A post we published on Saturday, West Central Tribune: city leaders & Murdock Area Alliance Against Hate to criticism of town, included this information:
For the West Central Tribune, Mark Wasson reports in Murdock responds to town criticism after whites-only group moves in:
An online petition was set up on change.org, blasting the small Swift County community for approving a conditional use permit for the Asatru Folk Assembly to practice its Nordic faith in an old Lutheran church building the group had purchased. . . .
The change.org petition, signed by more than 100,000 people, is asking for money. Who created the petition remains a mystery as the name on the petition, Eridan Ampora, is from an online character.
Victoria Guillemard, an organizer for Murdock Area Alliance Against Hate, which was formed in opposition to the Asatru Folk Assembly, openly questions the purpose of the petition, writing on Facebook that the core organizers of the local alliance have had nothing to do with it.
“Whoever did start the petition has been asking for monetary donations,” Guillemard wrote on the Murdock Area Alliance Against Hate private Facebook page. “This raises big red flags for us, as we do not take donations nor have we been contacted about where to direct any donations. Where that money is going is a complete mystery to us.”
After we posted that, Guillemard let us know that she had made contact with the petition's author, who had decided to change the wording of the petition.
Guillemard said that the author is a minor who lives in the metro, and thus the Murdock-area organizer didn't disclose the person's identity. Neither will we.
The Stop the Asatru Folk Assembly from creating an all white church in Murdock Minnesota Change.org petition now reads:
On December 9th, 2020 the Murdock City Council voted to grant the Asatru Folk Assembly a Conditional Use Permit to hold their whites-only religious ceremonies in the residentially zoned former church building. The Asatru Folk Assembly is identified as a Neo-völkisch hate group, which means they have similar ideations as Nazis. The AFA bought this property in the summer of 2020, which they need a conditional use permit in order to host ceremonies on the property. This is incredibly dangerous to the BIPOC that live in Murdock and something needs to be done about it. Also a reminder do not donate to change.org petitions as the money does not go to the creator of the petition. If you want to donate somewhere please donate to the Southern Poverty Law Center and direct the funds to hate watch groups in Murdock specifically.
The Donate page for the Southern Poverty Law Center is located here.
We're impressed by Guillemard's organizing skills and the anonymous young person's mature responde.
Related posts:
- West Central Tribune: city leaders & Murdock Area Alliance Against Hate to criticism of town
- Arrival of Asatru Folk Assembly in Murdock prompts Swift Co Sheriff office patrol contract
- From Willmar to Washington: more on Murdock's approval of Asatru Folk Assembly hof permit
- Star Tribune: Murdock council anonymous vote on Asatru Folk Assembly permit may have violated Minnesota's open meeting law
- Murdock city council approves permit for whites-only Asatru Folk Assembly to re-purpose church
- Baldurshof: Third Hof of the Asatru Folk Assembly setting up in Murdock, Minnesota
- AFA gothar coordinator's life changed from police shoot-out & prison to serving old Gods
- Bluestem in the news: Strib & the Intercept
- Quiet protest is start of anti-hate movement in Murdock (West Central Tribune)
- WC Trib: "Murdock City Council, on advice of city attorney, not commenting" on whites-only group
- Resident: "We really don’t want to be known in Murdock as the center of hate in Minnesota"
Photo: "Victoria Guillemard, left, and Ben Kowalskygrahek stand Wednesday, Dec. 9, outside the Murdock building of the Asatru Folk Assembly, a whites-only organization, in protest of the group's presence in the small Minnesota town. Kowalskygrahek said his sign reads, in Old Norse, "Where you see evil declare it evil and give your enemies no peace." Mark Wasson / West Central Tribune.
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I feel I’ve followed this fairly closely (thanks to YOU, Sally Jo!); but I have yet to see anything about the congregation’s plans for moving into the area. Have they been buying houses, in addition to the church? I’m wondering if they’ll just caravan out there from the Twin Cities for their rituals and meetings, or if they plan to become residents.
Posted by: Maria Jette | Dec 28, 2020 at 12:48 AM