Phoenix Anarchists Mobilize Against “WLM” Group and Fascists at Pro-Choice Abortion Rally

from It's Going Down

Anarchists in so-called Phoenix, Arizona report on confronting both neo-Nazis organizing under the banner of ‘White Lives Matter’ and far-Right militias harassing pro-choice demonstrations.

Every month since April 2021, the WLM “White Lives Matter” group which is active nationwide calls for a national day of action on specific dates. The group claims to promote only anonymous types of “activism” and typically has members posting stickers, flyers, and occasionally taking photo-ops holding banners at various locations. Their op-sec in so-called Arizona has somewhat improved since October 2021. In October, in their Telegram channel, one of their members posted the location they were going to do their action. In that case it was the Wesley Bolin Plaza across from the State Capitol. Anti-fascists got wind of their plans, came and confronted them, fucked-up their little gathering of 3 people, and made off with their banner which was later burned.

WLM propaganda spotted in Mesa on May 14th, 2022 over US-60

Since then, the WLM group has been relatively quiet locally but the last couple of months has been going out and putting up hate propaganda in various places as well as taking photos while masked and holding banners. The group claims they are “pro-white” and trying to unite “pro-whites.” They promote much more blatant Nazi and white supremacist propaganda such as citing the 14 words, pasting flyers saying “White People First,” anti-Semitic propaganda, and more.

The WLM group having gotten active again in Akimel O’otham territory aka the so-called Phoenix area still consists of a very small number of people. Last month they posted up on Val Vista Rd. and the U.S. 60 in Mesa. This time they got active on 32nd St. just a couple blocks west of Val Vista Rd. Unlike their former location, this spot has a bridge over the US-60 with no exits or entrances, low traffic, and consequently less opportunity for confrontation from the public. They have not been active at the State Capitol since October. Interestingly, while a number of folx immediately started to head out to confront these racist fucks last Saturday, they were already packing up when the first anti-fascists arrived. This has been a pattern of theirs to show up just long enough to get a photo-op and then leave. In any case, they admitted on their Telegram page to having a grand total of only 4 people coming out. White supremacist organizing in the Phoenix area continues to be an ongoing problem and reaches far beyond this group, however. For instance, a recent Phoenix New Times article came out discussing Glendale as being the new headquarters of a joint neo-Nazi and KKK group.

WLM flyer announcing their national dates of racist action

Later in the day was a pro-choice abortion rally at the State Capitol. Several anarchists decided to attend to challenge the crowd of mostly white liberals as well as counter an expected fascist presence. At the 6 pm rally, it is estimated there were over 1,000 people and sure enough a good 90% or more of the crowd was white and liberal. Police presence was low and distant which is unsurprising considering that police don’t typically get aggressive toward white liberal rallies. About 10-15 fascists were present. They were mostly white men and most were carrying long guns and wearing body armor. An anarchist contingent carried signs with the following messages: “Dear Liberals, is it time to riot?,” “This crowd is unbearably white,” “This crowd is unbearably cis-het,” “This crowd is unbearably liberal,” and “If voting works, why the fuck are we here?”

Anarchist confronts fascists at Arizona State Capitol

Voices here and there were talking about voting as supposed solutions. Some of the crowd was in the street but more for convenience rather than any sort of direct action. Anarchists came and confronted the fascists which mostly resulted in yelling back and forth. Liberal movement police carrying rainbow and other brightly colored umbrellas repeatedly interfered with those confronting the fash telling them to “ignore them” and step away. Anarchists did not listen to these “non-violent” movement cops and at one point one with an umbrella started to physically grab an anarchist until another anarchist intervened to stop them. There were also a couple of incidents where a fascist put their hands on an anarchist. After a couple of hours, these liberal movement police told everyone the event was over and to go home. While anarchists and other radicals made repeated efforts to get the crowd into the street for a worthwhile direct action, those attempts failed. As usual, this abortion rally like all other rallies dominated by liberals was highly performative and lacked any real substance let alone teeth at actually changing anything.

Fascist protesting against pro-choice abortion rallies is rooted in white supremacy. White supremacist beliefs routinely reference “the great replacement” and “white genocide” and they believe that stopping abortion will ensure that more white babies are born. Liberals repeatedly complained about anarchists carrying guns at this rally and in some cases confused anarchists with fascists, not understanding the role of firearms in community defense against white supremacy and state violence. Yet earlier in the same day a white supremacist murdered 10 people – mostly Black folx – at a grocery store in Buffalo, NY.

Rainbow-colored umbrellas obviously will not stop fascists, Nazis, or any other white supremacists intent on violence. Effective community defense will. Proud Boys have also shown up to target local abortion rallies which can be seen here. It is critical that radicals continue to mobilize against fascist organizing whether it takes place at a liberal rally, a freeway bridge, or anywhere else, and to be prepared at all times.

