American Nazis will not be legally able to hold their scheduled march to Skokie, the predominately Jewish suburb of Chicago, on April 20 because of a decision by a federal judge lest Friday.
Federal Judge Bernard Decker agreed to a request by Skokie village officials to delay his order last month striking down three village ordinances aimed at blocking the Nazi march until an appeal of his decision by Jewish groups can be heard. Since the appeal is not scheduled to be heard until early May, this effectively means the Nazi march cannot be held on April 20, Hitler’s birthday.
Decker acted after Skokie officials argued that the Nazi march and counter-demonstrations by Jewish groups “pose a threat to the well-being of the village.” The judge said he hoped the delay would provide a “cooling off period” for all sides.
Prior to the action taken by Decker, the Catholic War Veterans joined the Jewish War Veterans in condemning the proposed march by the Nazis. The Catholic organization, in a resolution, termed the march “odious, offensive and obscene to the American mind, manner and way of life.”
Meanwhile it was reported from Clayton, Mo. that Frank Collin, director of the National Socialist Party of America, and leader of the planned march through Skokie, has been indicted on a charge of striking Police Chief Robert Treuken of Florissant, Mo. at a Nazi demonstration outside the Florissant City Hall last Oct. 8. The indictment said that Collin, 33, and Harris J. Hunter, 22, both of Chicago, struck the police chief during a skirmish in front of City Hall after city officials had denied the Nazis a permit to hold a rally on city property. Both men deny the charge.
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