ANTIRACISTS are building for an August 24 counter-demonstration against a rally of neo-Nazis and racist skinheads on the steps of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C.

The Nazi rally was called by the National Alliance (NA), the best-organized white supremacist group in the U.S. NA leaders claim the event will be the "largest gathering of white nationalists at the U.S. Capitol since World War II."

This is the sixth time in just over a year that the NA has sponsored an event in D.C. Its last appearance was an anti-Jewish protest at the Israeli Embassy in May that drew some 250 Nazis and racist skinheads, who masqueraded as the friends of Palestinians.

Taking its cue from the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe, the NA has exploited the September 11 attacks to spread their message of hate. Once again, the Nazi rally will feature fake sympathy for the Palestinian cause.

But the NA and their ilk don't object to racist oppression of Palestinians. In fact, that's their agenda as they seek to create an "all-white America" without Jews, Blacks, gays or non-European immigrants.

Many people think that the best way to respond to these Nazis is to ignore them. This is dead wrong. Even if these groups can't achieve their full aims now, they use rallies like this to organize, grow and gain confidence to commit racist violence.

The D.C. area has seen an increase of hard-core racist activity on our streets, including swastikas and Nazi graffiti on homes and community buildings in Maryland and Virginia. Several hundred thugs standing on the Capitol steps with their arms raised in Nazi salutes will only give them more credibility.

That's why people are mobilizing from D.C. and around the East Coast to oppose the Nazis. We have to organize to confront and combat these racists now--before they can grow and spread their message of hate and violence.

Black and white, native-born and immigrant, Palestinians and Jews need to join together to send a clear message to the NA and to racists everywhere--we'll fight to keep D.C. Nazi free!

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