America's Nazi party has planned a rally on April 22 at the Capitol Building in Lansing, which has prompted a series of counter events organized by groups opposed to the Nazis' message.
The National Socialist Movement is dedicated to the preservation of the Aryan race and the creation of a socialist state.
The Lansing Coalition Against Nazis is planning a protest of the Nazis' rally, which is an example of "racial and ethnic intimidation," said coalition member Elizabeth O'Brien.
In addition, the city of Lansing will host an event April 22 at Eastern High School to celebrate the region's diversity.
The Socialist Movement is expecting more than 200 members to attend the April 22 rally, said Bill White, a spokesman for the organization. In addition, the group has said nonmembers with similar views are welcome to attend. The organization's Web site includes groups such as the Aryan Skinheads and the Ku Klux Klan as "like minded white national groups."
"We are letting the people of Michigan know that we are here, we are organized and we are demanding some changes in the way things are done," White said. "The current system of a liberal, multiracial society is failing."
The group typically holds a rally around the same time every year to commemorate the birthday of Adolf Hitler, which is April 20.
Past rallies, including one in Toledo last year, have resulted in rioting and violence, which White attributed to extremist groups opposed to their rally.
O'Brien, who was in Toledo during the rally, said she was arrested at the protest despite being within the area set aside for legal counter protests.
She said the coalition opposed to the Nazis' message is expecting more than 100 people at its rally.
"We are organizing nonviolently, visibly and vocally to resist their message of hate," O'Brien said.
Lansing officials are hoping the rally doesn't receive that sort of reaction. To encourage people to ignore the rally, the city is sponsoring an alternative event, said Randy Hannan, Mayor Virg Bernero's deputy chief of staff.
"What they are after is attention. They want to cause conflict. They want to cause division. They want people to react to them," Hannan said. "The mayor believes the best way to react is to turn our backs on them."
The city's planned event will feature a variety of different forms of entertainment, including bands, dance troupes and a variety of ethnic foods.
"We want to send the message that we respect and value our diversity in the Lansing region," Hannan said. "We want people to come celebrate with us instead of confronting the hatred that is going to be spewing out at the Capitol Building."
Lansing police are encouraging people to stay away from the rally as well, said Lt. Bruce Ferguson, the department's public information officer.
"They use the violence and those other things as recruiting tools," Ferguson said. "We don't want to be used as a recruiting event."
Ferguson said the best thing people can do is not attend the rally.
"By staying away you don't give them any attention or credibility," he said.
The police plan to close some of the streets in the area around the Capitol Building and have asked some businesses to close while the rally takes place, Ferguson said. The department has not yet finalized its plans for the rally, including which streets will be closed, he said.
Ken Osborne can be reached at osborn33@msu.edu.
