Mainstream corporate press accounts tell of "violence erupting" at the long awaited "British Invasion 2k6" concert at the National Orange Show in San Bernardino. The Associate Press wrote a report on the disturbance that has been picked up and published around the world, but the AP made no mention of what apparently set the whole riot off. The AP report simply said; “The rioting started at 8 p.m. Saturday (0400 GMT Sunday) at the ‘British Invasion 2K6’ show at the National Orange Show Events Center in San Bernardino when police responded to a report of a stabbing inside the concert area, police spokesman Sgt. Rick Lindsey said.”
The Daily Bulletin, a local San Bernardino newspaper, published a report that shed some light on the matter. Staff writers Selicia Kennedy-Ross and Gina Tenorio reported that “Several people said fighting broke out after a group of skinheads began shouting ‘White Power’ during the concert.”
Punk rockers have historically opposed fascist groups and their ideology, from the 1977 UK “Rock Against Racism” concerts played by the Clash and other punks, to the present day efforts of a whole new crop of anti-racist/anti-fascist bands like Total Chaos and Naked Aggression (who appeared at the British Invasion 2k6 concert.) Back in the 1980’s the Dead Kennedys wrote “Nazi Punks F**k Off,” a song addressing the problem of fascists attempting to infiltrate the punk movement, and the problem persists today.
At the San Bernardino “British Invasion 2k6” show, concert goers had paid $35 at the door to attend the concert. What they found in the venue was a gaggle of jack-booted storm trooper provocateurs chanting “White Power.” Undoubtedly, the nazi goons felt their turf had been invaded, as they have been organizing in the San Bernardino area for some time. The Inland Empire, comprised of San Bernardino, Riverside, Ontario, Menifee, Murietta, and the High Desert, has been plagued by organized white supremacist groups - with fascist skinheads playing a key role in hate crimes. The Anti Defamation League reports that one nazi outfit headquartered in San Bernardino County, Volksfront, “distributes hate literature and organizes racist events and concerts.” A brief history of recent fascist skinhead organizing and terror in San Bernardino County is outlined in “Spreading Web of Intolerance,” an article written by Joe Nelson and published in the Daily Bulletin Feb. 10th, 2006 (you can read the informative report here:
http://www.rickross.com/reference/skinheads/skinheads60.html )
Undeniably, the presence of fascist skinheads at the British Invasion show was the core reason for the violence. Their very presence was a provocation, and their chanting of racist slogans no doubt infuriated anti-racist punks who had gathered to see some terrific anti-fascist bands. Whether it was the fury of punk rockers aimed at the Hitler loving skinheads, or the hate mongering skins who unleashed the violence is beside the point - whenever you have bona fide nazis in your midst there is going to be trouble. It is unclear at this point who was stabbed and beaten at the concert, but my bet is on the nazi skins as the instigators.
Daily Bulletin article:
http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_3570769 Official website for the British Invasion concert:
http://www.britishinvasion.us/