White-power controversy comes to North Bergen Police respond to dispute at controversial radio station in resident’s home

A controversial radio host who promotes white supremacy on his shortwave radio show and uses racial and religious epithets on his website received a visit from the North Bergen police Monday night after there were reports that the radio station in his North Bergen home was being taken over by members of an Aryan Nations organization, a pro-white group.

Police arrived at the home of former political candidate Hal Turner, who has broadcast his highly controversial radio talk show from both his house and from a New York studio for the last two years. Turner also has a website on which he pastes negative newspaper articles involving African-Americans, Jews, Latinos, and homosexuals.

North Bergen Police Capt. Robert Carmeci said last week that the police were responding to an anonymous phone call that there was “trouble at that location.”

“When the police arrived, we spoke with Mr. Turner, and he indicated that there were no problems and that the people there were guests in his house,” Carmeci said. “No crimes were being reported to us, and our investigation showed that there were no crimes being committed.”

But an article posted by Turner on his website www.halturnershow.com paints a picture of a national white-power controversy gone local. In the article, entitled, “Aryan Nations ‘radio war,’ ” Turner states that there was an attempt to “occupy” his station by members of the white supremacy group Aryan Nations, but that in the end he blamed himself for the disturbance.

According to the story, Turner had been selling air time to the Aryan Nations during his Monday night broadcast for over a year. But there was a rift between the leadership of the national organization, causing one faction to set up shop in Ulysses, Pa. and another in Hayden Lake, Idaho.

Both groups wanted to air spots on Turner’s program on Monday night. Turner inadvertently promised one group a slot that another wanted.

“Shortly before the end of my short-wave program on Monday night, Pastor Jay and a number of members of the Ulysses faction of Aryan Nations abruptly ‘arrived’ at my studio,” Turner wrote on the website. “They were very insistent about running their show and pleaded for my loyalty. An argument erupted. Things got dicey in the studio. Accusations flew about who were the ‘real’ Aryan Nations. Accusations flew about the character of the various players in each faction. The phones were ringing off the hook over the abrupt ‘entry’ of these guys into the studio. It was very hectic.”

Turner then told the tale of his brush with the police.

“Several listeners who heard the commotion in the studio telephoned the local police here in New Jersey,” Turner wrote on the website. “…At least eight police cars and at least 12 police officers arrived at the studio around 9:20 p.m.”

Carmeci disputed that claim last week, saying that the response “was much less than that.”

“I do not like involving outsiders in my affairs,” Turner wrote on the website. “I am the type of guy who prefers to handle things on my own. The absolute last thing I want to do is involve the police in any of my affairs. This situation – among straight, white men – is more like a family argument than a crime.”

Added Turner on the website, “I explained to the police what was going on, allowed them to see things were under control, and told them it was all right to leave. They left, as did the ‘visitors’ who ‘arrived’ at my studio. I have not signed any complaints and I will not. The last thing our movement needs is [more] fighting amongst ourselves. …To borrow a phrase from Benjamin Franklin, if we don’t hang together, we will most assuredly hang separately.”

While Turner might not seek trouble, his troubles may be far from over. The incident is still being investigated by the North Bergen detective bureau, and the information has also been turned over to the Federal Communications Commission to determine whether Turner has violated any federal broadcast laws by broadcasting from his home.

“That is up to the FCC right now,” Carmeci said. “It’s not under our domain. We have to see what the federal laws say.”

Turner did not return several phone calls to his home and office last week.

Turner’s show airs every Monday from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. over the Internet and over shortwave radio station WBCQ, an international shortwave station located in Monticello, Maine. It can be located at 7.415 MHz on the shortwave dial. The show is also aired over the Internet Tuesdays through Fridays from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Not for the faint of heart

Turner lives in the township with his family. He ran as a Republican for Congress three years ago, but lost in the general election.

On the website, Turner proclaims to be “an ardent pro-life, conservative Republican who enjoys a rather mischievous Libertarian streak.” The website says that Turner “presents a dichotomy that confounds some…he’s the type of guy you either love or love to hate.”

However, the rest of the site is not as mild. This week’s listings feature a story that Turner has headlined: “HBO to Portray Hitler as Queer.” Turner writes, “Even though the guy has been dead for 50 years, the Jews in the media won’t get over their fixation with him.”

At the top of a news story about the recent child endangerment case in Newark, Turner has a headline saying, “Savage Negro Wench Starves 7-Year-Old to Death.”

Another link proclaims that “Savage spics and nutty Negroes plague the nation.” Turner is also promoting “a video that proves that Jews are the most cruel, inhuman evil on the planet.”

The site also includes negative articles about homosexuals and positive articles about the brave feats of firefighters. There are numerous postings by supporters of Turner after each article, as well as some criticism.

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