was unearthed. The key articles on this topic published in 2013 are Atlanta blogger biscuette’s exposé of Sharp’s ideological racism, plus The Lamp’s discussion of Sharp’s Stormfront posting history–in which Sharp denounced his own father as a “race traitor.” Despite Sharp’s claims to the contrary, his politics appear to have changed little since he made these posts.
The 2013 exposés of Sharp focused on Sharp’s racism, but Sharp’s apocalyptic brand of anti-leftism went mostly undiscussed. Consider this gem by Sharp (under his “frozenpie77” moniker) on the racist “red pill” website Heartiste, in which Sharp praised the neo-fascist Golden Dawn in Greece:
The above comment would be laughable except that Sharp takes it seriously–he fantasizes about violence against leftists.
Sharp’s former affiliation with the Traditionalist Youth Network (TYN)–revealed in 2013–is also important to bear in mind in the current context of the stickers on campus, since one of the designs littered around campus was also popular with the TYN. While Sharp formally cut ties between the GSU White Student Union and the TYN in 2013, this does not mean that Sharp actually moved far away from TYN politics. Below is a group photograph from the 2015 American Renaissance conference–which Sharp has attended for the past three years–showing Patrick Sharp on the left and TYN’s Tony Hovater on the far right. It is clear that Sharp continues to move in at least broadly the same racist circles.

Finally, the timing of when stickers appear on campus should be considered. Not only have most stickers appeared on campus at times Sharp is known to be around (and has been spotted) such as Thursday afternoons, but the stickering campaign tapered off as Sharp was getting ready to travel to Washington DC for the white nationalist National Policy Institute conference at the end of October.

sharp at NPI smaller — Patrick Sharp at the National Policy Institute conference October 31, 2015. Sharp is in the blue shirt, between the person taking a photo and NPI president Richard Spencer, who is gesturing.

To summarize: twice Sharp has been seen in the immediate vicinity of where stickers appeared, just before or after these fresh stickers were sighted. Some of the stickers posted around GSU campus were sold by Tightrope, which also sells a clothing item worn by Sharp. Sharp displays buttons on his backpack that point to the same far-Right politics as promoted by the sticker campaign. (The buttons are also sold by Tightrope.) Sharp’s online history again shows the same white nationalist and violently anti-leftist political agenda. Finally, the sticker campaign at GSU died down as Sharp was getting ready to travel to Washington DC for a major white nationalist event. As an increasingly well-connected white nationalist, Sharp has the means and the motivation to put up the stickers. He is deeply enough immersed in the white power scene to receive materials such as the VJM stickers. Sharp has been spotted when stickers go up. Sharp now has some explaining to do–but don’t expect the truth. This is the person who wears Nazi insignia around campus yet claimed “My most important goal with the [white student union] is to guard it from […] neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and anyone with nefarious intent.” Integrity, it seems, is not a white power strongpoint.

NOTES

[1] Goodrick-Clarke, Nicholas. Black Sun: Aryan Cults, Esoteric Nazism, and the Politics of Identity. (New York/London: New York University Press, 2002). 52.

[2] Sedgwick, Mark. Against the Modern World : Traditionalism and the Secret Intellectual History of the Twentieth Century. (Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press, 2004). 107.