On May 21, 2019, Refuse Fascism activists were in the streets with thousands around the country (see photo-roundup of the protests at Harpers) protesting recently passed, draconian bans on abortion in several states. Refuse Fascism activists went into these protests with the orientation of: Every fascist move by the Trump/Pence regime should be met by more struggle and involve more and more people and diverse political forces opposed to the moves of this regime. And this struggle needs to be aiming at and preparing for nothing less than driving out the whole regime.
Correspondence from San Francisco
![](https://refusefascism.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/SF-students-abortion-handmaids-e1558626608772.jpg)
We did do a lot of work building for this. About 15 – 18 or so people came to the Refuse Fascism gathering point, and then marched about a block across the big plaza to the rally at the steps of City Hall. The people who came were some of the women who have been at repeated RF handmaids actions – many of them felt the urgent need to do something at this juncture. There were a few new people who came from the lists and social media calls. And there were a couple women who joined on the spot (and a lot of support from people especially women passing by.)
The march across the plaza, with chants over a bullhorn, did get the attention of the press as well as the rally at the steps of city hall,which had already started. The handmaids marched through the crowd (200-300) and stationed themselves on the steps in a prominent position.
The speakers at the rally overall were not very good. About 5 SF Supervisors spoke, a representative from Planned Parenthood. Some other city government linked organizations. The big “announcement” from the SF Supervisor who was apparently the main driving force behind this event was that SF would be officially calling for an economic boycott of the states passing abortion bans – no SF city funds could be spent in those states. Some of the SF Supervisors were impassioned about abortion rights. One of the speakers, probably the best one, mentioned the presence of the handmaids, said that this was not just a cultural reference but was a sign of how serious things have gotten. This was the only reference to the handmaids from the front of the rally – and the only indirect reference to fascism.
Several of the speakers did strongly make the point that this is not about life, but is about controlling women. But none of the speakers called for anything outside of normal channels, some said “we know how to respond to this, we have done this before.” They have stuck to capitulation as this assault on abortion has grown strength over decades! They have NOT stopped it at all, ever, and now it is a fascist steamroller that they do not even dare to confront.
Refuse Fascism talked to high school students about the situation – that we could not rely on the Democrats in relation to abortion or in relation to the fascist regime. That it is on us. The students had not planned to do anything after the rally, but RF discussed with them whether there should be a march or speakout. They wanted to march. They put on the orange RF stickers. They got copies of the chant sheet and after the rally ended, one of the students called on people to march to defend abortion rights. And a section of the crowd did march – a march which went for perhaps a mile to Powell and Market, which concluded with a speakout. There were middle school students on the march as well, and there are statements from them as well as the high school students on twitter and facebook.
Students have left the rally and are taking the message to the streets abortion on demand and without apology who’s body my body who is future our future. pic.twitter.com/Arg2RP8THw
— RefuseFascismSF (@SFRefuseFascism) May 21, 2019
The march was a quick paced march, the agitators were the students, using the chants they liked from the RF chant sheet but also adding their own. The chants they did give a sense of their thinking. At the start of the march, they started with this one from the chant sheet (they decided this not at the urging of our organizers, but after looking at the chant sheet): “Forced motherhood is a crime, into the streets, now is the time!” The student agitators liked “Abortion ban? no way! no fascist USA!” but they had a harder time getting people to take it up, and so did not continue. Then we suggested “Abortion ban, hell no, trump/pence MUST Go!” and they took it up and later, did it again- this one the people marching also also took it up. They took up “Abortion Rights Must Stay Trump Pence Go Away!” And “2020 is too late, women must control our fate, Trump and Pence must go!” They also brought in these chants: “Our body our choice!” “Not the Church, not the state, we must decide our fate!” and “Our future, our future, our future!”
![](https://refusefascism.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/sf-handmaids-05212019.jpg)
Along the march, you could see older white and black people looking at the youth, smiling, and you could see them sort of shocked awake, surprised it seemed to see these really young women in the streets like this, with great energy and passion, and glad this was happening.
At the end at the speak out, someone from Revolution Books agitated about 5-2-6 and called on people to be part of making revolution. At the very end, Refuse Fascism led everyone in a call and response with the RF pledge, and called on people to join RF, and be part of organizing to demand thru mass determined struggle, that this nightmare must end, theTrump/Pence regime must go!.
If you listen to the students speaking, you see that there is a tremendous amount of energy and a certain sense of being forced to step into politics because they feel the enormity of what is unfolding, what it means for their lives, and they refuse to accept it. But politically, the framework they see things through is largely the liberal politics of abortion.
![](https://refusefascism.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/handmaids-sf-city-hall-180x300.jpg)
There are also some things to sum up in relation to people other than the youth. I spoke to several women from Marin who were angry that there were not more people in the streets- which they see as urgently needed at this point – though not clear about the Democrats. They said they had looked all over Marin County for a protest and had not found one, so they had come to SF. They want to relate to RF, which they had never heard of. They were saying that the SF rally was not well-publicized – which is true – and it had been called at the very last minute, just a few days before it was going to happen. This was also the sentiment of a few others at the rally.
One woman who has come out with RF to several handmaids actions, but who had not wanted to step in and help organize things, had some interesting things to say. She said that this is an extremely urgent moment – she was not just talking about the attacks on abortion, but the larger picture with impeachment being up, the Mueller report, all that is happening. She said that we should not let the question of impeachment become something like what happened with the Mueller report – an excuse for people to sit back and wait for those in power to do something. She wants to act now. And was arguing that we need to do things like civil disobedience.
Too many of us think that we can wear down the regime with resistance to each outrage, but consider this. A few weeks ago, it was unthinkable that the separation of children from their parents at the border would fall away from the public conscience. But then the next shock came, and look what’s happened….
How do we win victories under these siege conditions? By realizing and internalizing that a rare thing has occurred: though removing Trump and Pence won’t solve all these problems in a stroke, it is now the single necessary precondition for moving forward on any of them.
From The Trump/Pence Regime is Accelerating on a Collision Course with Humanity
There was some disagreement raised by a few of the handmaids about RF addressing “outside issues” instead of just focusing on the abortion fight. RF did lead this (and frankly it is not good but speaks to the situation we are in that there is no force in this area except RF that is trying to bring forward handmaids at this point) and did clearly bring out Trump and Pence must go! And this was on a banner and signs. If anything it should have been stronger. And this fascist framework is something that you can see that the high school students do not understand. And, if they did, they would very much want to do something about. (That these students came out, and then with the assistance of RF, acted to take the streets, and how to carry this forward, is the big positive challenge of the day.)
RF locally has made plans to do a fundraising dinner at a local taqueria probably next Thursday. Also there are other events that RF should be part of. But there was a crack in the juggernaut in a small way – which could get wider – and not just in relation to the question of abortion. Including among the youth. So this is an important thing emerging.