Nashville peace rally denounces increased presence of neo-Nazi groups
In response to increased appearances by white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups in downtown Nashville over the past month, the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville hosted a joyous peace rally on the steps of the Bicentennial Park Amphitheater Sunday afternoon.
About 400 attendees gathered in the bright summer sun, holding homemade signs and cheering as speakers and musicians promoted peace and unity in Nashville.
Meanwhile, outside the hall, a small group of neo-Nazi protesters, who were not allowed to enter, attempted to shout abuse at the speakers, who easily ignored their shouts and sometimes openly condemned them.
Jewish Federation President Leslie Kirby opened the event with a direct message to persistent neo-Nazi groups.
“In these dark times, too many groups are allowing tribalism to triumph over morality, and personal interests are taking priority over our sacred duty of ‘tikkun olam’ – preparing the world,” she said. “In the face of this darkness, it is time for all of us, Jews and non-Jews, to come together and say ‘enough.’”
“Our goal today is to come together as Nashvilleans, Tennesseans and human beings and say an emphatic no to hate and yes to hope.”
She gestured to the large crowd gathered around her.
“Someone reached out to me earlier this week and said, ‘Leslie, we feel like we’re under siege. What do we do?’” she said. “That’s what we’re doing. Nashville together, Nashville united, Nashville strong.”
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell also spoke at the event, emphasizing the First Amendment freedoms afforded to the white supremacist groups gathered there, while asking attendees to “not give them free publicity.”
“As someone who stands before you today because some of my ancestors escaped the Holocaust in Poland — and not all of them — I defiantly tell you, even though I am shocked to do so, that Nashville stands firmly against the Nazis and those who share their hateful ideology,” O’Connell said, to loud applause.
“In recent weeks, we have seen clowns in cars, a circus of fear and hate, arrive in Nashville in rented trucks. … Those who abuse the powers of the First Amendment to assert the power of hate and fear do not deserve tolerance and acceptance. We will continue our efforts to ensure that they face the current challenges when they try.”
State Sen. Jeff Yarbro, a Nashville Democrat, who spoke on behalf of Nashville’s delegation at the state Capitol, urged attendees to “stand up to Nazi hate.”
“I think one of the great tragedies and one of the great challenges of the times we all live in is that this situation has allowed these ideologies of hate that have already been tested, already been defeated, already been discredited to have a resurgence,” he said. “It is very important that we come together to oppose them.”
More:Hate groups on the rise in Tennessee and across the United States, Southern Poverty Law Center report finds
The small neo-Nazi group attempted to yell insults at Bellevue City Council member Sheri Weiner as she recounted a harrowing story of being bullied as a child while walking to school in Memphis.
“It’s hard not to see the hatred and discrimination that so many communities face every day… Why should anyone have to endure such hatred?” she asked. “If you think you’re immune, think again. We know, because history is a great teacher. Do we shrink away from being seen? … Do we call out antagonists because they’re seeking attention? Or do we treat them like the child seeking attention for bad behavior?”
“When one of us is marginalized, we stand up, we speak out and we take action,” she said.
She praised the strength of Nashville residents who attended the July 16 city council meeting, where a number of neo-Nazi protesters caused disruptions to the meeting.
Notice:She has taken on neo-Nazis and hate groups. Nashville City Councilmember Zulfat Suara is a leader
“Last week, adversaries waving swastikas and displaying unimaginable hatred verbally assaulted Nashville residents as they came to court day after day,” she said. “They entered the City Council chambers and attacked citizens who challenged their government officials, as well as the officials those citizens sought to engage. But in the end, Nashville’s strength prevailed, as we united and stood against the weak, misguided, and vile visitors who defiled our public square.”
Outside of Sunday’s event, Wes Scoggins, owner of the Jewish food truck Cowboy, spent the event cooking lunch for protesters and laughing in confusion at the bizarre insults hurled by Nazi protesters, who inexplicably vacillated between calling themselves a superior race and yelling about infant genitalia.
“(That attitude) is something that’s been around,” Scoggins said. “Jewish culture has had to deal with this for thousands of years. They’re another group of losers in a long line of people who have tried to hurt Jews and who don’t exist today. They’re losers and they’re an endangered species. And that’s what they are.”
Jane Steinfels-Hussain, who participated in the event, has also spent many years fighting hate. As a member of the Nashville Peace and Justice Center, she spent 34 years protesting Nazism and has demonstrated every year at the white nationalist group American Renaissance’s annual event at Montgomery Bell State Park.
“These signs are years old,” she said, pointing to the poster in her lap that read “No Hate in Our State.”
“We are begging people to stop the hate,” she said, adding that news of President Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race gave her “hope” for continued American unity.
“It gives me hope,” she said. “I was really confident that Trump would win, but I think this could reinvigorate the Democratic Party.”
Alyssa Rosenheck, a local listener and self-described Israel advocate and anti-Semitism educator, encountered and argued with a number of neo-Nazis before speaking with The Tennessean.
“The Jewish community has always been a barometer of the conscience of a society, and we are the yellow light before it turns red,” she said. “It is important that we lead by example in educating and raising awareness in the community so that we can bring our communities together.”
USA Today Tennessee’s coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners.
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