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Controversial National Socialist Movement Rally to Honor Hitler's Birthday To Take Place at City Hall Today
Photo by hall.chris25 via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
Despite efforts to pressure Mayor Villaraigosa and city officials to cancel the event, a rally organized by the National Socialist Movement will take place today at 12:30 on the South Lawn of City Hall, an LAPD release confirms.The purpose of the demonstration, the NSM leaders claim, is to honor the April 20th birthday of Nazi party founder Adolf Hitler, reports KTLA.
A permit for the gathering was issued in March, and NSM regional director Jeffrey Russell cites the group's First Amendment right to hold the gathering, adding that "in spite of the fact his group is observing the birthday of Hitler, they are not a Neo-Nazi group."
Today's NSM rally, however, will face similar counter-action; thousands of members of "Jewish Labor Committee, Union del Barrio, the Southern California Immigration Coalition, riKu Matsuda and 25 other groups," all of whom asked the City to halt the NSM's event, are expected to be on hand in protest.
The LAPD will be present, as well, and will intervene should they deem the need to declare an unlawful assembly.
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