Newnan, Georgia Authorities Cite Far-Right Militia Sympathizer as Basis for April 21st Planning

Update 5/1/2018: According to new information released in response to a public records request, it appears that the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office also relied on the militia sympathizer’s scare story when planning for April 21. See Unicorn Riot’s story here.

According to the City of Newnan, police relied on a fantasy written by an “anti-antifa” sympathizer of the far-Right militia movement when deciding on a mammoth police presence against anti-Nazi protesters on April 21.

Last week, The Times-Herald – Newnan, Georgia’s main paper – published the story “Police clarify arrests, heavy presence during rally.” The Times-Herald article attempts to push back against media coverage of the militarized police in Newnan on April 21st, who charged an anti-racist crowd and pointed guns at protesters. Law enforcement now tries to build a narrative around “agitators” within the anti-racist crowd. The Times-Herald published Newnan Police Department and Coweta County Sheriff’s Office claims without any counterpoint from anti-racists or non-police observers.

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Militarized police arresting anti-racist, April 21, 2018. (Still from Copwatch video.)

Continue reading “Newnan, Georgia Authorities Cite Far-Right Militia Sympathizer as Basis for April 21st Planning”

April 21: Nazi Rally in Newnan, Georgia Resisted by Anti-Racists, Assisted by Militarized Police

Introduction

On April 21, 2018, the National Socialist Movement (NSM) held a small rally at the Greenville Street Park in Newnan, Georgia, 45 minutes southwest of Atlanta. The NSM’s application to use the Park — accepted by the City of Newnan for $50 — stated that the Nazi organization would bring fifty to a hundred participants for its white power rally. This was expected to be one of the largest displays of open white supremacists since the bloody “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia last year. In the end, the NSM attracted approximately half its minimum projected attendance and was protested by several hundred. To create conditions for the NSM event to take place, the entire City of Newnan was militarized, with approximately 700 police from various agencies swamping the City, mobilizing a large number of military surplus vehicles, then brutalizing and arresting anti-racist protesters. We are proud of the anti-racist protesters in Newnan on Saturday. Both “antifa” and other anti-racists continued to protest even as police pointed guns at them for no apparent reason, and repeatedly charged into the #NoNaziNewnan anti-racist assembly to violently arrest demonstrators. Further, the large organized presence from the Black community in Coweta County — visible directly across the street from the Nazi rally — was inspiring. The NSM event flopped. Anti-racists and anti-fascists have much to be pleased with from the 21st, despite the fresh instances of repression which we must now address. State displays of force such as we witnessed in Newnan seem increasingly likely as anti-fascists move forward in the South. The same is probably true throughout the US. In our conclusion, we will briefly discuss ramifications of this changed strategic situation.NoNaziNewnan.jpg

Continue reading “April 21: Nazi Rally in Newnan, Georgia Resisted by Anti-Racists, Assisted by Militarized Police”

ALERT: Neo-Nazis at Quality Inn Hotel in Bremen, Georgia

We have verified that many neo-Nazis from the National Socialist Movement – visiting our state for their national meeting at the Georgia Peach Oyster Bar in Temple/Draketown plus a public rally in Newnan – are currently staying at the Quality Inn at 1077 Alabama Ave S in Bremen, Georgia. 
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Neo-Nazis at Quality Inn in Bremen
We have notified Quality Inn in Bremen about the bookings made by National Socialist Movement members for the weekend. Nazis have arrived and are arriving at the hotel.

The Nazis hosted by Quality Inn in Bremen pose a danger to hotel workers, as well as to people in the Bremen area. Additionally, Quality Inn is facilitating the Nazi show of force in Newnan, Georgia on Saturday by hosting rally participants. 

