June 27, 2009 demo against the Aryan Guard in Kensington

here's the official press release for the june 27th demo...

Anti-Racists announce demonstration against neo-nazi violence ARA calls on community to send message police, city hall refuse to

Anti-Racist Action (ARA) Calgary is calling on residents of the Kensington, Sunnyside and Hillhurst neighborhoods and other concerned Calgarians to take a stand against racist violence in their community.

“We’ve seen a definite increase in violence and recruitment efforts by the Aryan Guard in the area, especially in and around Riley Park,” says Lev, a spokesperson for ARA.

ARA Calgary has recently announced a peaceful anti-racist rally to take place between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 27 at Riley Park to demonstrate that Calgarians won’t tolerate racism and violence of the neo-Nazi gang in their communities any longer.

The Aryan Guard’s recruitment efforts, aimed specifically at turning teenagers into virulent racists, are only one of the disturbing aspects of the gang’s increased presence in the area, says Lev.

At least three people, including a homeless person, have recently been severely beaten after members and associates of the Aryan Guard were seen prowling the area armed with baseball bats.

The attacks, which often occur in broad daylight and on busy streets, seem to demonstrate that the gang does not fear repercussions from city police.

“Aside from one hollow comment by Mayor Dave Bronconnier when the Aryan Guard formed almost three years ago, both the Calgary Police Service and City Hall have been ominously silent regarding the gang’s activities despite repeated and blatant illegal activity,” says Lev.

Members of the Aryan Guard have repeatedly been accused, and sometimes convicted, of numerous race-related crimes in the city, including assault and attempted murder.

But despite this long history of violence, police insist on ignoring the threat to the community presented by the gang, says Lev, even going so far as to justify their lack of action by smearing ARA in an attempt to delegitimize the group.

“It’s clear that Calgarians cannot count on police or elected officials to deal with the problem of racism in our city,” says Lev.

“It’s time for members of our community to come together in the spirit of solidarity and mutual aid to confront the threat presented by the Aryan Guard at the grassroots level.”