athensga &mdash; Fight Back! News https://fightbacknews.org/tag:athensga News and Views from the People's Struggle Thu, 30 Apr 2026 05:13:13 +0000 https://i.snap.as/RZCOEKyz.png athensga &mdash; Fight Back! News https://fightbacknews.org/tag:athensga Students protest as University of Georgia reinstates neo-Nazi faculty member https://fightbacknews.org/students-protest-as-university-of-georgia-reinstates-neo-nazi-faculty-member?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Athens, GA - Students at the University of Georgia are protesting the school’s continued employment of a neo-Nazi. On January 15 and February 3, students and community activists rallied on campus to oppose the re-instatement of UGA employee George Haynie III following a brief period of administrative leave. Haynie, a staff member in the College of Engineering, was outed as a member of the Aryan Freedom Network (AFN), a Texas-based neo-Nazi organization. !--more-- On October 26, 2024, Haynie and his wife hosted AFN’s annual gathering - known as “Aryan Fest” - at their home in Lexington, Georgia. This gathering, which featured a swastika-burning and a fundraiser selling Third Reich-themed merchandise, was exposed by Atlanta Antifa. Antifa further revealed that Haynie and his wife, Shannon, operate a state-sanctioned “emergency pregnancy center” through which they shelter desperate, pregnant (white) women and subject them to neo-Nazi indoctrination. The university placed Haynie on administrative leave before returning him to work on December 18, 2024. According to an email sent to engineering students, Haynie “acknowledged that the event had taken place on property that he and his wife co-owned but denied any direct involvement.” UGA decided that Haynie’s conduct did not violate its non-discrimination and anti-harassment policy because it was hosted off campus and constituted protected political speech. On February 3, students organized under the name Athens Against Hate to stage a student walkout and rally on campus. They demanded that UGA fire Haynie, that UGA President Jere Morehead and his administration participate in a public forum to address community concerns over employing a neo-Nazi organizer, and that UGA increase funding for programs benefiting students from oppressed communities. UGA’s failure to act, or even to address, the student body beyond the engineering school about this issue is a stark contrast to its crackdown on pro-Palestinian students. The university is currently facing a federal civil rights complaint filed by the Georgia chapters of Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and Students for Justice in Palestine for “extreme differential treatment of Palestinian, Arab and Muslim students, students perceived to be Palestinian, and students associated with or advocating for Palestinians.” The complaint highlights that in 2024 students demonstrating against genocide were suspended without proper notice, locked out of on campus housing, fired from campus employment, and barred from graduation. #AthensGA #GA #StudentMovement #NeoNazis #Antifa div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Athens, GA – Students at the University of Georgia are protesting the school’s continued employment of a neo-Nazi. On January 15 and February 3, students and community activists rallied on campus to oppose the re-instatement of UGA employee George Haynie III following a brief period of administrative leave. Haynie, a staff member in the College of Engineering, was outed as a member of the Aryan Freedom Network (AFN), a Texas-based neo-Nazi organization.

On October 26, 2024, Haynie and his wife hosted AFN’s annual gathering – known as “Aryan Fest” – at their home in Lexington, Georgia. This gathering, which featured a swastika-burning and a fundraiser selling Third Reich-themed merchandise, was exposed by Atlanta Antifa. Antifa further revealed that Haynie and his wife, Shannon, operate a state-sanctioned “emergency pregnancy center” through which they shelter desperate, pregnant (white) women and subject them to neo-Nazi indoctrination.

The university placed Haynie on administrative leave before returning him to work on December 18, 2024. According to an email sent to engineering students, Haynie “acknowledged that the event had taken place on property that he and his wife co-owned but denied any direct involvement.” UGA decided that Haynie’s conduct did not violate its non-discrimination and anti-harassment policy because it was hosted off campus and constituted protected political speech.

On February 3, students organized under the name Athens Against Hate to stage a student walkout and rally on campus. They demanded that UGA fire Haynie, that UGA President Jere Morehead and his administration participate in a public forum to address community concerns over employing a neo-Nazi organizer, and that UGA increase funding for programs benefiting students from oppressed communities.

UGA’s failure to act, or even to address, the student body beyond the engineering school about this issue is a stark contrast to its crackdown on pro-Palestinian students. The university is currently facing a federal civil rights complaint filed by the Georgia chapters of Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and Students for Justice in Palestine for “extreme differential treatment of Palestinian, Arab and Muslim students, students perceived to be Palestinian, and students associated with or advocating for Palestinians.”

The complaint highlights that in 2024 students demonstrating against genocide were suspended without proper notice, locked out of on campus housing, fired from campus employment, and barred from graduation.