The National Socialist Movement is part of the broader “Nationalist Front” white supremacist coalition. Nationalist Front members were at the forefront of the racist violence at “Unite the Right” in Charlottesville, Virginia in August. In October, Nationalist Front members (this time with the “Traditionalist Worker Party”) assaulted an interracial couple at a pub in Tennessee after a dismal “White Lives Matter” rally in that state.

bremen 2
Presently, the National Socialist Movement is stating that its members will be “weaponized to the teeth” for their weekend of activity in Georgia. It is likely that many of the NSM’s weapons are being stored in Quality Inn Hotel rooms in Bremen or in vehicles parked outside

We are asking all concerned community members to directly contact the Quality Inn in Bremen and Choice Hotels, which operates the Quality Inn franchise. Ask them why they are endangering locals, other hotel guests, and Georgia residents by accepting multiple bookings from notorious neo-Nazis this weekend. Request that they eject the Nazis from their space.

If you need to preserve your privacy when reaching out, remember that you can call *67 before dialing to block your phone number.

Contact Information for Quality Inn location in Bremen, Georgia 
1077 Alabama Ave S, Bremen, GA, 30110
Main Phone: (770) 824-5105 
Fax: (770) 824-5730 
 
Be courteous to hotel workers. This is not their fault. They are some of the people most exposed to danger from Nazis staying at the location.
 
Contact information for Choice Hotels – Quality Inn is one of their franchises
Customer Relations Phone: 800-300-8800
Customer Relations hours: 8AM to 10PM EST today, 9:30 to 6PM over weekend (Eastern Standard time).
Corporate Offices Phone: (301) 592-5000

 

Final #NoNaziNewnan Update: See You on the 21st!

Note 4/20/18: Newnan authorities have now posted a ridiculous list of prohibited items for tomorrow’s protest, which you can see here. A reminder from us: people don’t need to comply with going into protest pens. See you tomorrow!

On Saturday, April 21st, the neo-Nazis of the National Socialist Movement and their white supremacist allies will rally in Newnan, Georgia, at Greenville Street Park. (Newnan is part of Metro Atlanta and is approximately 45 minutes southwest of the city of Atlanta.) Anti-racists from the South, from Metro Atlanta, and from Newnan itself will have a large counter-presence in Newnan that day, organized by the #NoNaziNewnan Coalition. Background on the neo-Nazi show of force in Newnan is here, our original call to action is here, and a #NoNaziNewnan press release is here. As the Newnan anti-racist mobilization approaches, here is what you need to know. We hope to see everyone on the streets this Saturday!

 
newnan final poster with cross street new time
Assembly Point and Time
We have moved our starting time slightly forward to 1:30PM on Saturday. Please do your best to arrive on time. We are assembling at the corner of Jackson & Clark St. in Newnan. (Be aware that the Newnan Police Department is not far away.)
 
jackson clark.jpg
 
Parking
We expect there will be enough unrestricted parking on nearby streets. If you are arriving from outside Newnan, please add a few minutes for finding a spot and parking when calculating travel time. 
 
Bail Fund
A bail fund has been established, in case of arrests and repression against anti-racist protesters. Donate here: https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/support-anti-nazi-protesters-in-newnan-ga
 
Continue to Spread the Word! 
Please continue to notify your contacts and spread the word until Saturday! Our latest flyers are here and our latest poster is here.
#NoNaziNewnan Facebook event is here: https://www.facebook.com/events/210807106182953/
Updates on Day
The Twitter account for Atlanta Antifasciststwitter.com/afainatl – will have updates throughout the day on Saturday. Also continue to check the #nonazinewnan hashtag.
 
Some Dos and Don’ts for April 21st

DO:

  • Bring your friends! We recommend showing up and leaving in a group.
  • Arrive well-rested.
  • Bring snacks and water. The Nazis are not expected to leave until 5PM.
  • Bring a sharpie. A jail support number will be provided. Write the number on your body. Share so others can do the same.
  • Stand in solidarity with other protesters, especially those most likely to be targeted or harassed.

