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Global Day of Action Against Elbit Systems: A Report Back on Houston Actionists Blockade of BNY Mellon

This article details an action from early December. It was strategically withheld for publish until December 21st, the Global Day of Action Against Elbit. As it’s published, Houstonians return to the very same BNY Mellon office to maintain pressure and disrupt their business as usual.


Shortly after sunrise on Thursday, December 7th, protestors descended upon the BNY Mellon office in Houston to protest BNY’s active investment in the ongoing genocide of Palestinians. More than a dozen actionists linked arms and stood with banners to block off the three primary entrances to the San Felipe Place building: the employee garage, the front pedestrian entrance, and a coffee shop entrance. The actionists, along with dozens of protesters picketing on the sidewalk, successfully blocked off these entrances for over an hour.

This action joins a national effort to #ShutElbitDown. Following two actions in Atlanta and New York, and coinciding with actions taken by comrades in Tarrant County, San Francisco, and Illinois.

BNY Mellon, a bank and investment firm that brags of handling “over $45.7 trillion in assets,” is a major funder of Israelis primary weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems and is the sole manager of the Friends of the “IDF” fund. Elbit manufactures cluster munitions, internationally-banned white phosphorus, and weaponized drones that the IDF have used to martyr over 20,000 Palestinians since October 7. BNY now owns nearly 68,000 shares of Elbit Systems Ltd. valued at $13 million [Fintel BNY Mellon]. Business as usual for BNY Mellon means death and destruction for Palestinians! As organizers wrote, “BNY Mellon’s continued investment represents the company’s brutal disregard for Palestinian life, as it profits off of the deaths of thousands of innocent people.”

Friends of the “IDF” (FIDF) is a welfare organization for “IDF” fascists, which provides them with direct monetary aid and supplies, on top of the $10 million a day the US government supplies to fund Israel’s ethnic cleansing. The FIDF allows the American bourgeoisie to make direct, tax-exempt donations for Zionist war criminals to mass murder Palestinians. In one month alone, FIDF sent $60 million to the Israeli occupying forces.

An employee at San Felipe Place unwittingly assists in blocking the driveway.

The arrival of protestors took employees, security, and the Houston Police pigs by complete surprise. BNY Mellon shares the office space on San Felipe with other companies, largely other investment firms as well as Houston’s infamous Kinder Foundation. Actionists blocking the main garage prevented employees from parking to get to work – at one point leading to a line of disrupted cars around the block. The majority of employees simply drove away upon arriving. Agitated employees added to the chaos, leaving their cars abandoned in the street to yell at or confront protesters and cry to police. One man attempted to rip away a “BNY FUNDS GENOCIDE” banner from actionists blocking the parking garage entrance. Protestors responded quickly, standing between him and the blockaders to prevent further threat.

A greasy pedestrian fails in attempting to rip away the “BNY FUNDS GENOCIDE” banner.

Other employees at the coffee shop and front door entrances tried to physically push past blockaders. Several employees used a police escort to enter the building and were met with a chorus of “SHAME” and “QUIT YOUR JOB.”
The most violent retaliation happened when a employee drove his Dodge Ram 1500 extremely close to actionists blocking the garage in an attempt to intimidate the protesters and threaten violence. Brave comrades blocking the garage did not move a muscle. Protestors rushed over to strengthen the blockade. The genocidaire then left his vehicle, also contributing to the pile up of cars outside of the building, to argue with police officers on scene. He pointed his finger in a pigs face demanding they arrest everybody, crying, “they’re lying! This is bullshit!” His homicidal actions and maniacal responses show exactly why blocking Zionism is necessary: those enabling and materially benefiting from the Israeli occupation will continue business as usual committing a genocide until they are physically prevented from doing so.

A genocidaire, also unwittingly blocking the parking garage, throws a temper tantrum at police officers.

During the course of the blockade, one building employee locked the door to the coffee shop entrance, shutting down that entrance completely. The building also shut the gate to the garage, effectively shutting down the employee garage and signaling the action’s success. Meanwhile supporters offsite bombarded the offices of BNY Mellon and the office building’s landlord over the phone, demanding that BNY end its investment in Elbit Systems and terminate its role as the manager of the FIDF Donor Advised Fund.

Inspired by the Stop Cop City movement in Atlanta, actionists enact their own People’s Stop Work Order.

Protesters, actionists, and their supporters continued to stall the threat of arrest and prevent employees from entering as this chaos unfolded. This autonomous group gathered without police identifying any specific organization, coordinator, or blocker. During this time the cops continued to pile up, shut down the block, and surround the area with caution tape. Following more than an hour of blocking, police pulled out zipties and gave a final warning of arrests. Shortly after, blockers in unison seamlessly blended into the crowd of protesters leaving the police confused as to who had been trespassing on private property and who had just attended as a protester.

Picketers circle the front of the building, making their demands heard loud and clear.

They then exited the site as quickly as they appeared. According to inside sources, the building sent out a message to employees encouraging them to stay home and avoid the office. Notably, not a single actionist was arrested, nor did anyone speak to police officers on site. They showed incredible unity by working in lockstep, trusting and supporting each other, regardless of their roles in the action. Their voices were many but they spoke as one: FREE PALESTINE.

“We can no longer wait for our political leaders to grow a conscience as we watch entire families trapped under rubble and hospitals bombed live on television,” organizers wrote in their press release. “The urgency of this moment calls for Texans to take direct action now against genocide profiteers operating in our backyards. We do not believe war profiteers should be able to operate in our community in peace. It is up to the people, not the politicians, to directly impede the processes that facilitate war and devastation.”

