April 26, 2024

Idavox

The Media Outlet of One People's Project

Are They Reopening NJ to Nazis? Branch Covidian Rallies Still Brings Out The Boneheads

L-R: Dan D'Ambly of the NJ European Heritage Assoc. at a rally outside a church in Clementon, NJ on Wednesday; Ian Smith, co-owner of Atilies Gym speaking to crowd outside Tuesday with the NJEHA megaphone; individuals with the neo-fascist Kekistan flag at Tuesday's rally.

New Jersey just raised the threat level of White Supremacists in the state to high – above that of ISIS and Al Qaeda – but leave it to that one right wing corner in the state to welcome them with open arms.

BELLMAWR, NJ – When a South Jersey gym opened up this week in defiance of the shutdown order in the state due to the coronavirus pandemic, far right figures rallied around the gym as part of their ongoing protests calling for reopening. Among them has been the leader of a White Supremacist group that the Anti-Defamation League reported as responsible for much of the White Power propaganda seen in the state as of late, and not only was he not the only one from those circles coming out to support the gym, one gym owner even used his megaphone with his group’s decal on it to address the crowd.

While not mentioning him by name, Daniel D’Ambly, the founder of the New Jersey European Heritage Association (NJEHA) was captured by local news cameras speaking to the crowd through the megaphone outside Atilis Gym. The NJEHA is listed by the ADL among currently active White Supremacist groups in the state, noting that in July of last year they were distributing antisemitic propaganda related to the USS Liberty, which during the Six Day War was accidentally attacked by Israeli Air Force and Navy motor torpedo boats in 1967. In the past four years, D’Ambly of Dayton, NJ, who before his real name was learned by antifa called himself “Titus D’Andrea” online, has been one of the more visible neo-fascists in the state, having participated in the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, VA in 2017 as well as “Unite the Right 2” in Washington, DC the following year, protesting against Anti-ICE rallies organized by Jewish organizations, flyering at a Donald Trump rally in Wildwood, NJ and just a few weeks ago holding a small rally in New Brunswick, NJ while the streets were devoid of people.

At some point, D’Ambly,s megaphone was being used by gym owner Ian Smith as he addressed the crowd and that was captured in a photo as well. Smith, who served five years in prison after driving drunk and killing 19-year-old Kevin Ade in 2008, which he accepted responsibility for in a recent Instagram post, has not spoken about D’Ambly and his association with him. Ironically, Smith shares his name with the White Supremacist Former Prime Minister of Rhodesia as well as a former Trump staffer who resigned after his ties to White Supremacists were revealed.

Some members of the Ade family have spoken out about Smith, saying him opening up the gym shows he still does not have concern for others. “He drove drunk, killed somebody, gets probably one of the lightest sentences I’ve ever seen,” said Robert Henchy, a retired Absecon police officer and Ade’s uncle. “And now 13 years later, you’re out defying the law once again. I just don’t get it. He already killed somebody and now he’s going to put other people’s lives in jeopardy by opening the gym.” His wife and Ade’s aunt Beth Henchy is a radiology technician at a local hospital who suggests of Smith that “Maybe he should come hang out with me and my coworkers” dealing with COVID-19 patients “As we’re holding someone’s hand as they take their dying breath.” The couple says that since the gym controversy, people have donated to the HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers in Kevin Ade’s name.

In a video posted to the Reopen NJ Facebook Page, D’Ambly was also seen at a rally on Wednesday holding a placard of the Bill of Rights outside the Bible Baptist Church in Clementon, NJ which on Sunday opened its doors to parishioners in defiance of the stay-at-home order. As was the case outside the gym, there was a “Kekistan” flag being flown by another attendee, the flag and the entire idea of a mythical nation of Kekistan and a god named Kek created by neo-fascists as a trolling campaign, the flag being a variation of the Nazi Kriegsmarine flag.

The presence of the neo-fascists did not go unnoticed by those following the rally via social media, but at the time of this posting supporters of the rallies have been silent with the exception of one person on the Reopen NJ Facebook Page asking why a post there about them was removed. The NJEHA has been very vocal about their participation in the two rallies on the Telegram account, however. There, a user named “Titus” repeatedly refers to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy as a “Zio-Bolshevik puppet” and promoted both the gym and church rallies. “Everyone who is laying back and refusing to stand with our people against these Christ killing spawns of Satan, don’t call yourself Nationalists. You are cowards and traitors,” one post read.

Another rally is to be held on Memorial Day in Point Pleasant, NJ. There is no indication as of yet if D’Ambly or the NJEHA will appear.

5/21/2020: This post has been updated to include remarks from the family of Kevin Ade.