Neo Nazi Rally In Trenton Protests Against Illegal Immigrants Fizzles In Drizzle

I don't just hate the Illinois Nazis. I hate them wherever they roam, and in this case, about 50 of these haters were busy railing against illegal immigrants down in Trenton.

Jason Heicke, NSM's chief of staff, said the rally was held to protest high property taxes, illegal immigration and the outsourcing of American jobs overseas. However, a racially charged atmosphere prevailed.

"We’re sick and tired of this government and it not working for the people," said Heicke, a lifelong New Jersey resident. "The problems out here locally are crime and high taxes and businesses leaving the state and that’s what we were out here to rally against."

Shouts of "white power" and "sieg heils" emanated from NSM members while about 150 counter-protesters shouted back, "Hey hey, ho ho, these Nazi scum have got to go."

Under rainy skies, the two rallies were framed by walls of police officers in riot gear, hundreds strong, who separated and surrounded both groups keeping them at least 100 yards apart at all times.

One counter-protestor, Trenton’s Bryant Williams, carried a sign reading "God don’t like Nazis so he made it rain."

Williams said he was befuddled by the neo-Nazis’ presence in the state capital.

"It’s 2011. We’ve got way more crazy things going on the world right now. We should be past this. It’s doesn’t make any sense. We’ve got a black president now. We should be past this."

State Police spokesman, Sgt. Stephen Jones, said officers from local, state and federal agencies were deployed for the event after NSM members and groups such as the Black Panthers and the Jewish Defense Organization, who decried the rally, traded barbs in the weeks leading up to the rally, raising fears of violence.

Police and the counterprotesters outnumbered these haters by a wide margin. While it is heartening that counterprotesters outnumbered the neo Nazi groups by a 3-1 margin, it's troubling that there are neo Nazi groups that are spreading a xenophobic, racist, and hate-filled message.