DON’T:

  • Arrive late.
  • Assume that others will supply food or water. Do plan for yourself and your friends.
  • Endanger yourself or others on social media. Do be careful about what you post online. Do consider how it could be used by white supremacists or other hostile forces.
Full list of #NoNaziNewnan endorsers:
  • A World Without Police
  • Atlanta Antifascists
  • Atlanta Black Cross
  • Atlanta General Defense Committee
  • Atlanta Industrial Workers of the World
  • Atlanta Resistance Medics
  • Metro Atlanta Democratic Socialists of America
  • Northeast Georgia Democratic Socialists of America
  • One People’s Project
  • Raleigh-Durham Industrial Workers of the World (NC)
  • Refuse Fascism Atlanta
  • Savannah Antifa
  • Savannah Comrades
  • Socialist Party of Eastern Alabama
  • Southern Anti-Racism Network
  • Street Groomers
  • TransIt (Atlanta)
  • Trigger Warning Atlanta
  • Western North Carolina Antifa
  • Workers’ Solidarity Alliance – Atlanta Local

 

Lies, Damned Lies, and Cameron Padgett: The Secret Life of the Atlanta-area Racist Who Books Richard Spencer’s Campus Visits

Update 5/1/2018: Padgett’s lawsuit against Penn State has been thrown out. Padgett has also dropped his lawsuit against University of Cincinnati.

Summary: Cameron Padgett, who books speaking events for white nationalist leader Richard Spencer on US campuses, has cultivated a media persona as a clean-cut, law-abiding student who cares deeply about free speech and advocacy for white people. In reality, the campus events organized by Padgett for Spencer show military-style coordination with white nationalist groups and predictably lead to racist violence. Contrary to his friendly media face, Padgett is an active participant in the white supremacist movement. Padgett took part in a racist torchlit rally in Charlottesville, Virginia during October – eight weeks after the “Unite the Right” rampage there – and soon after livestreamed himself harassing a working class Latinx community in Atlanta. Padgett frequently rails against the “degeneracy” of the modern age, while being careful to conceal his own history of forgery and drug charges in Chatham County, Georgia. When Padgett received a ticket while driving to the October white power rally in Charlottesville, Padgett gave the address of Safety Net Recovery, a sober living program. Drug use and addiction do not deserve contempt. We condemn Padgett’s racism, his scapegoat politics, and his hypocrisy. Continue reading “Lies, Damned Lies, and Cameron Padgett: The Secret Life of the Atlanta-area Racist Who Books Richard Spencer’s Campus Visits”

Oppose the Nazi Rally in Newnan, GA, April 21!

Note 4/17/2018: due to interest, start time for April 21 #NoNaziNewnan protest moved forward 1/2 hour. Post also updated with a meeting point for Newnan.

The National Socialist Movement, a neo-Nazi organization, is having its national meeting in Georgia on April 20-21. While most of the meeting will be in Temple, Georgia (almost certainly at Patrick Lanzo’s Georgia Peach Oyster Bar), the Nazis are also having a public rally in Newnan, Georgia on the afternoon of Saturday, April 21. (Newnan is part of the Metro Atlanta area and is approximately 45 minutes southwest from Atlanta.) The Nazis are expecting 50-100 people to attend their rally at the Greenville Street Park in Newnan.

newnan final poster with cross street new timeNeo-Nazis often believe that smaller cities (such as Newnan) will be more receptive to their racist message, and that they can come in and recruit. Let’s show the Nazis that they’re wrong and that they are not welcome!

Gather in Newnan, 1:30PM, April 21st at the corner of Jackson & Clark St. Follow Atlanta Antifascists’ social media and the #nonazinewnan hashtag for updates.

Please spread the word! Print and distribute posters (download here) and half-sheet flyers (download here)!

Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/210807106182953/

Bail fund in case of repression: https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/support-anti-nazi-protesters-in-newnan-ga

If your organization wishes to endorse this mobilization, get in contact and we will add you to the list of endorsers.

