July 21, Evening of Conscience
Immanuel Presbyterian Church
Free the #Freeway9 and #UCLA5
It’s right to sound the alarm against fascism!
Choose a side or history will choose for you.
The #Freeway9 and #UCLA5 are heroes facing criminal charges for blocking the 101 Freeway in the Fall of 2017 and for disrupting the fascist Steve Mnuchin at UCLA in the Spring of 2018. These actions – for which the defendants are facing years in jail and several thousand dollars in fines – were aimed at sounding the alarm against the Trump/Pence Fascist regime, responding to a call from Refuse Fascism for a movement of millions to drive this regime from power through mass, sustained, nonviolent protest in the streets.When your government is torturing immigrants in concentration camps, gutting the rule of law, taking away the right to abortion… consolidating a fascist America… Should you do nothing? Or should you stop business as usual?
Choose what side you’re on, or history will choose for you.
Hear from the defendants, voices of conscience and artists on the stakes of these cases, the dangerous precedents being set, why these heroes should be defended and what it means to act commensurate with the dangers to humanity posed by the Trump/Pence fascist regime.
This Nightmare Must End: The Trump/Pence Regime Must Go!
In the Name of Humanity, We REFUSE to Accept a Fascist America
Program
MC’s: Michelle Xai, Refuse Fascism, LA; member of the National Tour to Get Organized for an Actual Revolution, UCLA5 defendant, originally charged with conspiracy in the Freeway 9 case; Annie Day, member of the National Tour to Get Organized for an Actual Revolution
WELCOME: Rev. Andrew Schwiebert from Immanuel Presbyterian Church
INVOCATION: Rev. Cecil L. “Chip” Murray
VIDEO CLIP: Bob Avakian, from the speech: The Trump/Pence Regime Must Go! In the Name of Humanity, We REFUSE to Accept a Fascist America. A Better World Is Possible.
READING OF THE REFUSE FASCISM CALL: Chantelle Hershberger, defendant in the Freeway 9 case and Michelle Xai
WHY I GOT ON THE FREEWAY: Chantelle Hershberger
VIDEO CLIP: support statement from Norwood Fisher, from Fishbone
WHY I GOT ON THE FREEWAY: Alex Hernandez, defendant in the Freeway 9 case, member of Revolution Club, LA and part of the National Revolution Tour
MUSIC: Peter Alsop and Ellen Geer
COMMENTS: Stephen Rohde, Chair of Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace and retired civil rights lawyer
VIDEO CLIP: Bob Avakian, from the Trump/Pence Must Go! speech
POETRY: Reg E. Gaines, poet and playwright
COMMENTS: Rev. Frank Wulf, Pastor in Charge of Echo Park United Methodist Church, member of Refuse Fascism’s Faith Task Force
COMMENTS: Isabel Cardenas, Salvadoran-American Community Activist and co-initiator of Refuse Fascism
CLOSING REMARKS: Chantelle Hershberger