[Vision2020] Toledoans Riot Over Nazi March

[Tom Hansen]

>From today's (October 16, 2005) Spokesman review) -

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Toledoans riot over Nazi march 

Protesters grow violent; dozens arrested as mayor declares state of
emergency

John Seewer
Associated Press
October 16, 2005

TOLEDO, Ohio - A crowd protesting a white supremacists' march Saturday
turned violent, throwing baseball-sized rocks at police, vandalizing
vehicles and stores, and setting fire to a neighborhood bar, authorities
said.

When Mayor Jack Ford and a local minister tried to calm the rioting, they
were cursed for allowing the march, and Ford said a masked gang member
threatened to shoot him.

At least 65 people were arrested and several police officers were injured
before calm was restored about four hours later.

Ford blamed the rioting on gangs taking advantage of a volatile situation.
He declared a state of emergency, set an 8 p.m. curfew through the weekend,
and asked the Highway Patrol for help.

"It's exactly what they wanted," Ford said of the group that planned the
march, which was canceled 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 to march under
police protection. Organizers said they were demonstrating against black
gangs they said were harassing white residents.

The violence broke out about one-quarter of a mile away along the planned
march route shortly before it was to begin. One group of men pounded on a
convenience store, and others overturned vehicles. There was a report of a
shooting but police hadn't found a victim, police Chief Mike Navarre said.

About 150 police officers chased bands of young men through the area.
Officers wearing gas masks fired tear gas canisters and flash-bang devices
designed to stun suspects, but the groups continued throwing rocks and
bottles. Several officers and firefighters suffered minor injuries, Navarre
said. At one point, the crowd reached 600 people, officials said.

Finally, police marched shoulder-to-shoulder down the street shouting to
people to stay inside, and the crowd of several hundred broke up.

At least 65 people were arrested on charges including assault, vandalism,
failure to obey police and failure to disperse, Navarre said. He said the
white supremacists had left hours earlier.

"We frankly could have made a couple hundred arrests easily," Navarre said.
"We just didn't have the resources on hand to arrest all of them."

The mayor had appealed to residents the night before to ignore the march. He
said the city wouldn't give the Nazi group a permit to march in the streets
but couldn't stop them from walking on the sidewalks.

A spokesman for the National Socialist Movement blamed police for losing
control of the situation.

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Take care, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

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