Posted on 10/15/2005 3:25:34 PM PDT by Brilliant
TOLEDO, Ohio - A crowd that gathered to protest a neo-Nazi march Saturday turned violent, throwing baseball-sized rocks at police, vandalizing vehicles and stores, and setting fire to a neighborhood bar, authorities said.
Mayor Jack Ford blamed the rioting on gang members taking advantage of a volatile situation. He said he was declaring a state of emergency and setting an 8 p.m. curfew. He also ask the Highway Patrol for help.
"It's exactly what they wanted," Ford said of the group that planned the march, which was called off because of the rioting.
At least two dozen members of the National Socialist Movement, which calls itself "America's Nazi Party," had gathered at a city park just before noon and were to march under police protection. Organizers said they were demonstrating against black gangs they said were harassing white residents.
Violence broke out about one-quarter of a mile away along the planned march route.
About 150 police officers in helicopters and on horses and foot chased bands of youths throughout the afternoon. Officers wearing gas masks fired tear gas canisters and flash-bang devices designed to stun suspects, only to see the groups reappear nearby and resume throwing rocks and bottles. A group pounded on a convenience store and overturned vehicles. A fire was set in a nearby bar. At least six people were arrested.
Police Chief Mike Navarre said officers had a report of a man shot in the area, but they had not found a victim. No other injuries had been reported, Navarre said.
The mayor had appealed to residents the night before to ignore the march.
He said the city indicated it wouldn't give the Nazis a permit to march in the streets but couldn't stop them from marching on the sidewalks like other citizens.
When the rioting broke out, Ford tried negotiate with those involved, saying he would meet with them to discuss any grievances, but he said "they weren't interested in that."
He said they were mostly "gang members who had real or imagined grievances and took it as an opportunity to speak in their own way."
"I am disappointed that some folks who clearly are not strong citizens to begin with took this opportunity to make this statement," Ford said. "I was chagrined that there were obvious mothers and children in the crowd with them. Several intimated that they had guns."
Thomas Frisch, 76, said a large group of men destroyed the exterior of a gas station next to his home of 30 years.
"A whole big gang started to come in here. Next thing you know, they're jumping on the car. Then they overturned it. Then they started on the building, breaking windows, ripping the bars off," he said.
Keith White, a black resident, criticized city officials for initially allowing the march.
"They let them come here and expect this not to happen?" said White, 29.
"Keith White, a black resident, criticized city officials for initially allowing the march..."
He needs to register his complaint with the ACLU and the federal courts. They are the ones who say that Nazis have a Constitutional right to conduct these marches.
"They are the ones who say that Nazis have a Constitutional right to conduct these marches."
Actually, I think it's the 1st Amendment, not the ACLU. I don't like it either but it's legal.
The Nazis were only an excuse for the looting and violence, period. Most of the gang members probably don't even know what a Nazi is/was. No one likes what the Nazis say, but like Louis Farakkhan, they have a right to free speech even if they are idiots.
Y'all can speak so forthrightly against the National Socialist German Workers' party but get all mealy mouthed about the American socialist party and their democrat useful fools. Hate socialists of any stripe!
Everyone knows that this can happen in almost any inner-city Black neighborhood in America.
All that is needed is an excuse to gather.
Black leaders here complain that businesses will not build in Black neighborhoods, not even grocery stores. I wonder why?
WTOL-Toledo reports: "The Nazi marchers got in their cars and left, while the counter-protesters took over several city streets, growing more and more irate. Mayor Jack Ford says he went into the crowd with several city leaders to try to diffuse the situation. In a late-afternoon news conference, Ford said he was confronted in that crowd by gang members who had what he called 'long-standing grievances.'"
Long after the "at least two dozen" nazis left town, video shows a store being vandalized, an apartment being broken into, a parked NBC newsvan being vandalized, and (dead-serious) a paramedic vehicle being barraged by bricks and rocks thrown by rioters. Can't think of a better way to respond to bunch of idiots who (ironically enough) were marching against........BLACK CRIME!
I hate Nazis. Scum of the Earth is what they are. If they marched in my neighborhood I'd throw whatever I could at 'em myself.
Likely. That's the saddest part of this story. Since their rep is already rock bottom, and it can't possibly get any worse, this is just good publicity for them. Get a few new moron recruits to shave their heads, wear swastikas and yell 'heil' while engaging in a small basement Nazi party circle-jerk.
A, O, OH, WAY TO GO OHIO! (left wing organizations takes pride in Toldeo riot)
Vigilantism is no answer. I have no use for Louis Farrakhan's racist hate filled rantings either. He incites some followers to violence.
Weren't the DC sniper duo followers?
Radio news has Toledo under curfew now.
A sad glimpse of life in America, New Orleans style.
It looks to me that the black gangs made the point for the Nazi's. Next time they might want to formally invite the gangs along to demonstrate the kinds of behavior the Nazi's claim is the trademark of the black community.
Keith White, a black resident, criticized city officials for initially allowing the march.
"They let them come here and expect this not to happen?" said White, 29
YEA how dare they allow free speech and expect people to be able to voice disdain without ripping off somebodys tv
"Sounds like gangs are a bigger problem"
ya think? Maybe
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