Protest endorsers:

  • A World Without Police
  • Atlanta Antifascists
  • Atlanta Black Cross
  • Atlanta General Defense Committee
  • Atlanta Industrial Workers of the World
  • Atlanta Resistance Medics
  • Metro Atlanta Democratic Socialists of America
  • Northeast Georgia Democratic Socialists of America
  • One People’s Project
  • Raleigh-Durham Industrial Workers of the World (NC)
  • Refuse Fascism Atlanta
  • Savannah Antifa
  • Savannah Comrades
  • Socialist Party of Eastern Alabama
  • Southern Anti-Racism Network
  • Street Groomers
  • TransIt (Atlanta)
  • Trigger Warning Atlanta
  • Western North Carolina Antifa
  • Workers’ Solidarity Alliance – Atlanta Local

Barnesville, Georgia: Frustrated Fascist Yearns for Violence

On his “Pax Americana” Youtube channel, white nationalist Charles Bradley Tinsley of Barnesville jokes about putting Jews in ovens, expounds his philosophy of “neo-fascism”, talks about his latest guns, and stews in hatred of leftists and people of color. Tinsley is an explicit white nationalist, working towards an all-white ethno-state. He claims that democracy has failed and that it is time for there to be “order and militarism” at the foundation of society. He often ends his rants with the Nazi salute of “Hail Victory,” on occasion adding “keep your guns loaded and your blades sharp.”

Charles Bradley Tinsley
Charles Bradley Tinsley
charles tinsley afn_p
Tinsley’s now-deleted @AFN_P Twitter account initially used his real name

According to his broadcasts, Charles Tinsley studies electrical engineering at a local college. (He once vowed to drop out, but this never happened.) In a Discord chat server linked to “The American Nationalist” Youtube channel (a rebranding of “Surfing the Kali Yuga”) and TheThirdPosition website, Tinsley claimed that he would place posters for white power/fascist organizations the Traditionalist Worker Party (TWP) and Patriot Front (PF) on a local college campus. Based on Tinsley’s location, we assume this to be Gordon State College, not far from Tinsley’s family home. Tinsley does not appear to be a formal member of the PF or the (now-unravelling) TWP, although Tinsley clearly admires the activity of both organizations. (PF and TWP do not have a history of mutual respect, an indication of Tinsley’s organizing acumen.)

Tinsley Discord posters
Charles Tinsley, using the alias “Not a FED” on Discord, comments about placing fascist propaganda on a local campus.

More disturbing are Tinsley’s recurring bloody fantasies. Frustrated at Twitter and Facebook policies that led to bans on the platforms, Tinsley / “Not a FED” stated on the same Discord server that “somebody needs to take out the f *** k[**]es running these God damn places and Fire Bomb the s[hit] out of the f** Twitter and Facebook offices you start shooting motherfuckers [sic].”

Tinsley Discord violence
Tinsley / “Not a FED” argues for violence on Discord 

Tinsley is not any more restrained on Youtube, where he operates the “Pax Americana” channel. Speaking about “narrative-spinning” journalists who do not report on things Tinsley believes should be reported, Tinsley states “they should be hung in my opinion” (2/18/2018 broadcast).

Following the February mass shooting at a Parkland, Florida high school, Tinsley lost his cool in a broadcast and stated that “I don’t give a fuck about this teenager […] They need to shut the fuck up” in reference to Stoneman Douglas High School students speaking out after the massacre (who Tinsley believed were not giving others enough time to grieve by saying something.) Tinsley referred to survivors as “little teenagers that are indoctrinated by the system” and stated that there is no solution other than “let them get shot at” because “if you try to take preemptive measures they’ll call you a racist, they’ll call you some type of phobic, and they’ll bitch and cry.”

Tinsley believes that the alleged “destruction of the family unit” by the Left is the true cause of school shootings. We believe Tinsley’s words indicate an extremely volatile personality:

“You commie fucks are too weak to have a functioning society because someone’s feels [feelings] might get hurt […] Everybody in this fuckin’ country will have to die before I give up my guns peacefully.”

A Youtube video by Tinsley posted mid-March displays an image for the Atomwaffen Division, a neo-Nazi organization that has been linked to five murders in less than a year. Tinsley circulating Atomwaffen propaganda further suggests violent inclinations on his part, or at least a willingness to celebrate murder.

Pax Americana atomwaffen
Tinsley / “Pax Americana” circulates Atomwaffen Division propaganda online.

