Rally for Social Justice to Counter Nazi/KKK Rally in Valley Forge National Park

The Center for Education Rights (“CER”), a non-profit educational advocacy organization, has been granted a Special Use Permit from the National Park Service to conduct a peaceful, non-confrontational counter-demonstration, the Valley Forge Rally for Social Justice, to occur simultaneously with the hate rally of the National Socialist Movement (“NSM”) at a separate location within Valley Forge National Historical Park on Saturday, September 25, 2004.

According to Phil Stinson, president of the Center for Education Rights, it is his intent to offer a forum for a peaceful and educational rally as an alternative to the hate rally of the National Socialist Movement (NSM), KKK, Aryan Nation, and Skinheads. Stinson is actively seeking the participation of national and local civil rights organizations, community groups, religious organizations, and other concerned citizens to join in a peaceful Rally for Social Justice on September 25, 2004. Anyone interested in participating in the peaceful Valley Forge Rally for Social Justice is encouraged to contact CER by clicking here.

The Anti-Defamation League says that the NSM is the second largest neo-Nazi group in the country, trailing only the National Alliance. While some neo-Nazi organizations prefer blazers to brown shirts, this Minneapolis-based hate group is a throwback to the 1960's-era American Nazi Party, from which it descended; members wear Nazi uniforms and openly display swastikas to a degree unusual even among white supremacists. This explicit Nazi imagery apparently has not hurt its stature or standing on the racist right; in recent years it has grown considerably in membership and influence, with dozens of chapters across the country. Part of the reason for the group's growth has been its appeal to racist skinheads and other young white supremacists, who join in NSM activities ranging from literature distribution to armed paramilitary training.

CER is currently working with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, the US Department of Justice, and the National Park Service to ensure a safe, peaceful, and educational environment in Valley Forge National Historical Park for the Valley Forge Rally for Social Justice at the time of the National Socialist Movement Hate Rally, 1-5 p.m., on Saturday, September 25, 2004.