Categories: Local

Philly Antifa gearing up to protest KKK in Northeast Philly

A Klansman raises his left arm during a “white power” chant. Credit: Metro file photo

In response to a Ku Klux Klan rally earlier this summer outside the Tacony branch of the Free Library, the Philadelphia chapter of Antifa (short for anti-fascist) will protest outside that same library this weekend.

The march is set for 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6 outside the library.

Philly Antifa announced the march in a post that calls out numerous individuals by name who are alleged to be members of various white supremacists groups including the KKK and the Keystone State Skinheads, and who reportedly live in various homes around Northeast Philadelphia.

Reasons for the March include the rally outside the library, reportedly organized by a KKK “Grand Dragon,” William Walters, who held the march to protest being kicked out of the Tacony Town Watch after five years.

Now Williams is trying to start a new Klan-run Town Watch in Tacony, Antif claims.

The post cites several other white supremacists who are active in various organizations and living in Northeast Philadelphia as reasons for the march.

“Like Walters’ Klan group, KSS [Keystone State Skinheads] claims to not be racist or violent. But like the KKK, members of KSS have been involved in assault, rape and murder, often purely because of the victims race,” Antifa states.

They cite the incident of a rape in Kensington in May where the rapist, Vincent Pellegrino, allegedly a KSS member, then drove his car into a wall, killing himself.

“Antifa Philadelphia thinks enough is enough,” the post states. “We are calling on all Anti-Racists, Anti-Fascists, Feminists, GLBT and anyone else opposed to the KKK and KSS organizing and living in our city to join us for a March Against Racists and Rapists through Tacony.”

The rally is scheduled for Sept. 6 at 6 p.m. outside the library at 6742 Torresdale Ave, between Marsden and Knorr Street.

An image on the Antifa blog lists the date as Aug. 30 but Antifa said on Twitter that the actual date is Sept. 6.

This is happening in #Philly on 9/6/2014. Come out and show some support for the neighborhood. #Tacony #antifa https://t.co/gOESOxjwFr

— PHILLY ANTIFA (@PhillyANTIFA) August 27, 2014