This weekend's One Life Crew scheduled at the First Unitarian Church in Philadelphia has been cancelled. Here's a statement regarding the matter from show organizer, Joe Hardcore:

"The ARA [Anti-Racist Action Network] has officially confirmed the cancellation of an event that they had no part in. They willfully admit that after the parties involved in the shows held at the First Unitarian Church – R5 productions and myself deemed the show safe and we know we would be able to be control the crowd, so they had to take their charades to outside the Church. The ARA who has no hand or involvement in the policing of shows or real information on the current status of hardcore shows decided that even though all parties who had that information are wrong and began harassing the entire Universal Unitarians. They claim there was a breakdown of communication. This is true as the ARA wouldn't listen to facts and reason (two things that the ARA isn't capable of using) in regards to the motive behind the show and the people involved. There was a meeting on Saturday with members of the UU, Reverend Nate and the ARA and OPP folks. The Unitarians wished to see the ARA make right a long list of wrongs blasted at the UU community by the ARA to any media, email list or affiliated leftist blog that would repeat the story. The fact remains that to this date, the ARA has not apologized or in any way admitted that their tactics which were used to scare and intimidate many who have no dealings with the punk/hardcore scene or the First Unitarian Church or the shows into believing a race riot of epic proportions was set to take place at the Church on June 6th.

"After much soul searching and deliberation, I've personally decided to pull the show. The future of the shows at the First Unitarian Church MUST always come first, and sadly because of the unnecessary smear placed on both R5 and the First Unitarian Church by the ARA, I felt as if it was necessary to pull the OLC show so we continue business as usual. For a group so intimately involved and aware of the scene as the ARA, I find it despicable that they would be willing to threaten the future shows at the Church over something like the One Life Crew. It shows that they're not only willing to ruin what they have no played no part in, but their supposed war on racism will take any casualty necessary if at the end of the day they may post a silly victory message up on their website.

"I've spent half my life involved in the hardcore scene. I've spent the past few years changing the way shows were handled in Philadelphia and for the first time feeling like I was on the right side of things. My personal commitment to eliminating the presence of White Power Skinheads has long been the only "good" thing even my harshest critics couldn't question. Needless to say, it was through real blood shed that we've reached this near utopia with our shows. I will not have my pride stand in the way of the best shows in the best venue in the country. The First Unitarian Church shows and the overall good feeling that exists in our local scene is something that I worked diligently at and I will not allow a few outsiders to besmirch or tarnish its reputation. I am sorry to all of the kids who had to read all the nonsense and I am willing to talk to anyone in person who would like to discuss my position on the show.

"The ARA has become an armchair movement resilient to facts and reality. They continue to press everyone to be afraid of Keith Carney and his menacing KSS. The fact is that Keith is neither a skinhead nor is he a threat to our scene or the safety of shows at the First Unitarian Church. His group has disbanded and is no longer skinheads at all. They do attend many shows at the FU church and have done so for over a decade. Over the past several years you couldn't pick Keith and the Keystone United out of the crowd. There is no sieg hieling, white power recruiting materials or any intimidation. The fact that the ARA and OPP continues to insinuate opposite contradicts reality and reveals that they are truly out of touch of the day to day goings on within our scene. If there was a problem with Keith and his group at the shows it would have been all over the internet by now. I can't even think of the reality where the ARA is actually more of a threat to the continuity of shows at the First Unitarian Church then the supposed local skinhead group.

"The ARA has tried to eliminate free speech and the ability for others to think for themselves. They've clung to the idea that they're doing good work by "informing the community at large". That is their way around saying that when the hardcore scene has decided to support a hardcore show despite ARA's arguments that they will use propaganda and lies to scare a gross amount of people who have no involvement in the hardcore/punk scene or no knowledge to contradict the images and words the ARA mass emailed to get their 'victory' pushed.

"The fact that ARA can intimidate and lie to a mass of people who have nothing to do with hardcore proves that the ARA will result to mudslinging and acting like children who do not get their way.

"The ARA's use of an image with One Life Crew's singer wearing a swastika armband was initially Photoshopped for a leftist propaganda mailer 12 years ago and was recycled in its campaign to smear facts about One Life Crew is just one example of the scare tactic implemented. One Life Crew is a multi racial band whose lyrics and message has been blurred through more controversy and hearsay then any other in hardcore. The few people that remember the One Life Crew controversies of the past rolled their eyes and made the choice to not attend, while a good portion of the scene has been seeing message board postings and fliers were quite excited for this show.

"To claim that the scene didn't want this or that they weren't supportive is another falsehood that the ARA spread to bolster support.

"The Philadelphia Hardcore Scene has deemed this show acceptable and bands like Strength For A Reason, Let Down, Cold World and Reign Supreme all were willing to play the show that day. Will the ARA find reasons to besmirch or "bring down" these bands in the future? Will the ARA make the claim that only they can dictate what is right for our scene?

"Reverend Nate Walker is possibly the strongest man in this situation. His words of wisdom and amazing feat of temperance to hear all sides has been an act that has inspired me to not fly off the handle and to hear all parties. I know not where he gets this strength of character but I am impressed by his handling of this and his open minded attitude is unparalleled.

"I am sorry to those that just wanted to have a show and a good time. As long as extreme political factions in hardcore there will never be a place where we can all get together and enjoy what we have. Whether it's a Nazi group with 20 shaved heads and they're looking for a fight or a group of invisible internet warriors lying to everyone about the dangers of people who come to shows all the time in peace, we need to be steadfast in our resolve to maintain a level of temperance and understanding to enjoy what we have. Our scene is as diverse as it gets racially, demographically as well as years tenured and personal tastes go. Yet until this moment, I've viewed us as being to able to leave that all at the door when the band hits that first note.

"With a very busy summer ahead, I hope that the hardcore scene who has been amazingly supportive will continue to weather the storm of the nonsense put forth by the ARA and we will be side by side many times at the church singing along, stage diving or just outside escaping the Heat in the summer breeze.

"Much love to everyone who supported my decisions, gave me support and advice."