Now we must act.
Beginning Saturday, October 3rd, gather and bring your family, friends, and community into the public squares of cities and towns across the country in non-violent protest unified by the demand: Trump/Pence OUTNOW!
This is our single unifying mission and goal. We come to this position from many different life experiences, political viewpoints, and hopes for a different future than the horrible one that is being welded into place right before our eyes. And we are determined to accomplish this mission. The world is counting on us. But to do that, we’re going to have to learn to do new things and work together in new ways.
We need to organize the many thousands, and develop the right forms for bringing together all kinds of people with their different skills and talents, experience and vision.
How can we do this?
There are thousands right now who are ready to step forward, but they do not know there is a way to do that, and they do not know there is an organization that can lead it. We have to be that organized force and reach out to everyone.
Each person who steps forward has something to contribute, and there are many needs that cry out to be filled.
How to get started?
Everyone can take the Call for October 3 It Begins to people you know, or reach out to people you don’t know, through social media and out to the public wherever people can be found.
We need many different ideas on how to spread the word and organize the thousands to take to the streets. Those who have more experience in this kind of protest don’t know everything about how to do this. We have to have a spirit of learning from each other, and forging something new.
I’m already committed to a group that is working for social justice. Where will I find the time?
We have to do both and find the ways to work together. And if it is better for you to work within your group and act as a sort of bridge, that would be great. But if we don’t drive out this regime, the rights we are supposed to have now will be ripped away and all struggles for justice and change will be terribly set back.
I’m a little worried about going out on my own. Can I be part of a group, first, to “see how it’s done?” and then be able to bring a lot more people into this movement?
Some people might feel that they want to be part of a group that is working on one of the many ways that we have to go out and bring people into the protests. We can pull people together to do this. Working together in this way helps to bring everyone’s ideas into the mix, and also to solve the challenges we confront as we do this.
But people can also work alone, and report back.
FInding ways for people to work together, to stay in touch daily live and through social media are challenges that we will work on solving at the mass meetings the weekend of September 26 to plan for the month of October. In every city and town, we are going to have a place, even if just a park at first, where people can come back every day to report on what they have experienced, and where people can learn from others on how it’s going, and new ways to reach out. We will also have ways that people can plug in to report and learn when you can’t come there. Bring your concerns and your ideas for how we can work together.
What do I say when people argue that this is not what we should be doing right now?
First, everyone of us can say why they think this is what is needed, why they are putting their energies into organizing people to make this happen. . But we have the Call and other materials on RefuseFascism.org that make the case. Use them to put before people the reality we face, the danger that is coming to a head with this election, and why this is the only way we can bring this fascist coup to a halt. Then report back and together we will talk and learn more about how to make the case, and win more people to join us in the streets.
I’m a little worried about being out there day after day—how do I juggle this with my other commitments?
As long as there are people, in growing numbers who step in, there will be ways to bring in everyone’s contributions according to their situations. And as our organization gets stronger, we’ll be able to help people maximize their contributions.
How are we going to have protests day by day, every day? What if I live in a place that is far from the center of the protest?
We are going to need to have some things that we all agree to do together so that the force of our unified action does not get weakened by everyone going off to do their own thing. At the same time, we do need to have many people contributing and doing what they know best, and bringing that back into our common mission.