Wade Page part of global white supremacist network including Golden Dawn

Wade Michael Page, whom Oak Creek, Wisconsin police have now identified as the alleged shooter in yesterday's multiple-victim-shooting episode at the Sikh temple in Oak Creek, was well known in the white-supremacist "punk" or "hate rock" scene.

Page, who reportedly had only recently moved to Wisconsin, was a member of a number of white-power bands, including Definite Hate, and Page's own band, End Apathy. These bands are promoted within an established white-supremacist or "nazi" subculture on websites, and in affiliate organizations in many countries in the world.

For example, a website called label56.com, which promoted Page's bands and published his music on its label, also praises the likes of the Greek neo-nazi party, the Golden Dawn in its blog. It calls opponents of the Golden Dawn "neo fascists".

And expressions of solidarity with the Greek "POWs", as white supremacists view rightwing Greek extremists arrested in street battles with Greek authorities, can be found on websites such as hammerskins.net, home of the Hammerskin Nation, described on its website as:

"[A] leaderless group of men and women who have adopted the White Power Skinhead lifestyle. We are blue collar workers, white collar professionals, college students, entrepreneurs, fathers and mothers. The Hammerskin brotherhood is way of achieving goals which we have all set for ourselves. These goals are many but can be summed up with one phrase consisting of 14 words: We must secure the existence of our people and a future for White Children."

In one reported photo of Wade Michael Page, a large tattoo on his left arm displays the celtic cross, a common white supremacist symbol, with the number "14" covering it. That number is often used by white supremacists to refer to the "14 words", mentioned in the above Hammerskin Nation statement.

The Hammerskin Nation is widely viewed by watch groups such as the Southern Poverty Law Center as a violent "racist skinhead" organization. The Anti-Defamation League notes the Hammerskins have "chapters scattered worldwide", and that they "advocate using violence to achieve their goals". The Hammerskin Nation website provides a forum to connect the worldwide network of white supremacist and neo-nazi groups.

Another Hammerskin connection to Page is in a photo showing members of the band Definite Hate, a band in which Page was a member. In the photo, band members can be seen wearing Hammerskin Nation t-shirts.

Further, on a graphic Definite Hate album cover, one showing a white, tattooed fist punching the face of a dark-skinned man (knocking his eye out), the white fist has the letters "HFFH" tattooed on the fingers. HFFH is an acronym known to be used by white supremacists for "Hammerskin Forever, Forever Hammerskin".

In a statement released today, label56.com, which indicated it had cleansed the site of Page's albums, said the site had "worked hard over the years to promote a positive image" and did not endorse Wade Page's actions at the Sikh temple.