From what we have seen, Tinsley does not seem to be a particularly dynamic organizer for his cause. However, since Tinsley claims to be spreading propaganda for white power groups in his area and regularly issues disturbing fantasies about violence, we believe that those who live near him or attend college with him should know what is going on. Feel free to contact us if you have more information on Charley Bradley Tinsley and his activity around Barnesville.

Georgia Neo-Nazi Organizer is Senior at Whitewater High School (Fayetteville, GA)

Anti-racists have discovered that Donovan Stai – currently a senior at Whitewater High School in Fayetteville, Georgia – worked throughout 2017 as state leader for Vanguard America, a self-proclaimed “fascist” organization whose website rants about “bloodthirsty negroes” and “Jewish puppet masters.” As a state leader for Vanguard America, Stai propagandized via the “Vanguard Georgia” Twitter account, he assisted with the group’s internal organization, and he participated in campaigns of coordinated harassment. Stai has signaled support for violence and even murder on behalf of his neo-Nazi cause. Given the number of murders committed by neo-Nazis and white supremacists over the last year, we believe that Stai’s embrace of racist violence should concern the community.

donovan stai
Donovan Stai

Vanguard America

Donovan Stai’s organization, Vanguard America, is notorious as the organization that James Alex Fields, Jr. stood with at the bloody “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 12, 2017. The afternoon of “Unite the Right,” Fields drove his car into a crowd of anti-racist counter-protesters, murdering Heather Heyer and injuring dozens of others. Vanguard America denies that Fields was a member of their organization, even though Fields stood in formation with Vanguard America members at Charlottesville that day and held a shield featuring a Vanguard America logo. Donovan Stai did not attend the Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally, although at least one Vanguard America member from Georgia was there. Typing from afar, Stai celebrated the white power violence in Charlottesville, encouraging attendees to “Beat their [anti-racists] shit in” and later posting an image glorifying James Field, Jr.’s murderous attack.

Vanguard America is a white nationalist and self-declared “fascist” organization formed in 2015. The organization promotes a “blood and soil” nationalism similar to the German Nazi worldview. Over the last year, Vanguard America has been increasingly explicit in its neo-Nazism, for example posting Hitler quotes and pictures of its members with Nazi flags to social media. In the aftermath of “Unite the Right,” another organization, Patriot Front, splintered from Vanguard America and pursued more “patriotic” branding.

Vanguard America operates as part of the “Nationalist Frontwhite power alliance, including other racist groups such as the National Socialist Movement, the Traditionalist Worker Party, and the League of the South.

Donovan Stai’s Neo-Nazi Profiles

Donovan Stai used several different accounts for white power organizing. The first account is Stai’s personal Twitter account @hldisL which was created in March 2015. This account lasted until mid-December 2017, when Twitter removed many Vanguard America accounts. @hldisL used various names on this account, such as “Goebbels Jr” (a reference to the Nazi Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels), “See Kyle” (which sounds like “Sieg Heil” when said aloud), “Sceneablist”, and earlier in the account’s life “Donovan Hawks” and “Donovan Stai”. In the beginning @hldisL promoted anti-feminist and libertarian themes, but it became increasingly radical and racist as time passed. A backup account, @JosephRedRay / “Col. Raymond” was established in January 2017 – by that time the content was explicitly racist, antisemitic, and Alt-Right (that backup account was also suspended in 2017.)

hldisL Jun 15 2015 Donovan Stai
@hldisL account in  June 2015, using the name “Donovan Stai”
hldisL with Vanguard America logo
@hldisL account in 2017 featuring Vanguard America logo superimposed on a Confederate battle flag

The Twitter account for Vanguard America in Georgia — @gavanguard / “Vanguard Georgia” – was established in March 2017. (An earlier Twitter account for Vanguard Georgia was established in January 2017 — giving its location as Columbus, Georgia — but that account did not last long.) It was clear from its early days that @hldisL was responsible for the Vanguard Georgia organizational account that began in March 2017. First, a masthead image of the Vanguard America logo superimposed on a Confederate battle flag was used by both @hldisL and @gavanguard at various times. Second, @hldisL / “Goebbels Jr.” was one of the first accounts followed by @gavanguard. Finally, in March 2017 @hldisL continually retweeted the @gavanguard account, trying to increase the following for the new Vanguard Georgia account.

vanguard georgia twitter screencap 2017
Vanguard Georgia profile operated by Donovan Stai

For a .pdf archive from Donovan Stai’s @hldisL, @JosephRedRay, and @GaVanguard accounts on Twitter, click here (or follow the link at the end of this article).

