Dickson, TN – On April 26 Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) rallied outside of the Montgomery Bell Park Inn to confront a group of Nazis and white supremacists called American Renaissance or “AmRen.” Protesters held a banner, “Shut down AmRen,” and signs reading, “Hey Nazis, remember Stalingrad,” “Say no 2 racism,” and “All you fascists bound to lose.”

The protesters chanted, “Hey hey, ho ho, AmRen has got to go!” and “Shut down AmRen! Shut down AmRen!” Across from the protest, a handful of Klansmen and Nazis dressed in suits huddled feebly around the entrance to the hotel. The suit and tie fascists took pictures of the anti-Nazi rally as speakers denounced fascism and white supremacy. The rally included speakers from the Dream Defenders, One People’s Project and local community leaders.

State and local police protected the AmRen white supremacists and hassled protesters. After following one carload of community organizers into Montgomery Bell Park, manager Pat Wright, himself a police officer, attempted to stop the anti-Nazi protesters from holding their rally outside the hotel. Protesters showed a permit signed by Pat Wright himself, agreeing to allow protesters to rally outside of the hotel. Officer Wright seemed unwilling to keep his word or follow his own rules. After reading the permit word for word and showing Officer Wright his own signature on the permit, Officer Wright demanded that protesters step back.

The protesters gathered to discuss how to respond to Officer Wright’s threats. They decided they were not afraid of Officer Pat Wright or the white supremacists and would rally as planned. Once Officer Wright saw protesters moving to begin the rally he asked to see the permit again and backed down.

Speakers at the rally pointed to the importance of organizing against the entire system of inequality that fosters the growth of hate groups such as AmRen. Fernando Figueroa said, “People traveled from different parts of the South to say no to Nazis, no to racism. Only a united front against the 1% can defeat bigotry and win a better future for our children.”

SDSer Ian Chambers challenged those who attempt to downplay the threat that hate groups such as American Renaissance pose to the community, “The Southern Poverty Law Center says that American Renaissance has not committed acts of violence. But, we know that their presence here is an act of violence. We know that their speech is an act of violence. They are organizing themselves towards an agenda of genocide and violent attacks on LGBTQ people and Black and Brown people and anyone who dares to fight back against fascism. We march forward to boldly confront white supremacy today in the footsteps of revolutionaries such as Huey Newton, Sylvia Rivera and John Brown and we will continue to march forward until victory.”

Protesters vowed to continue to organize the fight against white supremacy and for a better world. Michael Sampson of the Dream Defenders said, “I came here to stand with my brothers and sisters against racism, fascism and national oppression, but as well to let it be known that people all over the South are rising up to defeat the elite that oppress us daily.” SDSers say they plan to keep the heat on Governor Haslam and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (which runs Montgomery Bell Park) to demand they cease promoting hate groups such as American Renaissance.

#DicksonTN #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #AntiRacism #KuKluxKlan #AmericanRennaissance #antifascism #MontgomeryBellPark #OfficerPatWright

Dickson, TN – Community members, activists and students, including Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), converged on Montgomery Bell Park in Dickson County, Tennessee on the weekend of April 5-7 to demand the park not host the American Renaissance (AmRen) white supremacist conference. On April 5 and 6, they rallied outside the Montgomery Bell Park Inn and Conference Center, where the racists’ conference was being hosted. Protesters demanded “Shut down AmRen!” and held a conference of their own on Saturday to discuss ways to fight back against racism, white supremacy and to build the power of the people.

Protesters had agreed that they would confront the white supremacists regardless of Park Manager Pat Wright and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation's (TDEC) efforts to suppress free speech by denying all permit requests related to protesting AmRen's presence in the park. However, after intense public pressure and thousands of phone calls to the state, park officials and TDEC caved to some of the protesters' demands on April 5. Just a few hours before protesters planned to rally outside the inn and conference center, the state finally issued a demonstration permit after repeated permit denials.

