NY groups plan anti-Klan action

By Bill Davis

NEW YORK - A growing coalition of New York City's elected officials, labor and community leaders and religious organizations has called on "all New Yorkers" to attend an Oct. 23 rally to "counter the KKK messages of hate."

In spite of the short notice, they expect a sizable turnout to reject the Klan rally called for the same day. While the KKK has very few members in New York, they are bolder since the recent rash of hate crimes around the country (several perpetrated by people with Klan connections) and by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's high-volume, shrill, anti-democratic rhetoric.

Assemblyman Scott Stringer announced the "demonstration for tolerance" at an Oct. 19 press conference. He indicated that, if necessary, the coalition will go to court to get permits to demonstrate.

So far the Police Department has denied permission for the demonstration for tolerance as well as the KKK's hate rally. It is common knowledge (as plainclothes police officials observing the press conference conceded) that these decisions were actually made by Giuliani.

The necessity to send a louder and stronger message rejecting the Klan is uniting a broad coalition. Besides the New York City Central Labor Council, endorsers include women's, gay and lesbian, Jewish and community service groups and the New York State Communist Party. One of Stringer's staff said more endorsements are coming in fast and that the list distributed at the news conference was already incomplete.

Within the coalition there are different opinions about the Klan rally itself. Some say that they support the "Klan's right to march," the civil libertarian position.

State Sen. David Paterson, in comments to reporters and others after the press conference, made it clear that his opinion is different. He defines the KKK as a terrorist organization that relies on secrecy and anonymity to carry out its work, basing this on what the Klan itself says it will do. Klan activities go beyond "free speech." We should not let a group of masked men meet to incite racist violence any more than we would "if they were going to go into a bank and rob it."

Paterson also disagrees with Giuliani's "evenhanded" attempt to stop both demonstrations. "If evil spreads when good people are silent," he asked, "why is the mayor trying to silence the good people?"

Although acknowledging that Giuliani's record is one of trying to curtail people's constitutional rights, Paterson's agrees with the decision to stop the Klan rally. "Even a broken clock is right twice a day," he said.

John Bachtell, chair of the New York State Communist Party called for the broadest participation in the anti-Klan demonstration to show that there are no "rights" to incite and carry out racist violence or hate crimes in New York City or anywhere else.

The anti-Klan demonstrators will meet at 2 p.m. Oct. 23 in front of the Court House at 60 Centre Street. The location is just north of the Manhattan Municipal Building and is a short walk from the Chambers Street, Brooklyn Bridge or City Hall stops of any lower Manhattan subway. For more information or to endorse the anti-Klan rally call Assemblyman Stringer's office at (212) 873-6368 or fax (212) 873-6520.