Two Jewish organizations have protested to the Federal and District of Columbia authorities against a new concession made to George Lincoln Rockwell and his “American Nazi Party.”
The Jewish War Veterans of America filed a protest with the Department of Interior today against the renewal of permission to Rockwell to use powerful loudspeakers, at his outdoor meetings. The Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith made a similar complaint to the District police.
Rockwell had been temporarily barred from using amplification apparatus because his anti-Jewish tirades incited to riot and evoked resentment from hundreds of tourists at every rally. The restriction was lifted however for Sunday’s rally.
When the police had, on previous weeks, temporarily withheld loudspeaker permission, the rallies were smaller and more orderly because he did not attract crowds from blocks around. A number of tourist attractions are within range of the loudspeaker hi-fi system which Rockwell transports to the rallies on a trailer truck.
Six men were arrested during the weekend in Nazi disturbances here. Included were two Jews who voiced disagreement with nazism at the rally. Arthur Meyerhoff, a Hyattsville, Md. engineer, was arrested for shouting at Rockwell. But Rockwell, who taunted, baited and defended Jews, was not arrested, police said, because they had orders to preserve his “free speech.”
Larry Selinker, 22-year-old Providence, R.I. man who recently received a master’s degree from American University here, was arrested after being abused by one of Rockwell’s “stormtroopers. ” The Nazi, also arrested, forfeited $10 collateral. Mr. Selinker asked for a trial and will appear in Municipal Court on July 10.
In another Nazi fray, police in nearby Arlington, Va., at the Nazi headquarters building, arrested two Nazis and a non-Jewish anti-Nazi. The anti-Nazi and one Nazi were charged with assault. A second Nazi involved in the brawl was held for using profanity.
Despite widespread protests to the Marine Corps, a marine was again active at Rockwell’s side this weekend as a “stormtrooper. ” Rockwell also bragged that he had just recruited a U.S. Capitol police officer to his “stormtroop force.”
Arlington County Judge Paul D. Brown today convicted two men described by police as Rockwell supporters. One was found guilty of assault and sentenced to 60 days in jail, 50 of which were suspended. Another was convicted of breach of the peace because he used “language calculated to provoke a fight.” He was fined $100 of which $75 was suspended. Judge Brown continued until tomorrow assault charges against the anti-Nazi involved in the disturbance.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