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Zionist Billboard Torn Down by Palestine Supporters in Houston

The following report, alongside the footage seen above, was sent to us anonymously:

“On Thanksgiving Thursday, 11/23/23, a day which commemorates genocide against indigenous Americans and European colonization, a prominent Zionist billboard was torn down in Southwest Houston. The billboard, which read “Pray for Isreal,” was shamelessly displayed during the month of October, while Isreal slaughtered innocent Palestinians by the thousands. The advertisement was removed by force, in solidarity with the struggle to free Palestine from decades of Isreali occupation and genocide.

While the waves of protests and actions opposing Israel’s ongoing attacks against Gaza are powerful and important, there is also room for a greater diversity of tactics in opposition to the state of Israel and their propaganda campaigns.

Printing and renting a billboard costs thousands of dollars, which has now been lost by the zionists who funded the advertisement. Most importantly, the ad itself is no longer visible to thousands of people who were forced to see it driving down interstate 59 South.

The ad has not been replaced, and these types of actions raise the risks for Zionist groups looking to propagandize in Houston.

Removing a billboard can be achieved with limited resources and helps damage the machinery of settler colonialism. It contributes direct material results to a larger movement of those who refuse to allow further violence against those displaced and harmed by Zionists and their supporters.

From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

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Houston Stop Cop City Reference

Summary

“The Atlanta Police Department seeks to turn 300 acres of forest into a tactical training compound featuring a mock city. This project was announced to the shock of community members who had been given no opportunity to weigh in on the proposal. The entire process has been shadier than the forest itself.”

https://blockcopcity.org/

https://defendtheatlantaforest.org/

This is a reference page for Houston area events and resources relating to the fight against the construction of the “Cop City” mega police training center in Atlanta, Georgia. We will include information from past events as well as timelines for future actions as they come up.

Upcoming

October Stop Cop City Speaking Tour – Houston

Friday, October 20th, 2023 at 7pm

The Montrose Center – 401 Branard St, Houston, TX 77006 – ROOM 107

Part of the worldwide speaking tour against Cop City – featuring a speaker from the Weelaunee Defense Society.

Past Events

September Stop Cop City Teach-In and Fundraiser

Saturday, September 22nd, 2023

The Montrose Center – 401 Branard St, Houston, TX 77006

$500 Was raised for the Atlanta Solidarity Fund

Presentation Available Here

 

October Stop Cop City Speaking Tour – Galveston

Saturday, October 14th, 2023 at 8pm

Brews Brothers – 2404 The Strand, Galveston, TX 77550

“With musical guests: The Silhouette of the Nude (JPN), The COPS, Salvinorin.a”

 

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Statement on Houston Emanu El Synagogue Vandalism

We live in a period of time where the hallmark of our existence is our profound alienation from each other. In this isolated environment, we are divided and pitted against each other, based on irrational fears and biases. This phenomenon is not new nor is it spontaneous. The rise of hate in this country can be seen rising and falling in cyclical patterns going back centuries. Unfortunately, a terrible and bizarre act of antisemitism has occurred in our city, not once but twice, by the same person this month. This individual brought terror into Emanu El Synagogue, desecrating their place of worship and harassing children.

It is a sad state of affairs that such an act is both shocking and unsurprising. This incident comes on the heels of a series of tragedies from LA, to our City, to Baton Rouge, to Atlanta, and to Memphis. Emanu El Synagogue is a vital institution in this city; it provides community and meaning to all who walk through its doors, and its impacts can be felt rippling throughout the city. This act of hate must be met with fierce resistance, in our actions, our words, and our very spirit. If you are reading this report, and feel the same moral conviction that we feel in our hearts to protect our community, heed our words: the violence is here, it has always been here, and you must not despair. Lift up your spirits, your voices, and your community, and prepare yourselves.

This rise of hate-fueled violence will pass; the fascists have already lost. Every day we breathe, every day we find joy, is a day worth celebrating. There is joy to be found in our community and that joy is worth sharing; that joy is worth preserving.

Emanu El Synagogue

This brings us to January 14th, 2023, when Ezra Law broke into Emanu El Synagogue through a window and damaged property inside, including desecrating a Torah scroll with red wine and “extensively vandalizing” the synagogue. Emanu El’s rabbi was preparing for a Bar Mitzvah, a ceremony to welcome Jewish boys into adulthood. Law was arrested, granted bond, and released the very next morning. She spent the following week posting threats, directly targeting Emanu El, its staff, and others on her Instagram account. She even listed a year of death, 2023, for one Emanu El staff member, who is very much still alive. This should absolutely be seen as a threat. Law returned to Emanu El on January 21st, 2023. She then began harassing children attending a preschool lesson, who were quickly removed to safety. Law was arrested once again and charged with felony criminal mischief of a church and misdemeanor criminal mischief.

Ezra Law at her court hearing.

Ezra Law is a Messianic Jew and alleged member of “Jews For Jesus”, a right-wing Evangelical Christian organization whose main focus is to proselytize and coerce Jewish people into Evangelical Christianity. We know she is a Messianic Jew because she has told us so in her own words in her Instagram posts; this claim is also supported by her threats to Emanu El members, claiming she’ll “strip them of their US citizenry and Jewry for having falsely represented to be a Hebrew.” This distinction is important; simply put, Law follows a heretical, right-wing sect of Christianity that targets Jewish people. And with those who espouse right-wing beliefs, it’s only a matter of time before these individuals escalate to violence and hate crimes. Threats against the Jewish community need to be taken with the utmost seriousness and urgency as antisemitism is on the rise across the country.

