May 5 On Thursday May 4, Refuse Fascism joined with Rise and Resist and other groups at the Intrepid to protest Trump’s first appearance in New York City since the Inauguration. Together with about 700 people we provided the illegitimate fascist-in-chief with a very fitting “welcome.” He was met with very spirited chants, including “No Trump, NO KKK, No Fascist USA!” and “There is no planet B…Drive out the Trump regime!” Other protesters rallied outside of Trump Tower. We distributed stickers and signs reading “NO! Drive out the Trump/Pence Regime!” in several languages. People brought creative signs and visuals, and many enthusiastically took up the NO! signs.
We brought out our larger-than-life Trump puppet, which rightfully portrays his orange face wearing a KKK hood. We paraded him around while announcing, “The president has arrived!”
Scores of people had come out to protest against Trumpcare, but as the night went on, we were able to tap into protesters’ deep hatred for this regime and challenged people to unite under the single goal of driving Trump/Pence out of power. Many began outwardly expressing that this regime has to go! There were people there who were becoming politically active for the first time. A group of high school students came, and one said, “We know a lot of people at our school who are very affected by Trump’s policies, so that’s why we felt it was really important for us to be here.” Lots of talented resisters brought pots, pans, drums, and even a trumpet, to make tons of noise. Some volunteers from the chapter spoke out about the nature of this fascist regime, which is now seeking to deny healthcare to millions, establishing rape as a “pre-existing condition,” and pushing forward an official “license to discriminate.”
It was inspiring to see how many people were attracted to the mission of driving out this entire regime. We were heartened to be able to reach the hundreds who protested with us, as well as thousands more through the media coverage. We continue to work to bring the message “NO! In the name of humanity we REFUSE to accept a fascist America” throughout the world, and led our fellow protesters in taking this pledge to action. Hundreds of New Yorkers rose to the challenge on Thursday by demanding that Trump be driven out of NYC and out of the White House.
But many more should have been there. From the Refuse Fascism Call to Action: “Protest and resistance continues against the many attacks on the people by the Trump/Pence administration. This must grow broader, deeper, and more determined. This resistance is righteous and necessary, but it is not sufficient.” Silence = normalization.
Hundreds Protest Trump’s Return to NYC as Fascist President
this article first appeared on Revolution/revcom.us
May 4—On Donald Trump’s return to New York City for the first time since becoming president, hundreds came out to express their anger at the Trump/Pence regime’s fascist attacks on immigrants, women, health care, the LGBTQ community, and more. The main demonstration was organized across from the Intrepid—a U.S. aircraft carrier that is now a “Sea, Air & Space Museum” on Manhattan’s West Side—where Trump gave a speech. The police kept people penned in along the edge of an entire block of the street. Drivers in cars and trucks going by honked their horns in support almost constantly, for hours. One of the main organizers was Rise and Resist, NYC—last month, 26 of their members were arrested inside Trump Tower after dropping a banner to condemn the crimes being carried out against immigrants. A large group from Refuse Fascism was also there, helping to lead chants and with a huge NO! banner and dozens of NO! signs that were taken up by the crowd.
One protester, a U.S. military veteran and daughter of a Honduran immigrant, came with a group called #VetsVsHate, made up of veterans “who won’t tolerate the politics of bigotry.” Underlining the gravity of the situation, she said, “We’re in an era where popular fascism is a global epidemic.” There were close to a dozen high school students there from Beacon High School in Manhattan. One of the students said, “These are scary times. As a woman, and as a feminist, I’m afraid for our rights.” Another said, talking about the immigrants in their school, “I just want them to know that we’re here for you. We fought this long battle for civil rights. We thought we’d changed all these rights we thought we were going to have. And we’re not going back in time…. We need to show that we still care, and that our voice isn’t lost.”
May 4—On Donald Trump’s return to New York City for the first time since becoming president, hundreds came out to express their anger at the Trump/Pence regime’s fascist attacks on immigrants, women, health care, the LGBTQ community, and more. The main demonstration was organized across from the Intrepid—a U.S. aircraft carrier that is now a “Sea, Air & Space Museum” on Manhattan’s West Side—where Trump gave a speech. The police kept people penned in along the edge of an entire block of the street. Drivers in cars and trucks going by honked their horns in support almost constantly, for hours. One of the main organizers was Rise and Resist, NYC—last month, 26 of their members were arrested inside Trump Tower after dropping a banner to condemn the crimes being carried out against immigrants. A large group from Refuse Fascism was also there, helping to lead chants and with a huge NO! banner and dozens of NO! signs that were taken up by the crowd.
One protester, a U.S. military veteran and daughter of a Honduran immigrant, came with a group called #VetsVsHate, made up of veterans “who won’t tolerate the politics of bigotry.” Underlining the gravity of the situation, she said, “We’re in an era where popular fascism is a global epidemic.” There were close to a dozen high school students there from Beacon High School in Manhattan. One of the students said, “These are scary times. As a woman, and as a feminist, I’m afraid for our rights.” Another said, talking about the immigrants in their school, “I just want them to know that we’re here for you. We fought this long battle for civil rights. We thought we’d changed all these rights we thought we were going to have. And we’re not going back in time…. We need to show that we still care, and that our voice isn’t lost.”