July 31, 2018
WBAI Evening News coverage of the NYC Handmaid’s Tale protests featured parts of speeches from Refuse Fascism co-initiator Sunsara Taylor and Patricia Okoumou (from Rise and Resist).
Sunsara Taylor: I’m a big fan of the Handmaid’s Tale. But one thing that has always bothered me, in the Hulu version, not the book. And that is in the Hulu version the fascist theocracy has overthrown the American government. And the American flag and the American anthem are still a symbol of freedom. I think this is not fundamentally true. American fascism is coming wrapped in the flag, wrapped in “America First” and it has its roots in the soil of this country in slavery, patriarchy, genocide of native peoples and all the rest.
Patricia Okoumou: My work will not end with the 4th of July…It is an atrocity to imagine in the United States of America that in this 21st century we are using children as bait for political reasons for political gain. Enough is enough! We will not be silent!