We share our deepest sympathies with Emanu El at this time. May we turn this instance of targeted hate into a renewal of community, support, and solidarity. It is our duty that Emanu El, and all places of refuge for the oppressed who are affected by the rise of fascism, continue forward without fear of violence but with an outpouring of love, hope, and faith from the community.

It’s vitally important that people keep their eyes open for hate and understand the historical precedent of targeting oppressed communities. Nazi Germany wasn’t built overnight, it came after decades of unaffected citizens choosing to ignore the voices of Jewish people warning them of the fascist escalation. We thank the community members who chose to speak up prior to Law’s first break-in at Emanu El. We have hope that more will join the fight against fascism and will speak up in instances of antisemitism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, and hate. This fight involves us all, we cannot afford to allow fascists a single inch, or a single threat.

All Power to the People

 

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Houston and Katy Defend Church Drag Bingo Against Fascists

a crowd of anti-fascists protesting in the grass

​From queers and their accomplices in the Screwston Anti-Fascist Committee and the Space City Anarchist Organization

Summary

On September 24th, Saturday afternoon, the First Christian Church of Katy held a Drag Bingo fundraiser to buy supplies for transitioning youth. The event was heavily protested by a wide range of right-wing and white supremacist groups and was successfully defended by Anti-Fascists from the Houston and Katy area. Both sides were heavily attended, and small scuffles broke out throughout the event, primarily between Proud Boys and Anti-Fascists. No serious injuries were sustained by Anti-Fascist protesters and the Drag Bingo Fundraiser went on successfully without disruption.

The First Christian Church of Katy lacks access to resources that other gender-affirming institutions have that are closer to the inner Houston area. Isolated in gentrified suburbia, this island of trans-inclusivity created a fundraiser for their transparent closet, which provides clothing, makeup, accessories, and other gender-affirming items for trans, queer, and gender non-conforming youths.

Although we were able to successfully prevent fascist violence against the event, and the drag bingo happened without major complications, Saturday could potentially be a sign of what’s to come. Community defense and organizing are more important than ever to keep each other safe.

Detailed Overview

Starting around 3pm, Anti-Fascists and right-wingers began staging on both sides of the street in front of the First Christian Church of Katy. Anti-Fascists occupied the grass directly in front of the church and right-wingers staged across the street. The Anti-Fascist side was confined to a small strip of land in front of the church, with cops forcing us away from stepping anywhere on the property. The first notable event was when a group of evangelicals came over to attempt to drown out the Anti-Fascists with loud music, chanting, and speaking in tongues. They eventually were forced to move back by the police once the Proud Boys showed up. More people on both sides gradually started trickling in, and by around 5 PM when the drag bingo event began inside, there were nearly a hundred fascists and somewhat fewer people defending the church against the bigots of various stripes. The bigots’ crowd consisted of explicit fascists like the Proud Boys, Patriot Front, and the Aryan Freedom Network standing and protesting alongside Evangelicals, Trump Supporters, out-of-towners from Protect Texas Kids, the Fort Bend County Young Republicans, and traditional Catholics that had all converged from across Texas – and across the US in some cases – to harass a church fundraiser. Our side was organized by a coalition of Anti-Fascists in radical anarchist and socialist groups such as The Screwston Anti-Fascist Committee, The Space City Anarchist Organization, and The Houston United Front Against Fascism. Smaller groups and individuals such as queer Houstonians and Katyites, parents of queer people, veterans, and others also came in solidarity with queer youth and made up the bulk of the crowd.

There were various loudspeakers and sound systems on both sides, with the fascists screaming profanities and condemning us, and our side chanting and playing music. Our side held signs showing messages of support for the oppressed and resistance against those who want to see us dead, while the fascists displayed explicitly genocidal signs preaching hate and conspiracy nonsense. We received an outpouring of support from cars passing by –drivers regularly honked at us and shouted messages of support. The people of Katy showed they support tolerance and acceptance over hate and bigotry. Although the day started out hot and humid, by the time most of the protestors had left between 7 and 8, it had significantly cooled down. Fortunately, our side stayed cool with plenty of water, umbrellas, and some shade.

Fascists tried crossing the street on multiple occasions to start fights, almost exclusively associated with the Proud Boys. The more explicit fascists like the Aryan Freedom Network and Patriot Front avoided confrontation, opting instead to hide by the MAGA crowd where they could for once hold their signs in public without being run off by Anti-Fascists. Despite our smaller numbers, we were able to force the Proud Boys back every time they attempted to come over, and none were able to get past us towards the Church. At one point a group of about 6 Proud Boys came over and a minor scuffle ensued. They quickly dispersed after one was struck with a pole and pepper spray was deployed, nobody on our side was injured.

The police presence was sparse and when interventions were made it was in defense of rightwing instigators. They made no effort to stop proud boys and fascists from coming over to our side unless they were being confronted, and they were clearly unprepared for the scale of the event. On multiple occasions, after we pushed back proud boys, they’d go whine to the cops. If we weren’t there, it’s unlikely the cops would’ve done much to stop fascists from approaching the property and harassing congregants and attendees. Police yelled at leftist protesters throughout the event for crossing invisible lines in the grass where the public property supposedly ended. After the event, police followed a group of Anti-Fascists and ambushed them while they were traveling across a field to leave, claiming they were trespassing and threatening them with arrest. No such effort was made by police to follow or harass the multiple groups of fascists who also likely crossed over private property lines while marching out.