There are 23 Comments

I'm sure doing identity politics harder will make the liberals they despise so much magically reverse position.

Even another poster, liberal is the mother of all IdPol, from it spout the requisit values to undertake an identitarian proposition.

And White Supremacy is the Holy Father of ID pols, you liar.

It was totally invented through Hobbes' and especially Malthus' and Gobineau's social determinist, and inherently racist ideologies. At the deepest, they are sourced in monarchism which is the traditional kind of racist determinism. Republican liberalism only slowly emerged as what is the liberal Left ID pols.

Some foolmouth deniers will bring in the slave markets in the Med during the High Medieval times, but even this had to do with a racist ethno-empire, i.e. the Ottoman Turks, who weren't by any single shot better than the fucking British, Dutch or Frenchies.

This was a full on cringe fest. I sympathize with the crowd of “liberals” who had to deal with fascists and those “anarchists”, who seem to wish someone would arrest them already. I’m coming to a conclusion that any post that starts with “so called” USA, “so callled” planet earth, is a fucking sad parody. Glad I’ve never been in the states and sorry for the rest of you.

To be fair, these are very spectacular events that have no real effect in “so-called” time and space outside the activist bubble or online spheres, so it effects you just about as much as it does me

Your right. It was an overreaction by my side. I know this people don’t carry much weight in the real world but still it’s a shame that this as become the public image of anarchists.

I love how articles like this bring out all the anews alt-right lurker bootlickers to cry their opinions on why they're scared of anarchists who confront nazis. what a pathetic existence wasting life trolling anarchists as a non-anarchist on an anarchist website must be.

Keep telling that to yourself. Everyone who sees your actions and rhetoric as just ultra dumb must be right wing and non anarchist.

"bring out all the anews alt-right lurker bootlickers to cry their opinions on why they're scared of anarchists who confront nazis"
That's a fairly poor analysis of demographic sentiment within an inevitable binary gender dynamic within a largely conservative population.

actually, i think it's just a dig? don't you recognize shit when it's flung at you?

Well this people did want out to the streets and tried to do something so i guess they do deserve a more elaborate comment then my first one:
You go to troll a liberal demo, and you do that by being more liberal then them: telling people that they are too white and too straight and going on a full on identity politics tantrum. I’m not part of the “liberals get the bullet too” cult, I’m just not a liberal but Just being militant does not make you none liberal and in this case this people just seem as militant liberals. What makes them anarchists? To who are they reaching out? What bridges they wanna build? What is there purpose? All they say is liberals are not being liberals hard enough. And all this talk about “movement cops” seem ridiculous in this case. You wanna fight fascists then go do it, why put so much emphasis on a “movement cop” who told you to ignore them? It’s just seems like you want people to hold you cause if they won’t hold you then you would go full Rambo on those fash… after a while the demo ends, wow crazy that people wanna go home and live there life. Those bastards movement cops, how dare they? If you wanna stay then just stay, or better yet why don’t you organize the militant demo that you want instead of leaching on other people efforts and then cry that there not militant enough and too white. And we all know why, cause you can’t organize shit and the best you can do is come at night and try to break a window and then get arrested for it. Ok this the end of my constructive critique, wish you all to have more friends and spent less time on the internet.

I don't think "constructive critique" means just angrily asserting a bunch of things and insulting ppl?

but random turnouts of strangers with wildly different goals can be frustrating

As Willie the Wild sez, a difference that's mild is way behind a difference that's wild! Wild on, folks.

"going on a full on identity politics tantrum"

Someone's having a tantrum, this much is clear.

"What is there purpose?"

What the actual fuck? This is everything that's wrong with you and your thinking, right here. Do you see that?

No I don't see that.
Thinking about stuff is ok, having a strategy is also good.
You wanna say that they acted on pure rage and feelings? well then this is a very strange way to show rage.
About the constructive critique thing, I usually agree with that, but in this case I think the writer of the original text just reaps what he sow.

"well then this is a very strange way to show rage"

Who is being the “movement cop” now?

"I think the writer of the original text just reaps what he sow."

Hopefully. Sowing the seeds of anarchy tends to be what anarchists do.

Well this is tiresome but the point is important to me. when people don’t agree with you or question your line of thinking it doesn’t make them cops or even “movement cops”. To think like that is a sure way to end up in a conformist cult. And this folks are not sowing the seeds of anarchy but of ultra liberalism and the take over of the anarchist scene by identity politics. And yes the fruits seems blossoming in North America.

Different anon here.. Did you miss that “movement cops” was quoted from your comment? Okay carry on trying to make anarchists be how you think they should be!

Thanks but I referred to it because it WAS in the original text. If it’s not clear then no I don’t call ppl cops if they have different opinions then me.

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