Marquette Park II

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I'm here today in protest of the Nazi march here in Marquette Park.

I'm supporting the counter demonstration and I'm definitely against the Nazis.

And I believe in freedom.

And I don't think that they should be allowed to march here today.

I think that what their plan is, is against Americanism and it's against our Constitution.

And the terrible horrors and the Holocaust of World War II and the terrible things they did to the Jewish people at that time.

Several hours before the scheduled rally was to begin, riot -equipped police kept a close watch on counter demonstrators who wanted to confront the Nazis in Marquette Park.

We might not get them today, but we're going to get them.

You'll be sure of that.

We're going to get them.

We're not afraid of this.

We're going all the way.

Clem! Where's Al? He found his school of thread.

Is this thread in the cloth? Speaker's left.

Car 53, Car 53.

Car 52, I have the information.

I got it already.

I acknowledge it.

We've got to march again.

I want the press pushed back.

I don't care to be discussing it.

Move on back to reading.

Frank was looking for you, Richard.

Where is he? Upstairs? Upstairs.

I'm sorry, girl.

I'm sorry, girl.

I'm sorry, girl.

I'm sorry, girl.

I'm sorry, girl.

I'm sorry, girl.

I'm sorry, girl.

I'm sorry, girl.

I'm sorry, girl.

I'm sorry, girl.

I'm sorry, girl.

I'm sorry, girl.

I'm sorry, girl.

I'm sorry, girl.

This is old -fashioned.

That's the way they had it back in the early century.

That's the important thing.

Stand up straight, Peter.

No, don't look at that.

Just stand up straight.

Okay, get up there.

I don't have much time.

I'm sorry, girl.

Leave the one platoon with the lieutenant over at 69th and bring the captain and two platoons down here.

Captain and two platoons, huh? Come here.

Are to come over to 71st and Bill's and make a third skirmish a line.

A cross -pitch line.

That'll be done.

So, do you want to use mine? No, we can't.

Did you get that gas? Wally's don't get it now.

I don't care if you use it about the neighbors.

It's just that it's a small...

He'll carry the gear.

We're going to have to use it to carry some of the men at least.

Yeah, I don't care about that stuff.

I'm ready for all that stuff.

Really? You can carry it? I believe so.

Well, yeah, take a look at it.

Also, if you think they're moving that way at all, get me a company over there.

Okay? Or better still get up to LeBell if they can't because the main seat is in black.

I'm going to zone six right now.

We're going to have to move.

And if you can get a hose in, we can get a gasoline out of the trunk.

I don't have a hose.

Why can't you go to a gas station? They're not all closed.

Well, then go to one further away then.

Go to one on Western Avenue.

There's bound to be one open today.

Yeah, just keep going until you find it.

Is that enough for the prank for what you got to put in there? I think we'll have enough, yeah.

Lay it as flat as you can.

We've got to bring that generator in.

Bring these out there too.

They're carrying the cross there.

Where'd they come from? Yeah, hold on to the t -shirts.

I have to show my daughter's life at Demo Barbie.

Well, listen, should I get my truck? Get your truck.

Okay, I'll go down the next aisle.

Where's your truck? Where's your identification? I don't have any party stuff.

Let me write up a letter for you.

I just fired it a few years ago.

Okay, I'll write it up.

Sure, my master charge.

Frank, when you bring your truck around, just follow the guys in the white van.

They've got the equipment, and you'll be carrying men with you.

Drop them off there and come straight back here then.

I have to go home and change now.

Okay, go right ahead.

Okay, are they loaded in the van? You want me to hang it back on the floor upstairs? Hell no, we've got to carry it out to the rally.

It's torn to shreds, it's ripped to pieces.

We can't possibly find...

Why don't we just take it on the paper cutter and cut it off here? Then it'll look...

No, it looks good.

It looks like it went through the battle.

This looks all right.

Well, I'll see if we can...

We should carry a big American flag.

This one will be big.

Get a long pole.

Can you mount it on this thing? I don't know, I'm not very good with that kind of stuff.

We need somebody who knows how to work the tools.

Watch if we hang this one back up.

I want to carry that out there somehow.

He brought another flag.

Let me remove the screws, my boy.

You can't do this without seeing what I'm doing.

Then I have trouble with it anyway.

Too short? I'm sorry.

There's nothing I can do.

There's nothing I can do.

There's nothing I can do.

There's nothing I can do.

There's nothing I can do.

There's nothing I can do.

There's nothing I can do.