Ultimately, the drag bingo event took place safely inside the church and was a great success, raising thousands of dollars to support queer youth. Aside from right-wing Journalist Tyler Hansen sneaking inside, the attendees didn’t face any harassment or harm, and the church was successful in meeting its fundraising goal. We want to extend a huge thank you to First Christian Church Katy for choosing to continue the event despite consistent harassment and threats of violence. Now more than ever, queer people need allies who won’t back down and show true solidarity, like FCC Katy has and continues to show.

Rightwing Presence

There were a number of different organized hate groups at this event, ranging from homophobic religious groups to explicitly Neo-Nazi groups as well. While they did fight amongst themselves on occasion throughout the event, generally speaking, they all protested on the same side of the event together and held space together. Some of the organized groups present at the event are listed below.

Fort Bend County Young Republicans

The right-wing youth wing of the Fort Bend County Republican party. Hannah Nehad (pictured far left below) is one of their most prominent members and is heavily associated with Kelly Neidert. They were the first to publicly call for a protest against this event.

Protect Texas Kids

Led by Kelly Neidert of Dallas, Texas, Protect Texas Kids is an anti-LGBTQ+ hate group that organizes disruptions of queer and trans events under the false premise of protecting kids.

Proud Boys

The Proud Boys are a far-right group who have been characterized by violence and street fights against leftwing groups since their founding in 2016. They are not explicitly a white supremacist group but generally have large overlaps in membership and ideology with other fascist and white supremacist groups.

Patriot Front

Patriot Front is an openly fascist, national white supremacist group with various chapters around Texas including Houston. They likely had members travel in from elsewhere for this event, as their Houston chapter is generally not very active.

Aryan Freedom Network

Aryan Freedom Network is a Neo-Nazi group with a Houston chapter primarily run by Ronald Murray. Many of them have formerly organized under the name “White Lives Matter” in the past.

Rightwing Media

There was some tension between these groups, as many of the more mainstream conservatives were annoyed by AFN’s presence, but there was no real effort to push out the nazis, and many of the conservatives were chanting alongside and associating with Patriot Front and the Proud Boys.

What this means for the future

Although we succeeded at protecting this event and keeping each other safe, nobody should be complacent. This event may be a sign of resurgence for the far right and the street-level cooperation between rightwing moderates and open fascists that has not been seen since the early Trump era. Saturday was the largest gathering of fascists in Houston we’ve seen in a long time, and even more significantly it was a gathering of multiple fascist groups who typically only host private rallies with their own immediate membership. Multiple groups from across the right united to threaten a peaceful event, and this is just part of a growing trend across America. This event also showed how violent bigotry against queer people is increasingly mainstream among conservatives. As mentioned earlier, this event was originally announced by a group officially affiliated with the Republican Party after Don Huffines, a Texas politician and failed governor candidate with ties to white supremacist Groypers, posted in opposition to this event. Although there were some disagreements among the protestors and certain individuals such as Kelly Neidert officially “disavowed” the more explicit fascists in attendance, this event still shows an increasing link between mainstream conservatives and violent neo-nazis and fascists. As one counter-protestor with a megaphone put it, “isn’t it weird how every time you [Kelly Neidert] show your face in public, Nazis show up?” Whether the mainstream conservatives want to admit it, they are united with nazis and fascists in wanting to see all queer people dead. We’ll almost certainly see increased violence and terrorism against queer people while Republican politicians continue to legislate against our existence.

The situation isn’t hopeless, though. Opposing this will take all of us. Voting won’t save us – if we want to keep our queer friends, loved ones, and neighbors safe, we have to oppose fascism and bigotry however we can. We strongly encourage everyone reading to start taking action. We need to begin reaching out to spaces holding queer-affirming events to make sure they’re safe, join existing groups working against fascism and create new ones, create networks to support queer people, and train in self-defense and hand-to-hand combat to make sure that when fascists bash us, we bash back. The threat to our existence is daunting, but as long as we fight with love in our hearts, we can keep each other safe, just like we did on Saturday.

For more details about the cycle of rightwing violence from social media to news networks to local fascist groups, visit this link.

To see an FCC Board Member speaking about this event, visit this link.

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Houston Defends Drag Show Against Christian Fascists

Houstonians gathered outside drag show at Hamburger Mary's defending the entrance from fascists.
About the Event

On Sunday, July 10th, 2022, Protect Texas Kids, a hate group led by self-proclaimed Christian fascist Kelly Neidert from North Texas, attempted to disrupt an all-ages drag show brunch event at Hamburger Mary’s downtown Houston location. Having discovered their plans beforehand, local Houstonians rallied together in a counter-demonstration to defend the event. A crowd of about 100 local Anti-Fascists and members of Houston’s queer community mobilized around the venue to guard the entrance, dwarfing the roughly dozen bigots who yelled across the street from behind police and their barricades.

