The Pacifica Forum likes to say that they are not all Nazis but only an open forum for debate. But if you examine what kind of events they hold, you will find that they are consistently ones which can only be described as an exercise in bigotry. Forum member like to say that they have both left-wing and right-wing members, but even if this were true (and it is a claim we are skeptical of), it would not be proof that they are not still part of the fascist tradition.

Eugene's Black Tea Society sets the record straight on the Pacifica Forum protests

We want to begin by commenting on a number of common questions we receive regarding our actions.

Aren't they just a forum for debate?

The Pacifica Forum likes to say that they are not all Nazis but only an open forum for debate. But if you examine what kind of events they hold, you will find that they are consistently ones which can only be described as an exercise in bigotry. Forum member like to say that they have both left-wing and right-wing members, but even if this were true (and it is a claim we are skeptical of), it would not be proof that they are not still part of the fascist tradition. Many fascists identify as “third positionists” claiming to be neither left or right but a melding of the two. This claim that they are only a forum for debate is a convenient rhetorical device they use to obscure their true nature, which has been documented by a local anti-hate task force for many years.

Even if they are Nazis, don't they have a right to free speech?

The problem is that fascist propaganda leads to fascist action. If we wait until we are being loaded onto the trains to begin to fight back it will already be too late. We challenge these so-called “free speech” advocates to show us the line, show us the threshold after which it becomes OK under their philosophy to fight back. We believe the logical place to start is when the fascists are small in number. Furthermore we also have a right to gather and express our opposition to hate. This is a philosophical problem that believers in natural law have never been able to resolve, namely what do you do when rights conflict?

Isn't it better to just ignore them?

Actually by ignoring them you are giving them room to grow into a significant threat. The Pacifica Forum hosts hateful lectures that attack not only the Jewish community, but also the LGBTQ community (one forum member wrote a whole book in which he calls homosexuality an illness), Muslims, Feminists, people of color, even survivors of rape are common targets. The Forum has been thriving in the silence and shadows of the University of Oregon for over five years. Occasionally protested by individuals and student groups in the past, but never with the current numbers and gusto, its clear, doing nothing to stop hate groups, does nothing to protect our community and by ignoring them, we are only telling the minorities in our community “we don't care about you and your safety”. People who say we should ignore the presence of hate in our community are conveniently ignoring the racist attitudes that still permeate much of the American population and the potential for these attitudes to spiral out of control.

Aren't you just giving them the attention and publicity they want?

The Fascist movement will not go away just because it is not in the media spotlight, it will continue to grow and expand unless it is actively opposed. We argue that negative media attention makes it harder for them to operate freely.

What's with the masks?

We wore masks at the protest to prevent Nazis from being able to identify and later target us. Throughout the course of the protest which occurred on the 15th, members of the Pacifica Forum were consistently taking pictures of key organizers as well as other demonstrators. In the past, fascist organizations have identified anti-fascist organizers and have posted their pictures on Neo-Nazi websites resulting in targeted attacks which lead to bodily harm and even the murder of said organizers.

Regarding the protest which occurred on January 15th and in response to the Pacifica Forum's “debate” on the origin of the swastika, we of the Black Tea Society would first like to thank all of the three hundred some demonstrators that attended, many of whom stood in the rain waiting for the chance to get inside. It is truly inspiring to see such an enthusiastic response from the students and local community.

Second, there has been some criticism of the disruptive nature of the protest as this was supposed to be a silent demonstration. This decision was made by various representatives of the student body believing that the walnut room located in the EMU was going to be the venue in which the debate was to be held. This venue had been changed to the theater in Agate Hall, a much larger venue within two days of the scheduled event sparking criticism of a strictly silent approach. Many members, in light of the overtly offensive and even threatening comments posed by members of the Pacifica Forum had expressed discomfort and even offense at the notion of being silent and felt as though a strictly silent protest was an attempt at censorship. However, it became obvious on the 15th during the time of the protest that the University had absolutely no intention of allowing demonstrators to even voice their opinions. As the march approached Agate Hall an large police presence was visible. Upon entering the theater, it became apparent that the University had cut the theater's capacity nearly in half on the ground floor and had cut off access to the balcony. A move which allowed only about a third of the demonstrators to enter. Upon entering, demonstrators were not allowed to stand, hold signs above they're heads or disrupt in anyway, rules which were enforced by an excessive police presence. The silent demonstration required that protesters, upon hearing something they were offended by, were to stand up with signs on they're backs and face the opposite direction of the Forum. The restrictions and police presence enraged many in attendance prompting them to speak out in any way they could. It is the Black Tea Society's belief that the University, fearing popular unrest, has taken such a neutral and defensive approach that they have shown that they are willing to disregard the concerns of threatened students, stifle the dissent of the community as a whole and even protect the Pacifica Forum from criticism. The Black Tea Society understands those who were disappointed and even angered by the disruptive nature of the protest. Given the circumstances put in place by the University at the last minute, members of our group and members of the broader coalition felt that silence would have been ineffective. In the future, we will strive for a time and space separation between actions to allow for a diversity of tactics, for the satisfaction of the broader coalition.

As the organization continues it's snowball like growth and new members are welcomed into the movement. We greatly anticipate the continued resistance to the Pacifica Forum and to all fascism in our community! See you in the streets! The Black Tea Society