American Front
American Front (AF) is a
History
In 1985 Bob Heick began writing and distributing leaflets, mostly from a nationalist anti-communist stance, in response to the increasing leftist influence in the local punk subculture. Originally intended as an umbrella organization for all American skinheads, AF had no formal structure or membership. In San Francisco, Heick lost favor with the mostly apolitical skinheads. Media attention and constant vandalism and assault (such as breaking the windows of the Bound Together anarchist bookstore and harassing interracial couples in the Haight-Ashbury) by the group brought increased attention from the local police.[2] In addition, Heick's progression from patriotism to Nazism lost him many friends, and some people accused him of trying to take over the local skinhead scene. Heick then started associating with heavy metal music fans and rural white workers. He formed the short-lived group United White Brethren in the North and South Bay Areas.
Upon his return to San Francisco in 1987, Heick found the newer generation of local skinheads to be more receptive to
Aryan Woodstock
Heick started to organize a concert of white power bands on rural land near Napa, California, a suburb of San Francisco in the northern part of the San Francisco Bay Area. Heick was pushed aside by Tom Metzger, and the concert became a White Aryan Resistance event instead of an AF event. Heick and Metzger disagreed on almost every facet of the festival, including the name, Aryan Woodstock. Heick disagreed with Metzger's promotion of the event on his phone hotline, because it was monitored by anti-racist activists, and would give them time to organize against the event. A WAR activist was told by three bureaucrats that no permit would be required to play live music at a private event on private land, as long as sanitation was provided for.[3]
During the two weeks leading up to Aryan Woodstock, the event was a leading local news story.
1990s
In 1990 Heick announced on the AF telephone hotline that the group would appear in San Francisco's
In October 1990 the Coalition for Human Dignity published fliers with Heick's new home address in
Around this time AF focused on demonstrations and literature distribution. The group's telephone hotline was revived in Portland and remained active until Heick left the group in 1995. In the 1990s, the Washington and California AF sections published The Voice of Revolution magazine, which had ties to Combat 18 in England. AF focused on opposing hate crime laws, which they claimed only targeted whites. AF became known for harassing Portland city commissioner Mike Lindberg, who called the group "gay bashing skinheads" in the press. The Albany, Oregon area AF unit held regular demonstrations. AF briefly resurfaced under the leadership of James Porrazzo, who moved the group to Harrison, Arkansas and began to promote Third Positionism.
2000s
On March 4, 2011, AF leader David Lynch was shot and killed while at his home in Sacramento, California. His girlfriend (who was pregnant at the time of the attack) was injured but survived.[7][8]
On May 5, 2012, ten members of the Florida branch of the American Front were arrested in St. Cloud, Florida, 25 miles (40 km) from the Walt Disney World theme parks, and charged with paramilitary training, shooting into an occupied dwelling and evidence of prejudices while committing an offense.[9][10]
Marcus Faella, and an eventual total of thirteen of his American Front associates were arrested. On November 10, 2014, Faella was convicted for his part in attempting to incite a "race war" but was sentenced to only 6 months in jail. One commentator described the case against the American Front as "floundering", while the judge described the group as "the gang that couldn't shoot straight".[11][12]
Marcus Faella obtained attorney Augustus Sol Invictus to appeal the case.[13]
References
- ^ "Hate on Display: American Front". Anti-Defamation League. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
- ^ Spitfire List—Dave Emory Blog (also has picture of Bob Heick and Boyd Rice):
- ^ "Court Rules No On White Supremacist 'Aryan Woodstock'". AP News. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
- ^ New York Times—March 4th 1989—“Judge Blocks Neo-Nazi Woodstock in California”:
- ^ "Judge Bans Rock Music at 'Aryan Woodstock'". Los Angeles Times. March 4, 1989. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
- ^ "– YouTube". YouTube.
- ^ "Killing of skinhead leader David Lynch: What was the motive?". csmonitor. March 4, 2011. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
- ^ "White supremacist David Lynch shot dead, Calif. police arrest "person of interest"". CBS News. March 4, 2011. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
- ^ Liston, Barbara Florida nabs white supremacists planning "race war" Reuters. May 9, 2012.
- ^ Curtis, Henry Pierson (July 18, 2012). "American Front arrests part of broader FBI domestic-terrorism probe". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
- ^ "Florida Man Gets Six Months In Jail For Trying To Ignite "Race War" Near Disney World". Blogs.miaminewtimes.com. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
- ^ "Marcus Faella sentenced to six month in American Front terrorism case – Orlando Sentinel". Orlandosentinel.com. November 11, 2014. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
- ^ Curtis, Henry Pierson (December 4, 2014). "Former leader of neo-Nazi group gets new lawyer to fight conviction". Orlando Sentinel.