There's nothing I can do.

There's nothing I can do.

There's nothing I can do.

There's nothing I can do.

I gotta go bum a cone.

You don't say nothing! You're not coming through.

You don't say no matter what you do.

I'm sorry, but I'm going to go.

Let me know before you go.

I certainly will.

No, it's not a march.

It's just a rally.

Where, where, where? Over in Marquette Park.

31st and Sacramento.

I got lots to do, huh? Yeah, niggas coming this way.

Hey, you got a problem? I'm sorry.

Of course we do.

This is my department, sir.

The trailer has beenText on Screen On Screen Soon as the men are finished changing, we'll have a little shoo -shoo.

The trouble is, all those...

Soon as you guys are finished changing...

All those hundreds of people in the city are going to miss it.

It's the whole rally, because they're over here in front of the hall instead of in the park, you know.

So I'll make an announcement to them then.

Listen, Richard, it's your turn to protect me.

Okay, I got my knee braces on.

I can hold you up today, Ray.

The party of cripples, bad knees, bad backs.

Oh, I got a bad knee.

So they can't give better education to our kids.

So they can't provide us with decent healthcare and decent facilities, right? But they have millions and millions of dollars to protect 12 crazy Nazis.

They have millions and millions of dollars to build fascism in this country.

They have millions and millions of dollars to kill workers, to kill workers in Chile, to kill workers in South Africa, to kill workers all over the world.

But they don't have money to keep Kukani open.

They don't have money to bring integration to this school.

They're not letting anybody in the park? Let's see how that works out.

I'll get them down there if I can find the bullhorn.

Charlie? Try to stand out here.

There's too many people up there already.

I want to put my coat...

Well, I'll leave it in here.

Yeah, I need the bullhorn.

I got to tell the people to go down to the park.

Where's the bullhorn at? Bullhorn.

You know where the bullhorn is? Anybody know where the bullhorn is? There's not going to be a march.

The rally is in the park.

So we're not going to march from here.

We'll see you in the park.

If they take that park, then you can forget about your houses.

This is everybody.

Okay, may I have your attention, please? All right.

Now, the way we're going to work this is this way.

We're going to be traveling in the black blazer.

That's Frank Duda's...

Okay, not all of us at once.

We're gonna start leaving soon as I'm finished here.

Just take groups of, make people you come in.

And he's gonna ferry you out there.

He's gonna take you with the equipment, gonna drop you guys off with the equipment.

He's gonna come back and grab more guys until we're all out there.

That's our only way to get back and forth.

Now I have to assign people to do specific things, okay? Job.

Now, who is the one that knows most about the PA system? Jeff.

That's Jeff? Alright, you're gonna be in charge of the PA system.

You can grab as many guys as you want to help you set up.

Except those people that have specific things to do, right? Okay, how many men do you need? About two men? Yeah, two guys should probably do it.

Okay, let's see.

Dennis will be driving with Jeff.

That's right, okay, in the white van.

Everybody else can go in the black blazer.

Now, we need people to hold flags.

Attention please, please, no discussion right now.

No discussion right now.

We're gonna need people that will hold up the flags.

For the youth flag, that's you, alright? That's with the diamond, right? With the diamond shape.

Right, no, not the light.

It's the diamond shape.

Okay, and you find some kid with a white power t -shirt on and give the black one to him, alright? There'll be plenty out there.

If you can't find someone, then maybe you can carry.

No, not with that mustache.

Alright, you'll carry the black banner then, alright? Although some anti -Nazi protestors were later able to make their way to the park, the basketball was stopped about a mile from the scene of the Nazi demonstration.

When it was obvious, the authorities would not allow them to cross police lines.

Now, we need people to distribute the t -shirts and the posters as soon as we get there.

No, uh -uh, uh -uh, you're just carrying stuff.

That's all you have to do, it's one thing.

Let's see, we're gonna need three guys with the t -shirts, small, medium, and large.

Medium, and Mr.

Large, alright? So, Bill, you take anyone you want, t -shirts.

Uh, Gerhard, have you on another pile of t -shirts? He's already carrying the banner.

Uh, let's see, uh, um, what's that fella, what's your name? Mike, okay, you carry another pile of t -shirts, maybe medium, whatever, doesn't make any difference.

Let's go! Get being, let's go.

Tell them we're going.

Here we go! The protestors, who did not have a permit to march, began leaving.

Power! Power! Gas! Gas! Gas! Gas! Gas! Gas! Power! Power! Power! Yeah, that's good enough, that looks fine.