While the fascists’ tiny group stood around occasionally rambling into megaphones, queer Houstonians were drowning them out with our own chants, dancing to music, and staying cool with water, super soakers, and drinks provided by Hamburger Mary’s. The drag show was able to go on as planned, and the fascists were escorted out by police shortly after the drag brunch ended.

large crowd defending a Drag Show against christian fascists.
A crowd of over 100 Anti-Fascists guarding Hamburger Mary’s in Downtown Houston

Kelly’s attempt to disrupt this event with her group was the latest in a series of actions they have organized against trans and queer gatherings. In general, the group pushes age-old homophobic myths about pedophilia in the queer community as an excuse to show up to events and harass people. They are typically based in Dallas and North Texas, where other Anti-Fascist groups have mobilized against them before. This is one of their first notable appearances in Houston to date, aside from a small group of them trying to counter-protest this year’s Pride Parade last month. We hope after how poorly their rally went, that it will be their last. As far as we know, Kelly and others traveled here from North Texas specifically for this event, despite their turnout struggling to reach a dozen people. While planning the rally, Kelly claimed that “Antifa” in Houston “isn’t very active and it’s likely they won’t show up.” She continues on to say “If they do, I think we will outnumber them.”

an email from kelly neidert reading "I've been told by some of my Houston friends that the antifa group there isn't very active and it's likely they won't show up. If they do, I think we will outnumber them."

Some of the same fascists who came to Hamburger Mary’s on Sunday also participated in a Houston White Lives Matter rally in December 2021, where they had a similarly low turnout despite bringing people in from across the state on both occasions. Among them was Ronald Murray Jr, a Neo-Nazi we recently exposed for his actions in the Houston area. Ronald gave an interview during the event and shouted slurs over the megaphone. Kelly and her crowd had no problem hanging out with these Neo-Nazis until the cameras started rolling at which point she made an effort to stand farther away from them. Regardless, it was clear they felt welcomed to Kelly’s event and knew they would be safe on her side.

Some of the more explicit Neo-Nazis from the crowd. One giving a Sieg Heil salute (right).

 

At past events Protect Texas Kids have invited Proud Boys to attend, which we also witnessed this time around. Alongside the actual “Protect Texas Kids” membership, a few non-uniformed Proud Boys were seen in addition to the contingent of Neo-Nazis mentioned above. Neidert claimed our own call to action caused the Neo-Nazis to attend. This is a ridiculous claim for a self-proclaimed Christian fascist to make who has appeared on a holocaust denial podcast and who buddies up with Proud Boys. The only difference between Ronald Murray and Kelly Neidert is a swastika necklace and years of unpaid child support. Members from the fascists’ side attempted to walk towards the venue repeatedly, including three Proud Boys who were forced back to their side and a “radical centrist” who immediately was booed away. Of course, the cops made no attempt to stop them from coming over, and the community had to defend themselves.

One of the Proud Boys (left) who attended the rally.
Attempts to Police the Counterprotest

There were many attempts to police the community defense of Hamburger Mary’s, from both the cops and from people within the protest. Cops forced us into an increasingly small area, keeping us off curbs, and eventually set up barricades to make a “pathway” that split up the protest in two. The police put up barricades on the fascist side as well, but laid out theirs on the street, giving their tiny group plenty of room. They placed our barricades on the sidewalk, which reduced the room we had even more. As mentioned earlier, the cops made no effort to protect anyone from the fascists. They only intervened when fascists who came over to our side were at threat of getting hurt by the much larger crowd they were harassing. Their role at the protest was clear – to pacify our crowd and keep the fascists safe throughout their demonstration.

As often seen at Houston protests, policing of the crowd also came from self–proclaimed “organizers”, who had not organized this event but still attempted to co-opt it. These peace police scolded people for dressing in masks so they don’t get doxxed by fascists, told people to stop militant chants that the rest of the crowd was fine with, and tried to get people to stop waving any signs they didn’t like. These “organizers” made no effort to get in contact with us to help organize or coordinate the event, and instead tried to position themselves as leaders of a crowd that largely came out because of our call to action. Their justifications were that they wanted the event to be a safe place for the community – even while ordering around the trans and queer people who actually organized the event – and that they wanted to present queer people in a positive light to the children in the fascists’ crowd who are being indoctrinated (there were about 2 or 3 kids in their crowd total). Despite their concerns for “safety”, they were nowhere to be seen when cops were boxing us in or when fascists tried entering the crowd. Outside of this small group, however, nobody else seemed to have an issue with the more militant members of the crowd. Instead, people in bloc and those who directly confronted fascists were often thanked, the crowd joined in on militant, anti-cop chants, and people asked to take photos of signs with slogans like “these queers bash back”. Ultimately, the peace police gave up on their efforts to control the counterprotest when the threat of nazis and cops became too clear to ignore.

The ‘sacrificial’ role that march-and-vote peace police continue to sloganeer about illustrates the fundamental logic and limitations of liberal ‘bodies and spaces’ politics. Peace policing directly contradicts and undermines our own capacity to truly take up community self-defense is fundamentally repressive and serves as willing counterinsurgency which directly benefits the fascists, cops, and the capitalists they protect.

Only a burgeoning revolutionary subjectivity and practice can hold its own against the surge of present and rising fascism. As the class is recomposed into a fighting force capable of liberating itself and smashing capitalism, such a revolutionary subjectivity & practice must be upheld.

