As promised, Aryan Network came to Longview in September

Back in August I wrote about the possibility that the so-called Aryan Freedom Network was planning a meeting in Longview on Sept. 25.

The news, first leaked by “The Warriors” website some weeks before, had rattled Longview city leaders, though not quite as much as the possibility that it might inspire those opposed to the Nazis to show up and counter-protest.

Keeping the populace calm was paramount to worrying about whether a group of vile racists was planning to use Longview as a meeting place. Heaven forbid that a half-dozen people from Black Lives Matter might show up with a few posters asserting that the Bill of Rights applies to everyone.

After Sept. 25 date passed, the Longview News-Journal reported city officials saying that they had neither seen nor heard a word of the Aryan Freedom Network. It could have just been a hoax.

Except that it wasn’t, and it is a bit difficult to believe that someone at the city or Gregg County level didn’t know that. Law enforcement groups surely have sources to tell them of such a meeting.

The Aryan Freedom Network did meet in Longview — their own website acknowledges this — and there are pictures and at least one video that further proves it. The group did keep the confab on the “down-low” from the public during the event.

That would not have been difficult as there were only 16 people who attended the so-called “White Unity Conference,” which sounds like sort of a joke. After all, what can 16 people do?

Unfortunately, with bombs and bullets, there’s no end to the havoc they might cause but, of course, there are more than 16 people involved. That’s just the number that travelled to Longview.

The Aryan Freedom Network is the creation of “Pastor” George Bois Stout — I don’t believe that whatever denomination he represents is a part of the mainstream, but strictly backwater.

Stout lives in or near DeKalb, in Bowie County. That’s a short 74 mile drive to Longview, or just over an hour’s drive. Not far away at all. Why the conference couldn’t be held in DeKalb itself is a mystery, though that could be because that city has fewer than 2,000 residents and one of the main restaurants is a Popeye’s Fried Chicken store.

The photo of the Longview meeting, which I could not reproduce for this article, shows 12 men and four women standing and squatting in front of a few non-descript buildings. Perhaps a Longview resident might recognize the location. It is obviously on private property.

If you want to view the video taken of the event, it is available at thewarriors.online. The seven-minute video features just one of the speakers that day — Neo-Nazi Burt Colucci. It is quite possible that everyone who attended gave a speech of some sort.

As crazy, Nazi speeches go, Colucci’s was tame with few racial epithets and little cursing. Those present interrupted his speech several times with applause, particularly when he said, “Antifa can kiss both sides of my butt.”

He blamed Antifa for trying to hack into the group’s website, which is possible, though there are any number of persons and groups who might enjoy doing that. He said the site would never be hacked, brave words.

Colucci represented the National Socialist Movement — Nazis — one of at least nine groups represented in Longview.

Others included Anglo Saxon Israel and Pastor Eli James’ Ministry, White Lives Matter — Texas Division, Keystone Knights KKK — Realm of Oklahoma, Nationalist Movement, White Christian Brotherhood, The Hammer “Podcaust,” TexasVet Podcast, and The American Futurist.

The Aryan Freedom Network says there were other organizations and vendors who did not want to be named who attended the meeting. The site promised that videos and photos would soon be posted on the site but don’t hold your breath for that to happen.

The only videos are likely to be those that were taken surreptitiously. If the Warriors are correct, this will not be the last such meeting held in East Texas. Maybe next time the Network will face a bit more opposition.

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