RefuseFascism organizers:
On November 4, 2017, It Begins: Many thousands of people taking to the streets and public squares in cities and towns across this country. Protest that will continue day after day and night after night – growing in numbers and not stopping – until our DEMAND is met:
This Nightmare Must End: The Trump/Pence Regime Must Go!
A movement of great breadth, involving people and organizations who are inspired by and acting in unity with the orientation of RefuseFascism’s slogan:
In the Name of Humanity, We REFUSE to Accept a Fascist America!
We face an extreme situation that requires an extraordinary struggle to change. Only the determined struggle of millions of people acting together with courage and conviction can drive the Trump/Pence Fascist Regime from power. Nothing short of this will stop the nightmare fast being imposed on people all over the world and on the planet itself.
So, what is the plan to mobilize, organize and prepare for this historic and sustained mass, political protest?
Every individual and group who refuses to accept a fascist America can and should play an active and meaningful role in mobilizing, organizing and preparing for November 4. The plan consists of the key dimensions outlined below:
1. SPREAD the WORD, ORGANIZE PEOPLE and GROUPS, and RAISE FUNDS! (Ongoing) These are ways that everyone can get to work right away to make November 4 a success:
a) Spread the slogans and the date far and wide:
NOV 4, IT BEGINS
This Nightmare Must End: The Trump/Pence Regime Must Go!
In the Name of Humanity, We REFUSE to Accept a Fascist America!
This includes posters, stickers, flyers, chalking, light projections, banner drops, radio call-ins, social media, church bulletins, announcements at events, and much, much more.
b) Distribute and publish the Call for November 4 to students, religious congregations, professional organizations, and everywhere people gather. Everyone should be involved in getting out hundreds of thousands of copies of the Call for Nov 4.
c) Donate and raise funds. Mobilizing millions of people will require millions of dollars. Donating and raising funds is one of the most impactful ways that people can strengthen the November 4th movement. It forges community and it is something that everyone can and should take up. From shaking donation cans on the street to calling individuals for major donations, to house-parties and yard-sales and other activities, the possibilities are endless. Current crowd-funding campaign. Chapters in the major cities should raise at least $10,000 each by Sept 15 and smaller chapters should set their own goals and fight through. If you need help going to people who are in a position to give larger donations please contact the National Office.
d) Use the Indictments of the Crimes of the Trump/Pence Regime to educate, organize, and stage political protests that provoke people broadly to understand the emergency we face and the extraordinary struggle to redress it. Every protest should build for November 4. Get bundles of the new pamphlet with these Indictments out to classrooms, congregations and many other places. Use the enlargements/panels of these indictments out on the street, as visual installations at religious social hours and street fairs, and to confront representatives of the Regime, its supporters, and media who normalize the regime. Take pictures and video to share on social media and send to: [email protected].
e) Reach out to organizations, communities, and networks and ask them to endorse and build for November 4. Request a meeting to discuss their endorsement and how they will participate in mobilizing their networks for November 4.
2. Put November 4 It Begins… on the map! A concentrated focus between now and September 14: We need to create a real buzz and growing intrigue about November 4. This should be done in a way that builds organization and involvement of growing numbers of people and groups. This includes very broad distribution of materials as well as things that garner media-attention. Chalking, banner-drops, social media, disruptive protest that announces Nov 4, ads, and many other creative expressions. On Sept 5 (and possibly several days after), chapters should undertake coordinated nighttime light-projections announcing Nov 4 in attention-getting places. This should involve new people going out with the projectionists and getting out materials.
3. Students and campuses (special focus Sept 14-31): Students have played a major role in almost every movement for social and political change and this is needed now more than ever. White Supremacy, Immigrant Rights, the Environment, Gender – all the “Nightmares” – and standing up against fascism, student organizing should start now and be ongoing up to and beyond Nov 4. The Indictment pamphlet and large panels should feature prominently in plans – in classrooms, as large installations on campus – including ideas like teach-ins that take place over 24 hours on the campus quads.
Nation-wide focus on the campuses from Sept 14 though Sept 31, with a focal point in Berkeley.
Because of the critical role of students and the universities, fascists of all stripes – from outrageous provocateurs, to “intellectual” hitmen, to open white supremacists – are targeting the campuses. It is critical that students around the country be mobilized very broadly to defeat these attacks and – most importantly – do so in as part building towards Nov 4 to drive out the fascist Trump/Pence Regime.
The Battle for Berkeley will be focus because major fascist operatives are planning a sustained assault on the University of California Berkeley campus (Ben Shapiro to speak on Sept 14, and Milo Yiannopoulis, and possibly other fascists, scheduled to speak later in the month). Special mobilization and plans will be developed. Contact [email protected] to get involved with the November 4 National Student/Youth Task Force.
4. Inter Faith weekend (early October) and organizing faith communities: Faith leaders and faith communities should discuss and endorse the Call for November 4, and find many ways to mobilize for it among their networks. This should include mobilizing participation in the protests as well as forms of structural support to the Nov 4 Movement once it’s underway. As a focal point in raising their voices publicly in the run-up to November 4 and mobilizing their community to participate, a Faith Weekend is planned for early October. Reflections and sermons in faith gatherings of all kinds should be offered to build for November 4 and outdoor mass interfaith prayers and gatherings should be held.
5. October 23 Mass Organizing Conferences followed by two final weeks of all-out outreach and nightly trainings to prepare people in key tasks. These conferences should bring together large numbers of people to get organized and mobilized for a final all-out two week push to take the buzz about November 4 to a whole new level, to involve an even greater rung of organized groupings and individuals, and to finalize and train people to fill all the necessary posts to make November 4 and what it must unleash a success (legal, medical, and other logistical support). These two weeks should be filled with mass trainings of various kinds. Note: this work should not wait until the final two weeks, but a plan must be in place to massively expand the ranks of those trained and prepared to assist in various key ways.