Michael, Jefferson, Hancock...

I can't read some of these.

Well, that's alright.

If they don't start by your speech, Mike, I guarantee they'll start by mine, because I'm talking about the American Revolution and its relevance today.

Do the back yet? No, not for a second, though.

Man, I think we got it made in the shade today.

I wish there was some shade made, we could stand here.

What? We can give a speech, okay? I'll give a speech.

I'm chickening out, you can give the speech.

Oh, come on now, don't give me that.

I'm remitting a dynamic orator.

He's so soft spoken, you know.

They have to be quiet in order to hear him.

He could get up there and say, I don't ever say much.

But I'm tired of...

Tired of these bastards.

Today I'm going to say something.

But I can't read the party leader's notes.

He can't write with a damn.

I don't understand these abbreviations.

Then you say, of course, he doesn't get paid to write, he gets paid to fight.

Okay, let's go.

What time is it? Is that...

Okay, take off then.

While police kept tabs on the counter demonstrators, Nazi leader Frank Cullen and about 25 of his followers left party headquarters on West 71st Street for the short drive to the park.

As soon as we get in there, start speaking right away.

Because we'll be right on...

We got a guy in the front.

Because you want to keep people waiting too long.

It's not exactly...

We can't see it.

Jesus Christ, we can't see it.

The more people we meet, the longer we...

Walk a long distance.

And they're walking in.

There's no place to park the car.

I'm going to get a ride.

That's pretty good.

I wonder if the Reds are going to try anything today.

That's a good size crowd.

Where's our banners? Where are the banners? They're out there somewhere.

Where are our people? Probably in the pants.

Where the heck are...

We should see our white victory bar.

It should have gone up 15 minutes before.

What the hell? It won't look like anything.

Everybody here now? We need an extension cord.

They didn't bring it? Do you know where it is? Do you know where it is? Okay.

You go back to the homecoming.

Straight back to get that extension cord.

We'll be there.

We'll be there.

We'll be there.

We'll be there.

We'll be there.

We'll be there.

We'll be there.

We'll be there.

We'll be there.

We'll be there.

We'll be there.

We'll be there.

Mike, get in your spot.

Media, gentlemen, we have a press box.

They can't even see us.

Look at this pathetic situation here.

They lied to me again as usual.

They lied as usual.

Pup just told me that we'd be in front of the trees and not behind them.

I know, they can't even see us.

I hope they can hear us.

Collins? Your loudspeaker system, if it's loud enough, they can certainly hear you.

They can't even see us.

I was told we'd be in front of the trees, not behind us.

Well, I'm sorry.

This is the agreement you got.

Where's Jeff? Listen, we can't walk it this way? Why not? Can you put the truck over us? No, no.

We've got to wait for the extension.

All right, we'll have to just wait.

What a pathetic...

Isn't this pathetic, though? They can't even see us.

Isn't that really pathetic, though? Look at this.

They said that it's not for us to pass our T -shirts now.

They said that it's not for us to pass our T -shirts now.

How about on top of the van, Frank? People can see you from on top of the van.

You want to get on top of the van? Jeff, you want to do that? No.

If you fall off the truck, they'll fight you against it.

All right, why don't we see if we can fit up something there? Maybe they can see.

Can you spit the...

Jeff? Where is Jeff again? Oh, Jeff, if we put the generator behind there, that may not be so bad, then, if I'm speaking on top of the van.

Really? It's that loud, huh? Don't you remember the first rally we had, the fuse rigging that thing up? Just be a few more minutes.

You know, uh...

What are the chances? You know what? I can't even see this thing from the street.

You know that? It's completely obscured.

Completely obscured.

Frank, say something.

Well, he can come with me.

He's just with our photographer.

He's not with the press.

He better obey what they say or they'll take care of him.

You know, we're going to have every press man in the city out here trying to take pictures.

Right over there.

Let's step beyond their seats.

By the time the Nazis arrived at the rally site near the southwest corner of Marquette Park, close to 5 ,000 people were on hand.

At the site of the Cullen honorage, some in the crowd began chanting anti -Nazi slogans.

Yet others in the crowd, apparently angered by the presence of the anti -Cullen forces, shouted anti -Jewish remarks.

Here they come.

Here they come.

What if he can read German? Typical Thursday night.

Give him a good shot.

Get my shot from here.

He makes an advertisement now.

This is a typical day in the park.