The AmRen conference drew neo-nazis, the Ku Klux Klan, holocaust deniers, anti-immigration thugs and other racists, where they networked with each other and discussed building their organizational efforts. Protesters confronted the racists on April 5 as they gathered to register for their conference, chanting, “1,2,3,4 don’t go in that hotel door! 5,6,7,8 we don’t want no fascist state!” and “AmRen, AmRen racist fools, we don't like your attitude!” and holding signs saying, “Remember Stalingrad?”, “Go back to Europe!”, and “Inbreeding = bad genetics.”

An SDSer at the rally said, “Just last weekend we confronted the Klan in Memphis and now we are here fighting back against these terrorists again in this secluded park. The state of Tennessee has repeatedly shown itself to not only be useless in helping us stop fascists and racist terrorists from organizing, but to also do everything it can to facilitate their organizational efforts. But we are strong and unafraid and we get stronger with every confrontation. We are going to win. There is nowhere they can hide that we won't find them.”

On April 6, over 50 people gathered in a pavilion in the park to hold a counter-conference, where speakers discussed the history of white supremacy, slavery and genocide in the U.S. and strategies for fighting back against racism. There were also several speakers and workshops concerning LGBTQ liberation and women's liberation that focused on highlighting the ways these struggles are intertwined with other liberation struggles. Speakers stressed the importance of not only combating white supremacy ideologically but also the importance of confronting them in the streets. A speaker from United Mountain Defense said, “If fear of violence keeps you from confronting evil, evil will always win. It is only through confrontation that the truth comes out. There can be no excuse for inaction.”

After the counter-conference was over, people took the streets and marched on the conference center where the white supremacists had gathered. Marchers held signs and red flags and chanted, “Shut down AmRen! Shut down AmRen!” Once protesters were outside the conference center, a few AmRen attendees came out briefly to make their fascist sympathies clear with gestures such as the ‘seig heil’ nazi salute. Protesters began singing Woody Guthrie’s “All You Fascists Bound to Lose” and chanting “Smash the nazis! Stop the hate!” In short order, the neo-nazis and other white supremacists scurried to hide inside the conference center protected by police and park rangers. For several hours, until the sun set, protesters continued chanting, singing and demanding AmRen attendees to come out and show themselves.

#DicksonTN #AntiRacism #KuKluxKlan #fascism #AmericanRenaissanceAmRen

Dickson, TN – The state of Tennessee has denied several permit applications for demonstrations and protests against a white supremacist organization that plans to hold a major conference at a park in Dickson County, Tennessee on the weekend of April 5-7. Regardless of the state's efforts to suppress free speech and promote white supremacists, community organizers and students, including Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), will converge on Montgomery Bell Park on the weekend of April 5-7 to demand that the park not host the racist conference.

This is the second year in a row that this white supremacist group has been hosted by the Montgomery Bell Park. This year's speakers and former speakers at the American Renaissance (AmRen) white supremacist conference include the Ku Klux Klan, holocaust deniers, neo-nazis, anti-immigration activists and other racists and fascists. This conference comes just a week after the Ku Klux Klan held a rally on the courthouse steps in Memphis that was met with a large anti-Klan protest that was suppressed by police.

Organizers submitted several requests for permits to hold public demonstrations against white supremacy at Montgomery Bell. However, these requests were repeatedly denied by Montgomery Bell Park Manager Pat Wright and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, which has jurisdiction over all Tennessee state parks.

SDS member Julia Casteel stated, “It is clear that the state stands solidly on the side of white supremacy. They granted a permit for a known white supremacist terrorist organization, AmRen, to hold their conference and they have repeatedly denied all of our permit requests to protest racist attacks on our park. We will converge on Montgomery Bell Park on April 5 and 6 to defend our park against these attacks regardless of the state’s efforts to suppress free speech.”

Protesters will rally at 4 p.m. on Friday April 5 and again on 5 p.m. Saturday April 6 outside the Montgomery Bell Park Inn and Conference Center to demand, “Shut down AmRen!” On April 4 they will be delivering a petition with hundreds of signatures to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation demanding that the park not host the conference. For more information about the anti-AmRen actions go to: www.facebook.com/events/543463712354434/

#DicksonTN #AntiRacism #Racism #Amnren #AmericanRennaissance