Conclusion

The counterprotest stretched far beyond our own membership and relied on the other organizations and individuals that belong to no group to succeed. We want to thank the nearly 100 people who came out to defend our community and Hamburger Mary’s for keeping the drag brunch running despite the pressure. We also want to thank the numerous groups and organizations that came out, including (but not limited to):

Belly of the Beast Media Collective

Space City Anarchist Organization

Houston United Front Against Fascism

Houston DSA

Sunday showed that Houstonians are strong, resilient, and do not accept hate towards our neighbors. The counterprotest ended up being a celebration of queerness as we kept each other safe from fascists and pigs, and a reminder that our queer community is rooted in protest and rebellion. From Stonewall to Houston’s protests against Anita Bryant that started Houston Pride, to Sunday at Hamburger Mary’s, queers will always bash back and will look beautiful while doing so.

Pre-Event Press Release:

You can view the press release we posted prior to the event here:

https://screwstonafc.noblogs.org/post/2022/07/10/houston-community-stands-against-christian-fascist-harassment/

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Press Release – Houston Will Stand Against Christian Fascist Harassment

Update

This post served as a press release before the event took place. View the full report about the event here:

Houston Defends Drag Show Against Christian Fascists

Press Release
On Sunday, July 10th, Protect Texas Kids, a hate group led by self-proclaimed Christian fascist Kelly Neidert, plans to harass and intimidate patrons for an all ages drag brunch downtown at Hamburger Mary’s. The Screwston Antifascist Committee, along with other individuals and groups in Houston, have announced a counterprotest to protect our city and queer community from these unwelcome visitors and their attempt to expand their homophobic and transphobic disinformation campaign to our city. Protect Texas Kids has the explicit purpose of intimidation as well as the agenda of falsely equating all openly queer people as “groomers“. The group, as well as Neidert herself, have openly stated their desire to harm and promote genocide of LGBTQAI people as part of their ideology. This comes amid a wave of bigotry towards queer people, including the recent ban on trans healthcare for Texan youth. We will not stand by and allow them to place targets on the backs of our community members. Houston gathers today to say “Fascists go home”. 
A longer report on the event and the folks behind it will be published after the protest (visible above).
Email us at: screwstonafc@riseup.net 
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White Supremacist Behind Houston Nazi Flyers Exposed as Ronald Murray

Header image of Ronald Murray and his Nazi flyers
Update 4/21/23

Ronald has admitted plans to create and distribute flyers with others on the night of 4/19/23, the day before Hitler’s birthday, in Houston, Texas. A video recording of this can be viewed below. The recordings take place in the garage of his sister’s Cypress home where Ronald appears to be living again. The address of the Serene Wood Lane house where he is staying can be seen at the bottom of this page.

Update 6/22/22

We have updated this article to clarify that Ronald Murray no longer drives his sister’s white truck. At this time he is only known to be driving theTan Acura SUV registered to his brother-in-law mentioned later in this article.

Summary
Ronald Lee Murray Jr. has been responsible for flyering Houston and other cities with Neo-Nazi propaganda through a variety of white supremacist groups he has been a part of. He has also played leadership roles in many of these organizations and attended a hate rally at the Jewish Anti-Defamation League building in Houston this year. Ronald has a giant swastika tattooed on his back and has been seen wearing a swastika necklace and a Nazi SS hat. He currently lives in northwest Houston, Texas.
Ronald Murray’s Political History and Activism

Ronald is known to have been a member of the National Socialist Organization, 14 First the Foundation, National Socialist Movement, White Lives Matter, and the Aryan Freedom Network. He served in leadership positions for 14 First The Foundation from 2020 to 2021. The group largely participated in flyering similar to those recently seen throughout Northwest Houston, although the group always had a seemingly small membership. In 2021, the group merged with the National Socialist movement briefly after Murray attended an NSM rally in Phoenix.

Ronald Murray (Right) at an NSM Rally in Phoenix
Ronald Murray (Right) at an NSM Rally.

Soon after the merger, 14 First seemingly ceased to exist and its website became inactive. At roughly the same time, White Lives Matter (WLM), a white supremacist network that operates throughout the U.S and Canada with a small presence across Europe, began re-emerging in public telegram channels after a few years of inactivity since their original appearance in 2016. Murray seems to have been involved in the Houston area chapter since its new beginning. Later on, he joined the Neo-Nazi group Aryan Freedom Network (AFN) and repeatedly flyered for them as well. His most recent case of flyering was promoting 14 First the Foundation, but sometimes White Lives Matter flyers are found mixed throughout. Formerly Murray used the telegram name “Ronald 14 First”, but now uses the name “Racist Pamphleteers” to highlight his frequent flyering sessions. Below are some screenshots from his Telegram activity.

It seems Murray continuously hops from group to group as he attempts to find a place for explicit Neo-Nazism within a fascist movement that increasingly rejects the imagery of old-school Nazi skinheads. 
Ronald appeared to play a very involved role in the White Lives Matter rally that took place in Houston this year at the ADL building. He maintained a front and center presence at the rally and was one of the only people there not masked.

