For those not in the know, the NSM is planning a rally in Lansing, Michigan for April 22nd. This has led to some local grassroots organizing to counter the fascists. LCAN (Lansing Coalition Against Nazis) is taking the lead in this and has come to be butting heads with the city government who are urging people to stay away fromt he NSM’s rally and instead attend a city sponsored “Diversity” rally. LCAN has taken the position that the fascists have to be oppossed in a visible way, arguing for a same time, same place approach.
The following is from Antifa Portal and are some comments made on the radio “debate” between the National Socialist Movement’s spokesman, Bill White, and an antifascist from LCAN.
The debate was hosted by the editor of the City Pulse. The event had White and the antifa calling over phones – the antifa refused to be int he studio with White. The alternative weekly newspaper wanted to provide an opportunity to have the NSM and it’s opponnents speak and “present” their sides – believing that in a democracy all sides should be allowed to get representation (I think a flawed, but understandable position. And given that the mainstream and corporate media of Lansing has had a virtual media blackout of the event, I think in the end it’s not a bad position for the City Pulse to take). Although antifascists generally refuse to participate in “debates” with fascists that gives them air time – the no platform idea – if the nazi’s are gonna get a say anyway, it may be wise for antifas to make the most of the opportunity.
from Antifa Portal:
“A couple of things. Bill really played up the ‘law abiding”’bit and said the NSM was not about violence. He down-played any anti-system politics, actually, anti-system politics were totally lacking from his rant. Funny, because I think a lot of Nazis despise the current system and want to see it overthrown (isn’t this Bill White’s websites’ name, Overthrow.com?!?) and believe that only through an insurrection can this be achieved. By rejecting this, Bill paints himself as an opportunist and, really, pretty politically dishonest. It’s one thing to try to be subtle and say radical things in a popular way that doesn’t sound all crazy, but it’s something really different to just avoid all together the presentation of your politics, which is what Bill did. Or maybe the NSM isn’t really for anything anti-system or radical“ (read more)