COLUMBUS, OHIO
Anti-racists confront Klan
By
Martha Grevatt
Just three weeks after hundreds came out to protest the Ku
Klux Klan in Cleveland, close to 600 people came out to protest
them again in Ohio's state capital on Sept. 11. From that
crowd, some 200 protestors took the streets and marched through
downtown Columbus.
The vast majority were youth from all over the state. The
demonstration was organized by Anti-Racist Action, which has
numerous chapters in colleges and high schools.
For months, the Knights of the White Kamelia had been
bragging that they would march through the city armed. ARA had
planned to block the march. Just days before the planned march,
Columbus City Hall refused to grant the Klan a parade permit,
citing conflicts with other parades that day.
This would have been the first time the Klan marched in a
major Ohio city, but they have rallied in Columbus several
times. They have held over 20 rallies in Ohio this year. In
each Ohio city the authorities erected a fence to control the
anti-racist protestors.
By the time the Klan members emerged from inside the
Columbus City Hall, hundreds of angry anti-Klan activists were
shouting and chanting inside the pen, while others kept
protesting outside.
While each anti-Klan protestor had to pass through a metal
detector, the scenario appeared more relaxed than other recent
anti-Klan demonstrations. No one was searched, and purses,
cameras and other previously forbidden items were allowed
in.
The atmosphere became tense, however, when cops sprayed
everyone with pepper gas. The cops claimed they did this
because anti-racists were too close to the fence. This happened
twice, and both times demonstrators chanted, "Cops and Klan go
hand in hand."
The chanting was non-stop for hours, despite blazing heat
and throats burning from the pepper gas. Anti-racists plan to
confront the Klan again when the racists return to Steubenville
for the second time this year.
In fact, they plan to confront the Klan wherever it shows
its ugly face.
This article is copyright under a Creative Commons License.
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww@workers.org
Subscribe wwnews-subscribe@workersworld.net
Support independent news http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php)
HOME :: U.S. NEWS :: WORLD NEWS :: EDITORIALS :: SUBSCRIBE :: DONATE
Email
this article
Printable
page