David Duke - New Orleans Protocol

New Orleans Protocol

Shortly after his release from prison for tax fraud in 2004, Duke organized a weekend gathering of "European Nationalists", in the vein of white nationalism, in Kenner, Louisiana. In an attempt to overcome the splintering and division that had followed the death of William Pierce in 2002, he presented a unity proposal for peace within the movement and a better image amongst outsiders. His proposal was accepted and is now known as the New Orleans Protocol (NOP). It pledges adherents to a pan-European outlook, recognizing national and ethnic allegiance, but stressing the value of all European peoples. Signed by and sponsored by a number of white supremacist leaders and organisations, it has three provisions:

1. "Zero tolerance for violence."
2. "Honorable and ethical behavior in relations with other signatory groups. This includes not denouncing others who have signed this protocol. In other words, no enemies on the right."
3. "Maintaining a high tone in our arguments and public presentations."

The SPLC noted that the 'high tone' contrasted with statements at the even where the pact was signed such as Paul Fromm's calling a Muslim woman "a hag in a bag" and Sam Dickson (from the Council of Conservative Citizens, another sponsor) speaking "about the "very, very destructive" effect of opposing the Nazis in World War II — opposition that caused people to view Hitler's "normal, healthy racial values" as evil."

Those who signed the pact on May 29, 2004 include Duke, Paul Fromm, Don Black, Willis Carto (whose holocaust-denying Barnes Review helped sponsor the event), Kevin Alfred Strom, and John Tyndall (signing as an individual, not on behalf of his British National Party). It was also adopted by the white supremacist Canadian Heritage Alliance.

Commenting on the protocol, one author noted that "the New Orleans Protocol particularly emphasized the Jewish role in deliberately encouraging miscegenation to weaken the white race. In other words, miscegenation was viewed not only as bad in itself, but also as a weapon of the international Jewish conspiracy."