In November 2017, the Unicorn Riot journalism collective leaked logs from the “Southern Front” Discord server. Discord is a messaging system used by video gamers, which has also been adopted by more tech-savvy portions of the extreme-Right. The “Southern Front” server facilitated communication between Vanguard America members located in the US South. A user named “The Don GA” is identified in the leaked Vanguard America chats as a “SL,” which in context appears to stand for “state leader.” (In addition to being part of Vanguard America, “The Don GA” also showed up in leaked chats from the far-Right group Anti-Communist Action.) On six different occasions “The Don GA” posted URLs for posts by the @gavanguard Twitter account within the “Southern Front” Discord server. The leaked Southern Front chats cut off shortly after “Unite the Right,” at the time Patriot Front splintered off from Vanguard America.

While “The Don GA” Discord user was clearly connected to the @gavanguard Twitter account, the @gavanguard Twitter account was linked to the @hldisL personal one, and @hldisL initially used the real name “Donovan Stai,” some readers may still question that Donovan Stai was behind all these accounts. For these skeptical readers, we will point out that “The Don GA” posted an image of dogs to the “Southern Front” server, which includes a Stai family pet. “The Don GA” also commented about starting a Wisconsin chapter for Vanguard America, which corresponds with Donovan Stai having lived in Wisconsin earlier in life. (Both Donovan Stai and the @hldisL Twitter account are also Green Bay Packers fans.) Atlanta Antifascists possess a screenshot from the @hldisL Twitter account providing a birthday of February 3; this is also Donovan Stai’s birthday. A photo posted to the @hldisL account in August 2016 has its face almost entirely covered but is consistent with Stai’s appearance.

hldisL 7 Aug 2016
In August 2016, @hldisL posted this self-portrait to his account. While the face is obscured, it is consistent with Donovan Stai’s appearance.

Although both Stai’s personal @hldisL twitter as well the Vanguard Georgia account were removed by Twitter in December 2017, there is no sign that Stai has distanced himself from Vanguard America or the white power movement since that time. We now examine some of Donovan Stai’s activity more closely.

Glorifying Intimidation and Murder

Chatting with his Vanguard America peers in the “Southern Front” Discord server, Donovan Stai made a series of posts laughing about and endorsing racial intimidation and murder. In a May 17, 2017, post, “The Don GA” / Stai shared an image celebrating Dylan M. Mahone, who had been arrested the month prior for vandalizing a Jewish Community Center and nearby church in Fairfax County, Virginia with graffiti including a swastika. (Mahone also placed antisemitic flyers for the “Aryan Underground” at a Northern Virginia Community College campus in March 2017.) Following on from his image celebrating Dylan Mahone’s actions, Donovan Stai wrote: “As apart [sic] of our new vetting process [for Vanguard America] we shall make everyone burn down a synagogue.”

Earlier on May 17, Donovan Stai proposed an image of Dylann Roofthe white supremacist murderer behind the Charleston Emanuel AME Church massacre – as the insignia for the “South District” of Vanguard America.

While the arson proposal and the Dylann Roof insignia comment from Stai may not have been meant literally, they nevertheless communicated a clear message to his peers: attacks on synagogues and the murder of Black churchgoers are all funny, and these acts may be something to emulate. When diehard racists rile each other up with these sorts of comments, the result is that further acts of violence become more likely.

On the same server, Donovan Stai celebrated white supremacist violence at the “Unite the Right” rally. While Stai did not attend the rally, his comments on the Discord server that day are gleeful. In a post time-stamped the next day, Stai shared an image to the Discord server celebrating James Alex Fields, Jr.’s vehicular murder of Heather Heyer.

