NOTE: The following article was originally discarded by it’s authors, but with the recent publishing of the fascist street presence only blocks away, we feel that it should be released to the public. As Oakland continues to gentrify, we fear this will happen more and will likely escalate far beyond a few stickers and tags.
In early May of 2014, a peculiar sight was seen in West Oakland. Some graffiti scrawled on an electrical box proclaiming the words “ANTIFA ZONE” had been X’d out. Graffiti beef of course is hardly unfamiliar but what is alarming is the possibility that there was pro-fascist graffiti in a neighborhood that is still predominantly black. A block away from this electrical box, a sticker of the antifascist flag in a circle with the words “Antifaschistische Aktion” was scribbled over. Nevertheless, within a few days, the unknown antifascist vandal had repaired their tag on the box, and a new sticker covered the old one.
Late August, 35th & San Pablo
There are several theories could explain why “ANTIFA ZONE” was crossed out, as anyone unfamiliar with the term antifa might resent someone besides themselves proclaiming an “zone” in their neighborhood. But the sticker gave a few more clues, in that anyone who was unfamiliar with the term antifa would likely not recognize the flag logo. All graffiti and stickers that surrounded these two incidents were untouched as well, making it clear it was not a general anti-vandalism statement. With the ever-expanding gentrification of West Oakland, it couldn’t be long until some sort of white nationalist moved in.
“Racists Not Welcome” early July, 35th St Between San Pablo & Market
But all was quiet until a few weeks later, “ANTIFA ZONE” on the electrical box, located at 35th & Market St, was crossed out again. After this, a couple of local antifascists mobilized with a small patrol, talking to other residents about what was happening. Hundreds of flyers explaining the situation (pictured below) were distributed and many more stickers with anti-fascist messages were put up. Most people who heard about it were quite shocked that something like that could happen in West Oakland, some offered to help distribute flyers and stickers.
Weeks later, it once again became clear that whoever was behind this was not backing down. More and more stickers were scrapped off, antifascist ones specifically targeted, between 35th & West and 34th & Chestnut. If there was any further doubt on where this person stood politically, that it was a misunderstanding, it disappeared when a sticker that had said “No Nazis” was scribbled out to read simply “Nazis.” “Good Night White Pride” stickers were scrapped off to read only the second half.
“Good Night White Pride” early July, 35th & San Pablo
“No Nazis” late July, 34th & San Pablo
Local antifascists tried to use the stickers to track the movement of the person tearing them down, but it was not easy, and for the most part, stopped between 34th and 35th and San Pablo. Stickers at those intersections could last a day or two, and at any of the surrounding intersections, they lasted several days, sometimes weeks. Stay vigilant, tell your friends, and if you encounter this person(s), act accordingly.
“Zona Antifa” early September, 40th St near MacArthur BART
Nazis Off Our Streets!
Autistici/Inventati received a letter by someone who knows the people who live in this street. He didn’t manage to comment this post. We are pasting his letter here for him:
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hello,
Someone posted
–
http://bayareaantifa.noblogs.org/post/2015/02/04/fascist-presence-in-ghost-town-west-oakland/
I wasn’t able to create an account to comment a rebuttal, or even to
create a new posting detailing the inaccuracies of this post, so I’m
going to the people who power noblogs directly.
1 – I’ve successfully contacted the reddit author “cosmic,” IndyBay, and
FireWorks, who took ^ article down from their sites. This home is rented
by my friends, as well as an Eritrean family, and a Chinese acupuncturist.
2 – The article, posted on BayAreaAntiFA is still live
here:http://bayareaantifa.noblogs.org/post/2015/02/04/oakland-fascists-in-north-oaklandtemescal/
And the acupuncturist sign in this article was tagged NO NAZIS IN OTOWN
last night. Right in front of my friends and the Eitrean family’s home.
http://i.imgur.com/A4dzLLo.png
The poster of the article even acknowledges errors in its posting:
“Re-post from Indybay, where it has since been deleted. While certain
elements may be overconfidently definitive, or simply unsubstantiated,
we feel it warrants dissemination regardless.”
This BayAreaAntiFa posting is simply irresponsible. I know your site
most likely has nothing to do with what BayAreaAntiFa posts, but I’m
contacting you in hopes that you can either (or do multiple:
* copy / paste my letter to you as a comment to the BayAreaAntiFa post
* take that post down
* post my message here as a new article, to serve as a reminder that
even though people have good intentions with their activism, these
positive energies can be harnessed in harmful ways if directed by a
source with no provable evidence
And at the very least, people who WOULD see the BayAreaAntiFa article
and take action get all the facts / not put my friends in danger. I
understand your desires to bring justice to fascists / nazi’s / racists,
but you have the wrong target.
I’ll edit later this afternoon w/ a video walkaround of the home to
dispute the other tag photo in the BayAreaAntiFa posting.
I’m Filipino. I’m friends with the people who legally rent this home.
All of them.
They are not fascists.
They are not Nazi’s.
They are not racists.
They live in harmony with this neighborhood.
Most of them have grown up in Oakland in lower-middle class families,
and are certainly not a part of the gentrification that’s overtaking the
area.
I’m one of the people who originally asked for this post to be taken
down from indybay, as well as my jewish friend Adam, who is their friend
as well. One of our friends who’s a renter there is Mexican. Our circle
of friends includes Peruvians, African Americans (many of whom
self-identify as black vs. AA), Mexicans, Hondurans, Japanese, South
Korean, Hindi, Jamaicans, Haitians, Hawaiians, Tongans, Brazilians,
Indigenous Americans, that I can think of right off the top of my head.
The people who live in this house cannot monitor 24/7 for graffiti. If
the BayAreaAntiFa who had posted this had seen this house over the past
5 years, such would be very evident.
Noone is being done a service with this post. Not victims of facism /
nazism / racism. Not the impoverished residents of this neighborhood who
are threatened by gentrification. And certainly not my friends, who are
in no way affiliated with the finger-pointing in this post.
If anything happens to my friends, the Eritrean family, or the Chinese
acupuncturist for this post, BayAreaAntiFA are to blame. Not my friends.
This does not sit well with me, nor our circle of friends. And despite
all the good intentions of the poster, the Real facists / nazi’s /
racists will continue unabated, and unidentified.
If you have contact with BayAreaAntiFa, please relay my message:
Please, for the love of decency that drives your antifacist efforts,
take this post down. Just as you and your friends would want to never be
mis-labeled / misidentified / wrongly accused, my friends want the same.
And they deserve to be left alone by people who would fashion themselves
crusaders of your cause.
This has been written in respect, and I hope you read it with the
earnestness that I intend.