It must have been a nice fight, though, you know.

Smack him in the head with a beer bottle.

You want to see a good shot? Look at this.

Next week I'm going to put Jews in it.

I'm asking you, what's your problem? I'm asking you, what's your problem? Pull it up.

What the hell is this? What, is he talking now? Of course he's talking.

Can you please get out of here? Don't mess with my game.

I can wave the American flag.

God bless America.

We stand for the liberty and freedom for all, races, creeds, and colors, and...

The park's alive.

Might throw me in jail, too.

Drive a bunch of pigs.

As the afternoon wore on, tempers grew short and scuffles broke out.

Did you hear that? Police moved in quickly, taking some of the combatants to nearby police vans.

Hey! You get in the way! Get out of there! Get the hell out of there! Get out of the way! Hello, some 65 persons were arrested.

There were no major incidents or serious injuries.

A massive show of police force prevented any serious disturbance from breaking out.

Come on, turn around.

Get out of here.

Hey, let's go! It's a juke ride! Let them go! It's a juke ride! Let them get her! Got him? Who's who? A rider or a rest.

A rider or a rest.

Where is Ma 'am Briller? This way.

Let's get through.

Whoa! You don't see Zeggy? She said hi! She's a Nazi! I'm a G.

Dad! Dad's a Nazi! Dad! Little lady.

Pat her a little.

Now with those...

Dad! Dad's a Nazi! Whoa, big woman! Yeah, big woman! Where do you live, lady? Dad! Don't be power! I didn't see you little niggers were marching here.

Dad! Dad's a Nazi! You guys in the white coat.

Is that a pink spoon? Hey, that's not a pink spoon.

Three of them standing there amidst banners of white victory, white power, the white fight.

Swastikas emblazing on those banners.

The Nazis are guarded by perhaps six hundred police here.

To reflect upon the relevance of national culture and the power of the Nazis.

Little lady, pretty, clean.

But most people are not paying too much attention to the activity out the center of the park.

What are you doing? It's all right.

Don't bother with me, huh? The Jews' last chance of survival was with Hanel Hitchcock.

He overthrew the Jewish power structure in the 1930s.

He kicked the Jews out of Europe.

He had to take their clothes and their belongings.

He didn't tell them.

He was the last chance, he said, at the start of the Jewish -Soviet world war for the extermination of the Aryan people.

The consequences of that war will not end in the extermination of the white men, but in the final destruction of world history.

Go to House Frank! Go to House Frank! Go to House Frank! Go to House Frank! Go to House Frank! We don't want those Jews there! We don't want those Jews there! Go on here! Go on here! You don't belong here! You do not belong here! The minute you stop, they stand in front of you, they open the door.

That's why everything is gone.

You're going to the white neighborhood.

The wall already shot by niggers, the accidents, right? We've got to go through a lousy nigger neighborhood to express it.

The rally ended with Colin and his stormtroopers giving the party salute.

Then under heavy police protection, the Nazis were escorted back to party headquarters.

What Colin told reporters, the demonstration had been successful.

So long as we have our rights to operate legally here, where we have good support, where we can go to other areas that are good support, then I have no desire to go to Skokie or any other hostile area.

But if they seek to abridge our rights to free speech again, that there are movements undertaken, either in the legislature in Springfield or in the Park District here again, to keep us from speaking, then we're definitely pushing the button on Operation Skokie again.

The number one legal objective of this demonstration today was to pull off a successful peaceful rally.

That we did, and I'm convinced now that free speech is established.

In the future, we're going to hold many regular rallies, not just in Market Park, but in Gage Park and Bowman and so on.

And I don't think there'll be as many police required or needed in future rallies.

Mostly the people didn't hear what we had to say because the Jews were screaming so loud.

Let's go, guys.

I'm on a tissue.

How about the backyard? Backyard.

Hey, where's Kelly? He's hiding.

Where are you? Right here behind you.

Mike, get him out of the way.

Guys, out back now.

Come on, let's see.

Why are you rest these guys? They're crossing the trouble already.

Why don't you move off? I don't want to.

I want to stay right here.

Go back to Israel.

We're your kind friends, man.

What do I know about you? You're a poor Jew.

Everybody wants you.

I'm pretty like you.

You're a bad neighbor.

You're a good person.

You and your Jew are there.

Hitler's there.

Hitler's done the right thing.

You have any business with your woman? Take him away.

You don't have any business with your woman? Get out of here.

Be careful walking through your area.