 

Ronald Murray's back swastika tattoo at White Lives Matter Houston Rally in 2022
He also likely used his sister’s white truck to charter members to and from the rally, which was witnessed by attendees. He has been seen flyering in a white truck as well, which he admitted to on the news on at least one occasion. However, to our knowledge, Ron no longer drives his sister’s white truck. It should also be noted that, while Ron does appear to do a heavy amount of flyering, there are also other members of his group(s) who may occasionally flyer as well in an assortment of different vehicles. Most recently, Ronald distributed Neo-Nazi flyers around the Northside of Houston in a tan Acura MDX SUV which is registered to his brother-in-law Alvin B. Daugherty. The SUV is the vehicle Ron drives regularly and is the same vehicle caught on Ring camera footage by victims of recent racist flyers in Houston. Ron used to live with his sister and brother-in-law at their home in Cypress. Ronald’s brother-in-law, Alvin B. Daugherty, is a retired Deputy Sherriff from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Although Ron no longer lives with them, it has been reported to us that some non-white neighbors have had prior disputes with the Daugherty household where Ron was living. It has also been reported that Ron has been seen occasionally coming and going to the house throughout the last few months.
Ronald Murray's Tan SUV is pictured in front of his apartment, compared to the same vehicle seen in Ring footage by victims of his racist flyers. A National Socialist Movement (NSM) sticker sits on the back windshield of the vehicle.
Ronald Murray’s Tan SUV is pictured in front of his apartment, compared to the same vehicle seen in Ring footage by victims of his racist flyers. A National Socialist Movement (NSM) sticker sits on the back windshield of the vehicle. Plate number FPS9676.
Personal Information
 

Ronald Murray has since moved to an apartment in a nearby region, potentially hiding out from police who had reportedly come looking for him at his Sister’s address before. He has an active warrant out for his arrest for missing child support payments and has a prior criminal record for a marijuana possession charge.

Visit our Pastebin page to view his address and other details.

 
Printable Flyer
Printable Flyer PDF Here  (Previewed Below – Address only visible in PDF)
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Anti-Fascists Disrupt White Lives Matter Houston Rally

Torn up White Lives Matter signs

About the Event

In the past few months we’ve seen an uptick of attempts to attack Jewish establishments by white supremacists in Texas. Recently, a synagogue was burned down in Austin after a series of anti-Semitic actions by the Goyim Defense League. There has also been an increase in the distribution of antisemitic propaganda throughout the U.S. by various groups. This week, we’ve seen another attempt to threaten the Jewish community in Houston.

On Saturday, December 18, Neo-Nazis and white supremacists affiliated with White Lives Matter (WLM) organized a demonstration outside of the local offices for the Anti Defamation League. After weeks of planning, they managed to get a dozen Neo-Nazis to show up and stand in the rain with antisemitic signs. The Screwston Anti-Fascist Committee was informed of the event by another Anti-Fascist group, and within a day managed to organize twice as many people to protest against them. We were proud to stand in solidarity with everyone who showed up to fight white supremacy, both those in formal political organizations and those who went alone. The Houstonians who came out showed white supremacists that they are not welcome in our city, and that we will not tolerate bigotry against our neighbors. White Lives Matter was late to show up, and it was already raining by the time they had come. After a brief clash between the two sides, cops came to separate us and protect the fascists. The police were clear in their intentions, having openly stated that they were there to protect the Nazi’s right to “free speech”. WLM even admits to this, as can be seen in their gab post about the event:

It’s clear that the police don’t protect the people of Houston,but instead aim to make sure Neo-Nazis can safely organize events and spread their genocidal message.

The fascists in WLM forgot to bring umbrellas, so their signs ended up getting washed out by the rain. After about an hour of trying to show off their faded and nearly incoherent ramblings to the few cars passing by and getting their shouts drowned out by our significantly larger crowd, the WLM members scurried away within the police escort. The event was a clear success for the Anti-Fascists, and Houstonians who showed up in solidarity with our Jewish neighbors. Not only did we significantly outnumber the WLM members and take their signs, but we got them to leave and drowned out their message, reminding them that antisemitism and fascism wont be tolerated in Houston.

About White Lives Matter

White Lives Matter is a decentralized network of white supremacists. They mainly organize in various regional telegram groups divided on the state level, and country level for groups outside the so-called U.S. After a few years of dormancy since they first appeared in 2016, the group got off to a rocky re-start in April after they attempted to coordinate rallies across the so called U.S. Their rallies failed to attract more then a handful of people at each location in the instances where they weren’t cancelled completely. Anti-Fascists infiltrated local telegram groups and vastly outnumbered the few fascist protestors who did show up. Now, their protests struggle to attract more then a dozen participants, and they mainly distribute white supremacist and white genocide conspiracy content in an attempt to indoctrinate white Americans and to terrorize marginalized communities. Most members of White Lives matter are explicit fascists, using usernames with references to the third reich and, in the case of many of the WLM members on the 18th, wearing swastikas, SS bolts, or other symbols of Nazism. They’ll sometimes try to obscure this fact to seem more respectable for the sake of “optics”, but as this event shows, they still have a hard time keeping hate symbols out sight.

Statement on the ADL and Zionism

The Anti-Defamation League was likely chosen as a target by “White Lives Matter” for multiple reasons. For one, it’s one of the most prominent Jewish organizations in the country and is featured prominently in many conspiracy theories about white genocide, so they intend to terrorize and intimidate all Jews by targeting it. They also likely chose it as a target in order to sow divison among the left —WLM seeks to bait their enemies into supposed hypocrisy so they can accuse us of being zionists, but there is no hypocrisy in our position. The ADL is a firmly right-wing zionist organization with a history of surveilling and maligning social justice movements and support of law enforcement, including sponsoring israeli trainings for NYPD. Loyal to the israeli settler-state, the ADL silences criticism of israel’s apartheid, ethnic cleaning and war crimes by targeting and smearing Palestinians and their Jewish anti-zionist allies as anti-Semites. While their purported mission as a civil rights organization is to combat antisemitism, they are unabashed in their public support of anti-Semites and right wingers in the US and elsewhere. 

