Armed neo-Nazi march against Jewish people in Montana postponed due to incomplete permit application
They fell short of the permitting fee by $60
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An armed, anti-Jewish march in a small town in Montana, planned by a neo-Nazi group, has been postponed because the white supremacists failed to submit the proper permitting materials and were $60 short of the required fee.
The demonstration, announced by Daily Stormer website founder Andrew Anglin, was set to take place on 16 January in Whitefish, coinciding with the Martin Luther King Jr Day holiday.
He had called the march the “James Earl Ray Extravaganza”, referring to the man who assassinated the civil rights leader in 1968.
Anglin is among the many prominent white supremacists who have been galvanised by the election victory of Donald Trump. He publicly rejoiced the surprising election win in November, proclaiming their “glorious leader has ascended to God Emperor”.
The demonstration was originally organised to support Sherry Spencer, the mother of well-known white supremacist Richard Spencer. Many credit Spencer for coining the term “alt-right”, shorthand for the white supremacist underbelly of the Internet that has emerged in mainstream politics since Mr Trump’s election.
Ms Spencer alleged in a blog post that the local Jewish community staged a protest outside her business to denounce her son’s views. In turn, Anglin launched a “mega troll storm” against the Whitefish Jewish community.
According to the Flathead Beacon, the city of Whitefish received only the cover letter of the permit application and a money order for $65, quite short of the $125 required fee. Anglin also failed to include a certificate of insurance, map of the planned route, and a series of other requirements necessary for city officials to review.
Anglin previously said he expected some 200 people to participate in the racist demonstration carrying “high-powered rifles”.
“Currently, my guys say we are going to be able to put together about 200 people to participate in the march, which will be against Jews, Jewish businesses, and everyone who supports either,” he wrote earlier this month.
Officials in a nearby city, Great Falls, passed a resolution denouncing Anglin, white supremacy, and the hateful message neo-Nazis attempted to spread with their demonstration.
“Recent events in our sister city of Whitefish, Montana, remind us that the plagues of anti-Semitism, ethnic and racial hate, and intolerance remain a stain on an otherwise decent society,” the resolution said.
“We join our Montana Congressional Delegation, elected state leaders, the Whitefish City Council, our Jewish neighbours, representatives of the broader faith community, and all citizens, in denouncing hate, bigotry, and intolerance,” it continued, “which today masquerade under euphemisms such as ‘white nationalism’ and the ‘alt-right’...”
“To those who would promote these false ideas long since rejected by civilised peoples,” it finished, “we say ‘le’olam lo’ – ‘Never again!’"
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