Tom Brown, Glenn, Dan Walker.

What were they arrested for? Sully Conduct and what? Sully Conduct.

They had been able to post one bond to another.

We'll have to take care of this right away.

My wife told me just now that the cops arrested a Jew broad because she was screaming.

Yes, I'm at your disposal.

Okay, I'm Karen Westergaard.

I kind of missed what you were saying out there, so if I ask questions or the answer, I'm sorry.

Did you think you accomplished your purpose? Yes and no.

What did you want to do today? Mostly what I wanted to do was to make my speech audible to our own people.

And because of the placement that the police made for us, it was very difficult for the people to see us, let alone hear us.

Charles Pepp, the man that I negotiated with three days ago for this rally, he's in charge of the police detachment.

Deputy Chief of Patrol, this is his position, told me that our rally would be totally visible to the people and that we would be in front of the trees, completely in front of the trees.

He assured that to me at least three times.

When we were there, we were told we had to be behind the trees, people couldn't see us, and when our speakers were appointed, they would go right into the thick bushes and so forth.

You should march down and leave your town.

Well, I'll tell you, it's going to take time to build it up because we haven't been allowed to speak for two or three years, and we're just like starting over now.

Because the only way you can get people on our side is to speak.

I think that was a first, though.

We did show up and I think just our mere presence, I think, helped tremendously.

But I'm not after these demonstrations as much as I am after these speeches.

That's all I want is just to be heard, and again, I was prevented from being heard.

And I'm indifferent whether the police show up or not.

It's only a matter of time.

The Jews sense it.

They're our best spokesmen because they go around the country telling each other, you know, the time is short.

I think the American white man is probably one of the brainwashes of the world.

We'd be in front of the trees.

It would have nothing to obscure us.

And here we are, put behind it.

So it's just another trick by Charlie Pepp, who is, in my opinion, a little psycho.

I think a little flaky.

Something got all together there.

Boy, he's just like a pig.

That's the last one.

That's the last one.

Here, here, here.

Of course you got it, it didn't get one.

That's the other one.

Come on, let's go.

I think we got our rights secured now pretty good.

When we go back to court on the 14th, I can't see them taking away our rights through insurance requirements again.

I think we're on the way to giving a real voice for the white man here in America.

I'll let you guys get out of here because there's too many folks in here.

Really appreciate you stopping by.

You'll get a teacher in two days.

Do my best for your wife.

Thanks a lot for coming out.

For some time after Colin's departure, remnants of the crowd milled around the rally site.

But finally, they drifted away, ending the potential of any trouble.

I don't know what he did.

How'd it go? Well, how'd it go for you? Pretty good, pretty good.

Identifier

F.2013-08-0002

Date Of Production

1978

Description

Content notice: this film contains hate speech and hateful imagery.

"Marquette Park II trains its central gaze on the official onlooker: the media [covering the event of a march by the Chicago-based Nazi Party].

"The film's opening structure gracefully orders its priorities, giving us a flag-waving antifascist crazy, followed by Nazi clubhouse antics, displaced in turn by an emblematic TV screen in the center of the frame – a sly comment on the media identity of this event. Later there's a silent shot picturing the arrival of the press corps on the scene .... At Marquette Park, Palazzolo and Rance provide us with priceless scenes of the on-the-spot reporters in the very act of recording their stream-of-consciousness impressions. The process reeks with such schizophrenia that the credibility of on-location truth-telling will never be the same. "The intercutting of the media's presence, the Nazi's activities, and the media reporting of the day unmistakably points up how seriously the press treated an eminently ludicrous display. The earnest, deadpan tone of the reporters and television newsmen granted an aura of historical importance to the Nazi's buffoonery. ... [The film's] high points (which are many) show the real value of documentary." —B. Ruby Rich, Chicago Reader
(Canyon Cinema)

Run Time

0:35:34

Format

16mm

Extent

1,288 feet

Color

Color

Sound

Optical

Reel/Tape Number

1/1

Has Been Digitized?

Yes

Language Of Materials

English

Element

Distribution Print

Genre

Documentary

Form

Short

Subject

Neo-Nazism
Political Activists
Civil rights

Related Collections

SERIES I: Finished Films by Tom Palazzolo

Related Places

North America ➜ United States ➜ Illinois ➜ Chicago ➜ Chicago Lawn

Main Credits

Palazzolo, Tom (is filmmaker)

Rance, Mark (is filmmaker)

Participants And Performers

Collin, Frank (is participant)

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