Newnan, GA Uses Presidential Level Security Protecting 35 Nazis
The recent events in Newnan, Georgia have sparked some serious conversations on all sides of the political spectrum. One of these conversations, which this journalist believes is necessary, is the increasing presence of military equipment at events such as the NSM rally which took place in Newnan on the 21st of April, 2018.
“The entire town just turned into a military base”
I arrived in Newnan with my ANTIFA escort Pj at around 11AM. The first thing I saw was a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle (MRAP) with what looked to be several military personnel standing in a perimeter around it. This was not an unfamiliar sight for me as I had seen this exact scene before. Troops standing in a perimeter around armored vehicles were a common sight when I served in Iraq with the U.S. Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade. “The entire town just turned into a military base” Pj said as another armored vehicle rumbled by with several officers clinging to the side staring at us from behind layers of body armor and automatic weapons.
“If they wanted to dress up like soldiers, they could do what I did. Join the Army.”
As we continued into town, it became very apparent that the entire place was on lockdown. Everywhere I looked, there were militarized police adorned with the very same gear I carried and wore in Iraq in 2003. I turned to my ANTIFA escort and said “If they wanted to dress up like soldiers, they could do what I did, join the Army.” He nodded in agreement. At one point Pj pointed skyward and said “That helicopter has been circling us since we got here.” I looked up to see not one, but three helicopters circling the area. One was marked “S.W.A.T.” with military coloring. Once again, I was taken back to my days in the military. Downtown Newnan more closely resembled a war torn village around Tikrit or Falluja in Iraq than a small town in America, sans the abject destruction. We decided to ditch the car and walk the rest of the way.
“Wow. They’ve got drones following us now. Look.”
As we walked through the town, we met up with several counter protesters marching towards the town center. It was at this point I noticed we had another kind of company. Hovering above us was a DJI Inspire 1 quadcopter (what some would call a drone) these drones are equipped with high resolution cameras and are often operated by two people, one piloting the craft and the other operating the camera. One protester pointed towards the drone and announced to the crowd “Wow. They’ve got drones following us now. Look.” In almost perfect unison, the ANTIFA protesters began waving and saying “Hello!” to the small craft. As I aimed my DSLR to take a photo, I noticed the quadcopter’s camera turn towards me and then suddenly it darted away in an apparent attempt to avoid my camera. My telephoto however, was faster than the drone.
“All of this is for us. They are scared of us.”
In the end, there were several hundred officers in military gear patrolling the streets as well as manning checkpoints. I noticed at least 4 MRAP vehicles, 3 helicopters, and 2 drones following various groups of protesters. “All of this is for us. They are scared of us.” Pj said barely attempting to hide his elation as a smile crept onto his face. “We’ve made an impact today. They won’t forget this.” He added. As the day wore on, more and more officers began closing in on protesters. As NSM members preaching a message of genocide and hate were escorted out of the park, several activists were being arrested simply for stepping in the street or wearing a mask. I remember thinking to myself. “Did these people take the same oath I did?”
To me, the law enforcement response to this rally made a very clear statement. Coming from a military background, my heritage includes men and women who were sent to foreign lands to fight fascism and oppression. These soldiers did not have MRAP’s. They did not have body armor or M-4 rifles. They certainly did not have drones. Their college wasn’t paid for and many had nothing when they left the military. These, the original antifascists, were heroes. The heavily armed men and women who protected the Nazis in Newnan are not.
The message was loud and clear from the side of law enforcement: “We protect Nazis and we use your tax dollars to ensure the men and women protecting Nazis are better armed and equipped than the heroes we sent to kill them less than a century ago.” It is a shameful that in America today a hate-fueled Nazi can walk freely down the road with no fear while young non-white people cannot.
Photos and text by Mat Hubin.