Impeachment…Acts of War Against Iran…
In this moment of conspicuous change, our actions, our daring, our determination, could change the whole game.
This is an excerpt from guidance sent by the national leadership of RefuseFascism.org to chapters and organizers in preparation for mass meetings on January 4 and 5.
We enter the new year at a time of great volatility with the impeachment of Trump sharpening up the conflict at the highest levels of US government with profound international reverberations. Ominously, on January 2, Trump ordered – and the U.S. military carried out – the assassination by missile strike the high ranking Iranian military leader Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani at the Baghdad airport. This is a major and extremely dangerous move with repercussions here and around the world.
This is a moment of conspicuous change – yes at the top of the US government, and between nations. It is at such a moment that our actions, our daring, our determination can have potentially historic impact.
2019 saw a global wave of massive and sustained protests all over the world that took on, and in many cases drove out, hated regimes. No less is needed here. Our mission and our promise to the people of the world now is to launch, inspire, and provide direction to the #OUTNOW! Movement of sustained non-violent broad based mass protest for the single demand: TRUMP/PENCE OUT NOW!
It is a very big deal and a very good thing that Trump has been impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives. This has had a positive impact on the mood and thinking of many people – breaking down some of the resignation that people have felt that he couldn’t be removed. There is some beginning shift towards getting in the streets to demand Trump’s removal, this too must be seized and built upon.
Already there is a high stakes battle over the terms of a Senate Trial of Donald Trump with Nancy Pelosi refusing to send the impeachment articles to the Senate for trial until Mitch McConnell agrees to call new witnesses. This after Mc Connell brazenly said this will not be an impartial trial and bragged of coordinating the whole affair with Trump himself.
No one can say in advance just how much sharper the domestic and international contention will become. No one can say in advance exactly how deeply this impeachment is going to reverberate and impact the masses of people here and around the world. But we can say that if the people take up the kind of massive, sustained, nonviolent protest demanding the ouster of the whole regime that RefuseFascism.org and the #OUTNOW! Movement are fighting for, this could change the whole game.
We must be alert to developments as they unfold, seizing on the crisis at the top of society to build the struggle from below to demand not only the removal of Trump but the ouster of the whole regime. We must carry out our January plans with the orientation of seizing all the ground we can towards bringing forward the thousands, tens of thousands growing to hundreds of thousands and then millions out into the streets to protest again and again and again demanding the whole Trump/Pence Regime must be #OUTNOW until this demand is met. Whether or not this month becomes a moment when what was impossible yesterday, becomes possible now, will only be determined if we step out and lead with the mission of #OUTNOW! infused with the great moral and political stand of RefuseFascism: In the Name of Humanity, We Refuse to Accept a Fascist America!
With all this in mind, it will be important for us to use these next couple of days to turn as many people out for the mass organizing meetings we are hosting around the country this weekend. RefuseFascism.org should join in protests this weekend against the recent military action/assassinations by the Trump/Pence regime which are arguably acts of war and war crimes opposing this aggression and put forth the mission of #OUTNOW!, the full January Plan, and invite people to the meetings this weekend.
We should call forward all those who stepped forward into the #OUTNOW Movement during the protests we began last October and all those newly energized that we have met through the recent impeachment marches. We should also put a special focus on inviting and organizing young people – from the high schools, the college campuses, the oppressed communities, and those who were active in the climate protests – as well as broader organized forces (religious and others).
Then, at these meetings, we should roll up our sleeves together to wrangle with this historic moment, its potential, and make plans.