#AthensGA #GA #StudentMovement #NeoNazis #Antifa

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/students-protest-as-university-of-georgia-reinstates-neo-nazi-faculty-member Wed, 05 Feb 2025 20:35:45 +0000 SDS Southern Tour builds student movement, march on RNC https://fightbacknews.org/sds-southern-tour-builds-student-movement-march-rnc?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Athens, GA - The Eastern contingent of Students for a Democratic Society’s Southern Tour visited the University of Georgia-Athens on August 21. The tour is part of an effort to build student activism in the South and to mobilize for the march on the Republican National Convention, August 27. Students were extremely receptive and we are glad to report that the University of Georgia-Athens has now started a chapter of SDS. !--more-- Michael Sampson, a Florida State University student, felt that it was “an astonishing experience to meet so many young new activists ready to flourish at University of Georgia-Athens. At this rate of growth, the student movement in the U.S. is heading for an upsurge.” The student activists relayed experiences with the Western portion of the Southern Tour. A carload of activists from Utah, New Orleans, Milwaukee, and other cities are participating in the tour. Both portions of the tour were excited to communicate similar experiences to each other so far. The Eastern contingent continues on to Atlanta tomorrow to visit with organizers at Georgia State University. The group has plans to give an interview with the college radio station, Album 88. Updates can be expected continuously throughout the tour. #AthensGA #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #RNC2012 #RepublicanNationalConvention2012 #StudentsForADemocraticSocietySouthernTour div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Athens, GA – The Eastern contingent of Students for a Democratic Society’s Southern Tour visited the University of Georgia-Athens on August 21. The tour is part of an effort to build student activism in the South and to mobilize for the march on the Republican National Convention, August 27. Students were extremely receptive and we are glad to report that the University of Georgia-Athens has now started a chapter of SDS.

Michael Sampson, a Florida State University student, felt that it was “an astonishing experience to meet so many young new activists ready to flourish at University of Georgia-Athens. At this rate of growth, the student movement in the U.S. is heading for an upsurge.”

The student activists relayed experiences with the Western portion of the Southern Tour. A carload of activists from Utah, New Orleans, Milwaukee, and other cities are participating in the tour. Both portions of the tour were excited to communicate similar experiences to each other so far.

The Eastern contingent continues on to Atlanta tomorrow to visit with organizers at Georgia State University. The group has plans to give an interview with the college radio station, Album 88. Updates can be expected continuously throughout the tour.

#AthensGA #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #RNC2012 #RepublicanNationalConvention2012 #StudentsForADemocraticSocietySouthernTour

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/sds-southern-tour-builds-student-movement-march-rnc Wed, 22 Aug 2012 15:37:52 +0000 SDS kicks off eastern half of its Southern Tour https://fightbacknews.org/sds-kicks-eastern-half-its-southern-tour?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Athens, GA - Student organizers from Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), in anticipation of one of the largest demonstrations Florida will see in years, are eager to share their plans with students and activists who will be traveling to Tampa next week for the march on the RNC. The group of organizers was in high spirits, listening to political hip hop and swapping stories about activist experiences as they pulled in to Athens Georgia on August 20. !--more-- "I'm excited to speak to students I don't even know who are working for the same ideals as myself. Its a great feeling of solidarity," said Cecelia O'Brien, a Florida State University student. Students hope to build lasting infrastructure, helping new chapters and affiliates to develop across the South, leading up to the SDS National Convention in October. "It's going to be a big semester for activism in Florida and around the country," said Tallahassee student organizer Andrew Arachikavitz, with a grin on his face. Organizers will table in the student union, hold a public rally and SDS meet-up and meet with student organizers on the campus throughout the next day. #AthensGA #StudentMovement #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #SDS #RNC2012 #2012RepublicanNationalConvention #RepublicanNationalConvention2012 div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Athens, GA – Student organizers from Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), in anticipation of one of the largest demonstrations Florida will see in years, are eager to share their plans with students and activists who will be traveling to Tampa next week for the march on the RNC. The group of organizers was in high spirits, listening to political hip hop and swapping stories about activist experiences as they pulled in to Athens Georgia on August 20.

“I'm excited to speak to students I don't even know who are working for the same ideals as myself. Its a great feeling of solidarity,” said Cecelia O'Brien, a Florida State University student.

Students hope to build lasting infrastructure, helping new chapters and affiliates to develop across the South, leading up to the SDS National Convention in October. “It's going to be a big semester for activism in Florida and around the country,” said Tallahassee student organizer Andrew Arachikavitz, with a grin on his face.

Organizers will table in the student union, hold a public rally and SDS meet-up and meet with student organizers on the campus throughout the next day.

#AthensGA #StudentMovement #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #SDS #RNC2012 #2012RepublicanNationalConvention #RepublicanNationalConvention2012

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/sds-kicks-eastern-half-its-southern-tour Tue, 21 Aug 2012 15:47:36 +0000