(excerpt from article posted on Asheville
IndyMedia)
Saturday May 26th the VNN Vanguard Nazi/KKK group attempted to host
a hate rally to try to take advantage of the brutal murder
of a white couple for media and recruitment purposes.
Unfortunately for them the 100th ARA (Anti Racist Action) clown block
came and handed them their asses by making them appear like the asses
they were.
Alex Linder the founder of VNN and the lead organizer of the rally
kicked off events by rushing the clowns in a fit of rage, and
was promptly arrested by 4 Knoxville police officers who dropped
him to the ground
when he resisted and dragged him off past the red shiny shoes
of the clowns.
“
White Power!” the Nazi’s shouted, “White Flour?” the
clowns yelled back running in circles throwing flour in the air and
raising separate letters which spelt “White Flour”.
“White Power!” the Nazi’s angrily shouted once more, “White
flowers?” the clowns cheers and threw white flowers in the air
and danced about merrily.
“White Power!” the Nazi’s tried once again in a doomed
and somewhat funny attempt to clarify their message, “ohhhhhh!” the
clowns yelled “Tight Shower!” and held a solar shower in
the air and all tried to crowd under to get clean as per the Klan’s
directions.
At this point several of the Nazi’s and Klan members began clutching
their hearts as if they were about to have a heart attack. Their beady
eyes bulged, and the veins in their tiny narrow foreheads beat in rage.
One last time they screamed “White Power!”
The clown women thought they finally understood what the Klan was trying
to say. “Ohhhhh…” the women clowns said. “Now
we understand…”, “WIFE POWER!” they lifted the
letters up in the air, grabbed the nearest male clowns and lifted them
in their arms and ran about merrily chanting “WIFE POWER! WIFE
POWER! WIFE POWER!”
It was at this point that several observers reported seeing several
Klan members heads exploding in rage and they stopped trying to explain
to the clowns what they wanted.
Apparently the clowns fundamentally misunderstood the nature of the
rally, they believed it was a clown rally and came in force to support
their pointy hated brethren. To their dismay, despite their best jokes
and stunts and pratfalls the Nazis and Klan refused to laugh, and indeed
became enraged at the clowns misunderstanding and constant attempts
to interpret the clowns instruction.
The clowns on the other hand had a great time and thought the Nazis
were the funniest thing they had ever seen and the loud laughter of
over 100 counter protesters greeted every attempt of the Nazis and Klan
to get their message out, whatever that was.
Many of the local Knoxvillians that came to counter demonstrate had
no illusions about why these out of state bad clowns with swastikas
were doing in their town.
“KKK YOU CAN’T HIDE, WE CHARGE YOU WITH GENOCIDE!”
“GAY, STRAIGHT, BLACK, WHITE ONE STRUGGLE ONE FIGHT!”
“U.G.L.Y. KLAN YOU AIN’T GOT NO ALIBI, YOU UGLY, YOU UGLY”
Were just a few of the chants that the non clown counter protesters
rained down upon the Nazis. The clowns interacted with the non clown
protesters with glee and even participated in a chant or two, though
apparently with no idea that the Nazis were indeed not clowns thinking
it was just part of the show.
In the end the 20 or so sad VNNers left with their tails between their
legs. At this point over 150 counter demonstraters were present. The
clowns seeing how dejected and sad the Nazi’s looked began singing
to cheer them up.
“hey hey hey hey, ho ho ho ho—good bye, good bye” everyone
sang waving their arms in the air in unison.
After the VNNers left in their shiny SUVs to go back to Alabama and
all the other states that they were from the clowns and counter demonstrators
began to march out of the area chanting ‘WHOSE STREETS? OUR STREETS!”
But the cops stopped the clowns and counter protestors. “Hey,
do you want an escort” an African-American police officer on a
motorcycle asked. “Yes” a clown replied. “We are walking
to Market Square in the center of town to celebrate.”
The police officers got in front of the now anti racist parade and
blocked the entire road for the march through the heart of Knoxville.
An event called imagination station was taking place and over 15,000
thousand students and their parents were in town that weekend. Many
of them cheered as the clowns, Knoxvillians and counter protestors marched
through the heart of Knoxville singing and laughing at the end of the
Nazi’s first attempt at having a rally in Knoxville.
Thanks to Three Rivers Earth First!, Mountain Justice, Katuah
Earth First!, Knoxville Anti Racist Action, Katuah Anti Racist Action
and the clown block for utterly wrecking the failed attempt of the Nazis
to get a foothold in Knoxville. In one day Three Rivers Earth First!ers
posted over 1000 anti racist fliers all over Knoxville recruiting people
to come, this is just one example of all the work and effort that went
in to creatively and nonviolently rejecting the VNNers out of Knoxville.