September 5—A Solid Beginning and the Major Challenges Ahead

September 7, 2020 | revcom.us

Chicago

Demanding the fascist Trump/Pence regime be ousted from power, around 1,700 people manifested nationwide on Saturday, September 5, in mass non-violent protest in 20 cities, from New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles to Philadelphia, Houston, Boston, and even Orlando where people courageously defied the fascist thugs. Go here to see clips and photos from the various protests, and the media coverage, both national and local.

This represented a solid and real beginning for the 60 days of struggle called by Refuse Fascism:

On September 5th, we must make a LIVING DECLARATION to the world that we are uniting, we are organizing, we are determined, we are preparing to struggle with all we’ve got, starting now and not stopping until the Trump/Pence regime is driven from power and its fascist program brought to a halt.

The voices joining in unison were diverse and they were urgent. For example, one was Pastor Cruz, from Trinity Lutheran Church, Sunset Park, in New York City, an immigrant area deeply affected by the ICE raids escalated by the fascist regime.

My dear sisters and brothers, we are in as you all know a deep, deep, criminal and evil enterprise in the White House, which requires more than simple reform…. It’s an urgent, urgent matter. Let’s work without ceasing until this demonic administration is out. “Power to the People.”

Across the country, there was a real sense of bringing strands of struggles together—against police murder and the oppression of Black people, against the oppression of immigrants, and the oppression of women and LGBTQ people—and a sense that Trump is a nightmare for humanity.

NYC: Calling out Trump’s backing for the fascist Bolsonaro regime in Brazil, joining to demand Bolsonaro and Trump/Pence Out Now!

The group Defend Democracy in Brazil, who brought their signs to join the NYC rally, spoke to the planet burning from climate change, and how four more years of Trump can't be tolerated because of what that would mean for the planet. An anti-war and gay rights activist brought out some important lessons from both struggles and the power of the masses of people in the streets, saying, “We stopped the war, the Vietnam War. We, the anti-war movement stopped that war with the solidarity with the Vietnamese people. We did that by being in the street. The president resigned, that was Johnson.” A speaker from Black Trans Liberation made a rousing speech about how Black Trans lives are being ignored and how Black people will not be able to “run away to Canada” come November if this regime holds onto power.

The Revolution Club was part of the protests in NYC, Chicago, and Los Angeles, bringing forth the reality of Trump and this fascist regime as a product of this system of capitalism-imperialism, and of the need for revolution, and from this standpoint, what Bob Avakian says in his Statement, ON THE IMMEDIATE CRITICAL SITUATION, THE URGENT NEED TO DRIVE OUT THE FASCIST TRUMP/PENCE REGIME, VOTING IN THIS ELECTION, AND THE FUNDAMENTAL NEED FOR REVOLUTION: “Right now, for everyone who is concerned with ending injustice and oppression, and with the question of whether humanity will have a future worth living—or will have a future at all—removing the Trump/Pence fascist regime from power is an immediate, urgent question and truly historic imperative.”

A middle-aged white woman came “to be with like-minded people, and stand with anti-fascist forces.” She said Trump’s unleashing of fascist thugs “scares her shitless,” but she won’t let it stop her from protesting. A white guy in his 20s had a “Trump-ism is Fascism” sign. He feels huge protests like Europe are needed here, and said especially as a white person he feels a responsibility to be part of efforts to drive out Trump and Pence because of the white supremacy they are whipping up. A Black man from a Chicago suburb said he was furious about Trump calling dead soldiers “losers,” and added, “I hope what Trump said about the troops shows you he doesn’t care about any of us.” He was wearing a T-shirt that upheld the importance of science.

People came from many different perspectives, stemming from their hatred of Trump, the white supremacy and the fascist thugs, or other driving policies of the fascist regime and the overall “danger to democracy.” People got a deeper sense of the existential danger represented by the regime. A deeper sense of what is needed—right now—in mass political resistance especially in the wake of Trump’s threats to delay and de-legitimize the elections or stay in power despite a loss.

Speaking for Refuse Fascism nationally, Sunsara Taylor, a member of the National Revolution Tour currently in Los Angeles, talked about the qualitative change in the form of rule represented by fascism, and what it means for the masses of people. She talked about Trump posing with “a sheriff who openly advocated throwing a whole generation of Black people into warehouses, preventing them from having children, and holding them until they all died off and then turning the warehouses into shopping malls. Trump posed with this Nazi AFTER these comments were made public.” She went on to say, “That is genocide, pure and simple, and as Bob Avakian has said in a new series which everyone here should read at revcom.us, Donald Trump Is a Genocidal Racist.”

Going into September 5, revcom.us has featured many of the endorsements and messages of support such as from actor Jodie Sweetin, from musicians Arturo O’Farrill and Lalah Hathaway, from Cornel West, from the faith community like Bishop Greer, Rev. Brashear, Rev. Woolf, and Torah Trumps Hate... All of these are extremely positive “shoots” and need to be marshaled for what is needed: reaching millions and millions more, mobilizing them for the 60 days of struggle, and the mass sustained non-violent protests leading into the elections.

The message is clear, righteous and resounding with prominent voices of support that can help amplify and spread it; and there are beginning cores from sections of society that have come forth and been organized through September 5th. A very powerful moment in many places was “taking the pledge.”

Carl Dix, speaking for Refuse Fascism, said, “This is not a one-day show. We didn’t call you out to register that you don’t like Donald Trump and then to go back home and wait to see what happened. We called you out here to be the beginning core of the force that is going to reach out and enlist others, that’s going to mobilize others, that’s going to organize others, to take up this 60 days of defiant resistance.”

The challenge begins! To realize the full vision of what Refuse Fascism has called for... go to RefuseFascism.org.