Toledo riot
 

I searched, didn't find anything on the issue. I am surprised that no one brought this up.

What do you all think about the riot in Toledo last weekend?

I am actually pretty upset about it, and from 2 vantage points.

1. I am upset that the nazis were allowed to march. I know about their First Amendment rights, but I am also aware of the fact that those rights are not absolute and in the event such a demonstration would incite violence or outrage, the rights can be usurped. The city should have known, especially with the recent decline in that particular area of town due to unemployment and other problems, that there would be smoldering stress and anger. They city should have taken better preventative measures, even if it meant denying the group their right to demonstrate.

2. The rioting. I have heard and read that the gangs played right into the nazi's hand when they took to the street and rioted, causing destruction to their own neighborhood and the property of others. I am upset with them for doing that, of course. But, I also wonder if their reaction had anything to do with what I am assuming, which is that groups of black people often associate activities such as allowances of white supremacist groups to march, with the government allowing other like demonstrations in the past, i.e. holding demonstrations against intergration os schools and passing of other laws and social initiatives. I don't think people want to hear the mess about so and so's constitutional rights to assemble peacefully when the country has the history that it has. I think that, valid or not, the people who let loose did so, especially with regard to the police, because they were pissed that the city/government allowed the white supremacists to come to their doorsteps.

what do you guys think?

Personally I think the people got played by the Nazis...

The Nazi tools had to know that they were really in a no lose situation - seriously if nothing happened other than the normal condemnation of their ignorant ass beliefs; then really no biggie to them.... but if something negatively newsworth happened, provoked by their exploitation of their 1st ammendment right then they in some sick, small way win a little media victory...

I have seen it up here were the White Power tools are deliberately provocative by their choice of venue - hoping that something will happen to discredit the anti-racist protestors - of course with the cavet that there is that segment that does that all by themselves... it's just that lets say the racists (or other politically motivated groups) want to push the fringe that discredits the movement to the fore.

well now the nazis supposedly are planning to march again and the city is trying to have a court declare that their activity will constitue a threat to public peace and disallow the march.

I'm more upset with the gangs that came in and destroyed portions of their neighborhood. Now the neo-Nazis have left (and I'm sure they'revery proud that their machinations met with some level of success) and the law-abiding citizens have to clean up the mess caused by senseless violence.

I live in Ohio and in my city there have been Klan demonstrations. They are mostly ignored and barely register a blip in the day's evening news.

What could ever happen that would discredit anti-racism protestors? In whose eyes are they discredited?

I do believe that the riotors got played. I mean what was the thought process there: these guys came and protested in my neighborhood, so I am going to tear my own neighborhood apart?

I have always been of the mind that if you are going to riot, don't do it in your neighborhood.

I also think that the best and only thing to do with these white supremacist morons is ignore them.

i've been hearing/watching the reports that are taking a similar angle. such a damn shame.

- marissa

If the anti-racism protestors are seen to be the violent or out-of-control in the media... well then thats damaging PR for them - even if they are in the right. It's the main reason I stopped going to the protests against Zundel or the Heritage Front up here - you had the black bloc anarchists going waaaay over the edge and attacking the other side with pipes or bats, and tossing molotov cocktails.

I think the protestors got seriously played - and played right into the hands of the Nazi tools. The Nazi's knew that their march would provoke a huge response from the neighbourhood... and they got exactly what they wanted if not more...

Think about the PR or recruitment bonus they scored for themselves: they show up to protest 'black' violence and 'black' gangs - and they get tons of footage of 'black' violence and 'black' gangs looting...

Well, what also upsets me is that on Fox News they brought on a professor who attempted to shed some light on the mentality and source of the anger that ignited the rioting. As always Hannity and even Combs would ask a leading question and then cut the guest off when they try to qualify their position. He barely got a chance to expound on his viewpoint.

In addition, I don't understand why they brought someone on who was trying to speak on behalf of the rioters just to discredit him, but wouldn't bring someone on to speak on behalf of the nazis and try to discredit them. Of course I don't think they are credible at all, but the point is that when they try to explain their viewpoint and what they see as a mission accomplished through the march, the commentators, namely Sean Hannity since he claims to "share in the anger" of the community residents about the march, could then make them look like idiots the way they tried to make the professor look like one.

The rioters just took advantage of the situation to loot and get back at businesses in the area that they felt mistreated them. I think it had very little to do with being angered by the Nazis at all.