Austin police chief stands by actions of his officers at downtown protest

Protesters in Austin on Saturday oppose a neo-Nazi rally against illegal immigration.

By Mike Rose | Albert Lea Tribune

Published Tuesday, October 20, 2009

AUSTIN — The Austin police chief said Monday that his officers acted
appropriately Saturday when using a chemical spray and making three
arrests at a downtown protest.

Austin resident and member of the National Socialist Movement Samuel
Johnson organized the illegal immigration protest at the veterans memorial
in front of the courthouse, but things escalated when a large group of
counter protesters from an anti-racism coalition arrived.

Members of the Anti-Racist Action Network, a Minneapolis-based coalition
of anti-fascists, threw tomatoes, cups of Jell-O and other objects at
Johnson and three supporters, according to a police report.

The group of 25 to 30 also pushed its way toward Johnson, at one point
stepping on and breaking a speaker.

As the event became more heated, an Austin police officer used the
chemical spray to disperse the crowd and help another officer with
arrests.

Three people — a 21-year-old male from Memphis, a 20-year-old male from
Austin and a 21-year-old female from Minneapolis — were arrested and
cited. They were standing on the ARA Network side of the crowd.

Police chief Paul Philipp said his officers did the right thing.

“Our mission is to use the least amount of force necessary without people
getting hurt significantly,” he said.

Philipp said he was not aware of any injuries stemming from the rally.
Samuel Johnson speaks during a National Socialist Movement rally against
communism and illegal immigration Saturday in front of the veterans
memorial at the Mower County Courthouse..

Samuel Johnson speaks during a National Socialist Movement rally against
communism and illegal immigration Saturday in front of the veterans
memorial at the Mower County Courthouse..

According to the report, one man told officers he was suffering a reaction
to the chemical spray but he declined medical attention.

Philipp also said there was no damage done to any public property.

Permit necessary?

Currently, the city does not require people to receive permits for public
gatherings, but Philipp said that issue is likely to soon be addressed.

The chief said with a permit requirement in place, his department would be
able to better prepare for an event like Saturday’s.

“Certainly, it took a fair amount of manpower,” he added.

Philipp said the city would likely look at other communities that have
such permit requirements in place before potentially adopting an ordinance
locally.

The city does require people to apply for permits before marches, parades
and other uses of public streets.

Johnson says crowd control an issue

The event organizer said he didn’t mind the opposition to his rally, and
he thinks arrests were handled well, but he does wish crowd control was
handled better.

“I wish police would’ve kept them back more,” Johnson said of the counter
protesters that pushed in on him.

Johnson said the Anti-Racist Action Network is known for violence,
something he and his supporters don’t condone, he added.

“They say they’re for First Amendment rights, but they’re not,” Johnson
said. “They talk about using violence.”

The National Socialist Movement is a neo-Nazi party.

A representative of the ARA Network could not be reached for comment, but
their Web site states that the group does not advocate violence as a
solution to hate.

Despite the controversy and opposition Johnson has been generating locally
— similar rallies he has held in recent months have also spurred counter
protests, though without arrests — the NSM member said he will continue
holding public events.

“Absolutely we will,” Johnson said. “Illegal immigration is a huge problem
in Austin.”