    

The Screwston Anti-fascist Committee stands in solidarity with all oppressed people worldwide. We stand in solidarity with Jewish people in the US and elsewhere who are among the most frequent victims of hate crimes and whose communities are constantly under attack. We stand in solidarity with the millions of Palestinian refugees in exile who are barred from returning to their homeland by the israeli settler-state and those who are resisting  occupation and apartheid in Palestine. We do not support the ADL in any way and did not call this rally to defend the ADL specificaly.

Conclusion

The counter-protest on December 18th may have been a victory, but it’s just one battle in the war against fascism. We must continue to organize against white supremacy and fight it wherever it rears its head. We ask the readers to cover up and deface any fascist propaganda they might see, inform Screwston Anti-fascist Committee or other Anti-Fascist groups, and to otherwise do everything you can to fight to keep your community safe from fascism, white supremacy, antisemitism, and bigotry in all forms. It’s only by working together and practicing care and solidarity towards those around us that all of us will be able to defeat fascism.

Email us at:         screwstonafc@riseup.net

Special thanks to Red Fog 161 and the Elm Fork John Brown Gun Club for helping make this event possible, and to the Houston Socialist Movement and Houston United Front Against Fascism!

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Points of Unity

SAFC Points of Unity
1) Police and the State

Police forces uphold white supremacy and class hierarchy accross the globe. From their historical beginnings as slave patrols and union busters to their more contemporary role as the footsoldiers of mass incarceration and police brutality, the police are the enemy of the working class. When white supremacists have rallies in the streets, it’s not a surprise to see these same police forces safeguarding them and trying to make sure their rallies go according to plan. Many police forces have a history of overlapping membership with a whole variety of racist groups. The Houston Police Department has its own not-too-distant history of overlaps with the Klu Klux Klan. More recently, it has been commonplace to find a heavy overlap between Police and support for former president Trump and his rightwing rhetoric, and in some cases members of contemporary white supremacist groups have been revealed to be police officers.

As an organization, we are opposed to any form of collaboration or cooperation with the police. This includes, as examples, the application for protest permits or the sharing of information about fascists with state agencies. In the streets, we are opposed to policing the behavior of others. Peacekeepers who actively shut down the miltiancy of those around them only help stifle our collective power. We wholeheartedly reject all notions of police reform. We want total abolition of the state itself and every policing apparatus it includes.

2) Revolution

We aim to help build working class power capable of overturning the foundations from which both fascism and our own oppression arise. While sometimes necessary, simple reactions to fascist organizing are not the entirety of our struggle. Ultimately, we seek the liberation of all people from the confines of the capitalist mode of production, the state‘s rule, and class society at large.

We support liberatory movements around the world, recognizing that state power is aligned against the interests of the people. We stand against authoritarian, reactionary and counter-revolutionary movements on the left that are not rooted in solidarity with international struggles, or those that deny the autonomy of oppressed people or the justice of their cause.

3) Feminism

We are a Feminist organization with no tolerance for mysoginy, homophobia, transphobia, or machismo. We reject the ego-centric and thrill seeking behavior which Anti-Fascist work can sometimes be known to attract. We see the Anti-Fascist struggle as a Feminist struggle in and of itself, which must center Feminist issues and fight against patriarchy as fiercely as white supremacy.

Though often overlooked, the rejection and subjugation of femininity is a fundamental component of fascism, conservativism, and our society at large. While heavily rooted in identitarianism and ultra-nationalism, the forces of fascism that we face today are not actually exclusively white, but are, however, exclusively misogynist. This fact, amplified further by the centuries of war against women which have preceded us, makes the Feminist struggle essential to the defeat of fascist uprisings and any prospect of global revolution.

4) Capitalism

While sometimes at odds with sectors of the capitalist class, fascist movements ultimately aim to amplify the exploitation we endure under capitalism, reprojecting it even more severly along ideological identity lines. Typically fascism manifests as a response to capitalist crisis, and poses itself as a revolutionary solution to the woes of the working class. Both neoliberal capitalism and insurgent fascist movements must be simultaneously challenged by Anti-Fascists.

Anti-Fascism situated inside the capitalist framework won’t eliminate the root of the problem, or address the instability that causes fascists to see fascism as a desirable ideology. Fascism aside, we as working class people have no stake in a world built to endlessly accumulate capital at all costs. Our environment grows less inhabitable each day while we grind away our youth, only to pass our earnings on to parasitic landlords in an endless loop. We need an immediate, uncompromised end to the capitalist mode of production, by any means necessary.

5) Accountability

The world of leftwing organizing can be rife with interpersonal conflicts and political fractures. We take conflicts between people and other groups seriously and hold eachother accountable to a basic standard of conduct. When conflicts arise, we try to solve our issues in the most appropriate setting based on the circumstance so as not to exacerbate the issue further. We will not publicise personal information about other active members of leftwing groups that are entangled in these disputes. We feel internal conflicts are best handled privately between all affected persons, mediated by a non-biased third party.

6) Electoral Politics

Our organization does not and will never endorse political candidates of any kind, nor will we promote the act of voting as a solution to our problems.  We will not allow political candidates to join our organization or use revolutionary struggles to build their campaign platform. We openly oppose politicians who show up at events to get media attention and pander to the crowd. Moreover, we recognize that the co-opting of events by liberal politicians and their constituents is central to the state’s counter-insurgency strategy. Fascism cannot be defeated through voting, it must instead be fought directly in the streets. The election of political representitives is not aligned with our goals or mission.