Aryan Nations in York: YAWWWNN!

A fading, half-dead leader, twelve disciples holding him up as he spoke, an organizer that reportedly could not make it, four supporters, half of them recovering alcoholics, onlookers laughing at the spectacle, and cops and local government officials who were breathing easy as it all ended 20 some-odd minutes later. This was all that Aryan Nations was able to muster up for their rally in this town that a little more than three months ago saw one of the biggest congregation of white supremacists in recent time. With city officials clamping down on the racists and activists from both sides with better things to do that day, this was the latest blow to an organization fast on its way too obscurity.

A few months ago, Aryan Nations member Shawn Winkler announced that after the January 12 public meeting in York of Matt Hale's World Church of the Creator, which brought just over 100 racists from four different organizations, he was going to have a rally to commemorate the birthday of Adolf Hitler. Everyone began to plan for a second go-around, remembering the melee that ensued as the 100 racists were routed by 300 locals and activists countering them. Things began to fall apart quickly, however. Between January 12 and April 20, Aryan Nations split into two factions. The one that Winkler was with was still loyal to its founder Dick Butler. The other faction is based in Pennsylvania and not only had its own plans to celebrate Hitler's Birthday at their compound in Ulysses, but was at odds with Winkler and Co., so they did not show. The other white supremacists organizations that were there in January had other plans too. The National Alliance had a leadership conference in West Virginia, the World Church of the Creator was demonstrating in Peoria, IL after being denied access to the library for another public meeting, and the assorted Hammerskins that were there last time had been talking of going to a white power concert in Detroit. None of these groups were interested in coming to York this time.

Even those who opposed them the last time were focused on other affairs, namely the IMF demonstrations in Washington, DC, an hour and a half away.

The town meanwhile prepared for the worst. They first denied Winkler permits after he said his people would bring weapons. They also planned other events for that day in the Parks that Winkler wanted to use. On the day of the rally police were seen all over the area of the courthouse where the rally was supposed to take place. Things became so convoluted between the racists and the locals that it was unclear what was going to happen.

The answer was nothing.

The night before, Dick Butler flew in, and immediately he started to have problems. Up until that moment it was unclear if the 84-tear-old hatemonger was even going to show having recently been released from the hospital. When he did, he reportedly was besieged by a number of reporters. According to reports, he attempted to get into a cab, but when the cabby, curious about the reporters, inquired as to whom the attraction was, fearing for his safety declined him a ride. Meanwhile Winkler, who had organized all of this, called and said he will not make it because he had car trouble in Minnesota. This struck a lot of people curious because it was expected he would be with Butler. It was suggested that if in fact he was driving out, he might have had weapons with him that he obviously could not take with him on a plane. At the time of this writing, it was unclear if in fact he did make it and was one of those who was with Butler at the courthouse.

Butler & Co. arrived at 10:45 AM and stood appropriately enough in front of the bust of Christopher Columbus, the architect of the kind of genocide they support. They were surrounded by barricades and police as Butler spoke, having to prop himself up on a mailbox on the sidewalk. The thirteen of them held Aryan Nation and Nazi flags, and one held a banner saying "SS Action Group Detroit." There were only four local supporters who some black locals knew personally, even considered them friends and defended them as not being racist, merely misguided. When they sieg heiled in response to Butler, however, those same black locals, who later said they never saw that particular side of them, yelled back at them that they were exposed as the nazis they were. Meanwhile a preacher shouting at the assembled racists and someone calling people to fight mafia lawyers were the most vocal. One skinhead passed out a flyer of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, and eventually he was able to get in some anti-racist chants in. About twenty minutes later, it was over. The Aryan Nations members retreated to a waiting vehicle behind the courthouse and the crowd dispersed.

Aryan Nations has been in disarray since the group lost everything in a lawsuit in September 2000. Many see the group vanishing altogether as Butler is becoming more and more incapable to hold onto the reins of leadership, and the Pennsylvania group becoming more reckless as they go along. Whatever happens, it was all to clear that this organization, which used to command legions across the globe, can hardly muster up the strength among what they have left to even support its founder and the white powers scene's most prominent figures when he comes to speak.