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Protesters riot in Toledo

An unidentified teen is arrested for throwing rocks at police and members of National Socialist Movement marching Saturday in Toledo. The teen was cornered by mounted police and arrested, which then sent the crowd into a frenzy. - Associated Press

Mayor blames gangs for anti-Nazi violence.

By John Seewer

Associated Press

TOLEDO - A crowd that gathered to protest a planned march Saturday by a white supremacist group turned violent, throwing baseball-sized rocks at police and vandalizing vehicles and stores, including setting a bar on fire.

Mayor Jack Ford blamed the rioting on gang members taking advantage of a volatile situation. He said he was declaring a state of emergency and setting an

8 p.m. curfew. He also asked the Highway Patrol for help.

”It's exactly what they wanted,“ Ford said of the National Socialist Movement, which calls itself ”America's Nazi Party.“ The group's march was called off because of the rioting.

An hour before the curfew began, people strolled sidewalks in the neighborhood and sat on their porches. A carryout store next to a police substation did brisk business selling snacks, cigarettes and alcohol.

There were no obvious signs of the day's turmoil.

Police officers in helicopters and cruisers and on foot, bicycles and horses continued to chase bands of rioters throughout the afternoon. Officers wearing gas masks fired tear gas canisters and flash-bang devices designed to stun suspects, only to see the groups reappear nearby and resume throwing rocks and bottles.

About four hours after the disturbance began, police marched shoulder-to-shoulder, at least eight officers deep down tree-lined Mulberry Street, shouting at residents to stay inside. A crowd of several hundred retreated, then dispersed as the officers advanced.

”There's going to be problems. Some of you are going to get hurt when we go in to make arrests. This has a real potential for a lot of bloodshed,“Police Chief Mike Navarre told a large group of officers before they moved in.

At least two dozen people were arrested on charges including assault, vandalism, failure to obey police and failure to disperse. Police loaded many of them into city buses stationed at the park where the white supremacists' march was to have started at noon.

”We frankly could have made a couple hundred arrests easily,“Navarre said.

Thomas Frisch, 76, said a large group of men destroyed the exterior of a gas station next to his home of 30 years.

”A whole big gang started to come in here. Next thing you know, they're jumping on the car. Then they overturned it. Then they started on the building, breaking windows, ripping the bars off,“he said.

Bill White, a spokesman for the National Socialist Movement, blamed police for losing control of the situation.

”If they'd done things as we planned and as we'd rehearsed, this wouldn't have happened,“he said.

Ford, Fire Chief Mike Bell and a local minister unsuccessfully negotiated with residents of the area, a neighborhood full of tree-lined streets and well-kept brick homes.

Officers and firefighters were injured, Navarre said, but it was unclear how many. Navarre said officers had a report of a man shot in the area, but they had not found a victim or a gunman.

At least two dozen members of the National Socialist Movement gathered at a city park just before noon and were to march under police protection. Organizers of the march said they were demonstrating against black gangs that they said were harassing white residents in the neighborhood.

Violence broke out about one-quarter of a mile away from the park along the planned one-mile route.

”I'm from this community. I know this community. And this is just a very disappointing day,“said Bell, the fire chief.

Keith White, a black resident, criticized city officials for initially allowing the march.

”They let them come here and expect this not to happen?“said White, 29.

Bill White said members of his group didn't need a marching permit from the city because they planned to march on the sidewalks without closing streets.

Navarre said police, fire and media vehicles were damaged. All the members of the Nazi group had left the city by early afternoon, he said.


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