The Don GA james alex fields jr meme
Image posted by Donovan Stai / “The Don GA” celebrating white supremacist murder in Charlottesville, Virginia, August 2017

Active Harassment 

At times, Donovan Stai moved from celebrating racist intimidation and violence, to actively participating in harassment. For example, the Vanguard Georgia Twitter account circulated the personal information of (or “doxxed”) Georgetown University Professor Dr. C. Christine Fair on May 22, 2017. The post linking to Fair’s personal information was also retweeted by Stai’s @hldisL account. At the time, Christine Fair was being harassed by white nationalists due to her confronting racist “Alt-Right” leader Richard Spencer at her Alexandria, Virginia gym, which then ended Spencer’s membership .

Stai circulates Christine Fair dox
Online harassment by Donovan Stai against C. Christine Fair

A couple of months earlier, Donovan Stai targeted journalist Kurt Eichenwald, arguably attempting an assault against him. As a journalist, Kurt Eichenwald angered some Trump supporters with his critical reporting on Trump’s business interests. For bigots on the Alt-Right, Eichenwald’s Jewish heritage was a further reason to attack him. Eichenwald has written about his epilepsy diagnosis on several occasions. In December 2016, he was sent a strobe-light animated graphic on Twitter, containing the words “You deserve a seizure for your posts.” According to Eichenwald, the flashing image did indeed cause a seizure. In March 2017, a veteran who sent the image to Eichenwald was arrested (He currently faces assault charges and a hate crime enhancement). Since the initial attempted assault, dozens of other people sent flashing images to Eichenwald, presumably with the aim of inducing another seizure. Donovan Stai, using his @hldisL account, was one of them. Stai sent Eichenwald a strobe-light image on March 17, 2017. Stai then added “I hope he [Eichenwald] wore his helmet.” (While the archived version of the post from Stai / @hldisL does not flash, archived comments as well as discussion from the 4Chan message board, all make clear that the original file was a strobe-light animation.)

hldisL targets Eichenwald
Donovan Stai sends an animated strobe-light image to Kurt Eichenwald, March 2017. Stai’s follow-up comment shows that he clearly hoped to cause an epileptic seizure.

Due to his neo-Nazi ideology, his comments glorifying intimidation and even murder, and his history of harassment, we believe that community members should be warned about Donovan Stai. After graduation, Donovan Stai hopes to become an emergency medical technician or a firefighter. We believe that Stai should not be allowed to infiltrate these professions. People of Color or Jewish people should not be forced to trust their lives to a member of a neo-Nazi group.

Was Donovan Stai Influenced by White Power Teacher at Whitewater High School?

Finally, some readers may recognize Whitewater High School in Fayetteville – which Donovan Stai attends — as the school where Hitler-admiring racist Joshua David Hitson taught English until August 2017, when Hitson resigned after being exposed to the community as a white power agitator. (The ex-Principal for Whitewater High School, Roy Rabold, took an aggressive stance in defense of Joshua Hitson despite all the available evidence.)

Since Joshua Hitson’s time as a white nationalist teacher at Whitewater High School overlaps with Donovan Stai’s time there as a student, this suggests several interesting questions. Did Joshua David Hitson play a role in Donovan Stai’s radicalization, or politically mentor Stai in any way? Did Joshua Hitson and Donovan Stai organize together on white nationalist projects?

At present, we do not have enough information to draw definite conclusions. We do know that Joshua Hitson’s “Contrarian Gent” Twitter was one of the first accounts followed by Stai’s “Vanguard Georgia”. Donovan Stai also used his personal Twitter accounts (@hldisL and @JosephRedRay) to retweet “Contrarian Gent” / Hitson. These close online associations suggest that Hitson and Stai may have coordinated politically offline also. If you have more information about Donovan Stai’s racist organizing, including any further links to Joshua David Hitson, we would like to hear from you.

Early accounts followed by GaVanguard twitter
Joshua David Hitson’s @ContrarianGent Twitter account was one of the very first followed by Vanguard Georgia / @gavanguard

Twitter ArchiveStai Twitter Archive coverClick here for an archive of materials from the @gavanguard, @hldisL and @JosephRedRay Twitter accounts.

 

Change Your Life for the Better in 2018: Abandon the White Nationalist Movement

Unlike most of our posts, this one is addressed to our readers within fascist and white nationalist movements. We know you check this blog from time to time.

The New Year is traditionally a time for new beginnings, when we resolve to make positive changes in our lives. The white nationalist movement is a threat to marginalized communities and working class movements, but ultimately it also harms its own participants. Some people are doubtlessly looking back at their involvement in organized white nationalism in 2017 — comparing that movement’s false promises with its actual results — and are now considering getting out. Have your career goals, interpersonal relationships and general well-being really improved since you became involved in the movement? If they haven’t, keep in mind that “the red pill” isn’t the magical, irreversible transformation that your leaders pretend. “Red pill magic” is just their convenient concept to keep the donations flowing. People can and do leave your movements all the time, and many have already left this year. You may have already noticed the decrease in online engagement.

We cannot promise that leaving your movement will be easy, but it will always be the best decision in the long term. Our organization does not have the capacity to mentor and counsel those leaving the white nationalist movement, but fortunately organizations such as Exit USA exist. Reach out to them.

We promise to leave former white nationalists alone, once it is clear that they have sincerely left the movement. There is a time-honored way of establishing with our group that you have abandoned organized racism: simply send us an email, provide an account of your time in the movement (what you did, with what people, when), and be willing to answer some follow-up questions. We want to facilitate your exit. If there are other parties you have injured while in the movement, we cannot accept ammends on their behalf. But we will make sure that our group places no hurdles in your way as you make a positive change in your life.

For a better 2018, reach out for support as you leave the movement. If you are in our region, send us a message with the good news.

 

Atlanta, November 4: Far-Right Counters “Antifa” Uprising of its Own Imagination

On November 4, the Leftist anti-Trump organization Refuse Fascism held protests in several major US cities, including Atlanta. Refuse Fascism is a national mobilization spearheaded by the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP), a Maoist group that dates to the 1970s. Through building on widespread disgust towards the Trump regime, Refuse Fascism has engaged some numbers beyond the RCP’s cadre of organizers. Peaceful mass rallies on November 4 were supposed to usher in a wave of protest to “drive out the Trump/Pence regime,” although the details of getting from A to B were hazy.
 
In the end, the November 4 call to action captured the imagination of the far-Right just as much — if not more — than it did working class people fed up with Trump’s rule (or even other Leftist organizers.) On widely-circulated social media posts, YouTube videos and stories on Right-wing websites, the November 4th protests were portrayed as an “antifa” plot to usher in civil war, with likely mass violence that day. As nonsensical as November 4 conspiracy theories were, many on the far-Right paid attention and believed them. Just as the “Pizzagate” conspiracy theory led to a true believer firing shots in a restaurant, some observers began to worry that “antifa” “civil war” hype could lead to real violence from people determined to play hero against an imaginary threat.
 
While “Refuse Fascism” and “antifascists” include variants on the same term, “antifa” groups such as our organization were generally not involved in November 4 planning or promotion — a point that seems to have been missed by portions of media, even though a quick glance at our social media could have cleared up any confusion. 
 
In Atlanta on the evening of the 4th, Refuse Fascism rallied in Little Five Points, attracting several dozen to their protest. Large amounts of police staged nearby. A group of counter-protesters waved an American flag catty-corner from the Refuse Fascism event. Other Right-wing individuals moved within in or infiltrated the Refuse Fascism crowd. Heavy rains brought the entire spectacle to an early end. There were no clashes. 
 
The remainder of this article sets out which far-Right forces did and did not show up for the anticlimactic “civil war” in Atlanta. 
 

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Far-Right counter-protesters plus cops aplenty, catty-corner from Little Five Points “Refuse Fascism” protest

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