Millions have now seen a viral photograph from Reuters showing a commuter train in DC filled with white supremacists from Patriot Front – white masks and sunglasses replacing Klan hoods – and one lone Black woman sitting quietly in her seat. The image is terrifying. Meanwhile, Trump gave speeches on July 3 and 4th full of lies and distortions about the real history of this country, while the Trump fascist regime, fresh on the heels of several Supreme Court decisions giving more backing to their attacks on immigrants and LGBTQ+ people, celebrated their grotesque white supremacist, male supremacist, xenophobic vision of America.
It’s likely that many people around the country chose not to celebrate this Fourth of July, wondering what there is to celebrate. Some – though too few – took to the streets to project a different country, with drastically different values, than the hateful program the fascist Trump/MAGA movement is fighting to consolidate.
Refuse Fascism’s rally and march to The White House told the truth about what we are facing and projected a positive way forward: raising the demand Trump Must Go Now, calling people to join a movement to drive out the Trump Fascist Regime. To say, “In the Name of Humanity, We Refuse to Accept a Fascist America.”
From WUSA 9
“It’s on us. We have to wrench the future out of the hands of these fascists, nonviolently, yes, but with courage, with conviction and with as much determination, if not more, as they have to slam all of humanity backwards,” said Sam Goldman with Refuse Fascism.
“We all have to unite for all these things that we see that are not normal. We cannot pretend that nothing is happening and we cannot stay silent,” said Tony Guardad with Refuse Fascism.
A volunteer with Refuse Fascism DMV said, “The protest came about after a lot of discussion in the DMV chapter about the significance of America 250 and how we should respond. We looked at the fascism of the regime’s Christian Prayer Rally, which declared that this country must be forcefully transformed into a Christian Theocracy, with a special target being trans youth. We protested the fascist hyper-masculinity of the UFC fight at the White House on June 14 which broke into national and international media and worked with the national office of Refuse Fascism for a week of opposition to the main events of America 250 July 1-4.”
On July 1, Refuse Fascism held a press conference and speak out in front of the National Museum of African American History and Culture called America 250: No to Whitewashing History. The censorship and erasure of the history of slavery and genocide is a key part of the Trump fascist program – rewriting the past to dominate the future.
Dispatch from Daniel, from Refuse Fascism NYC
I attended yesterday’s (7/4) Refuse Fascism rally and march at McPherson Square in Washington D.C. Despite the vicious temperatures, around 100 determined activists joined the action. This action sought to wake up an unfortunately still snoring populace to the urgent fascist threat that this Trump Fascist Regime poses to humanity, and to elevate the only message that recognizes this reality: Trump Must Go Now! The speakers (members of Refuse Fascism’s National Board, Refuse Fascism DMV organizers, and a spokesperson from the Revcom Corps for the Emancipation of Humanity) weaved a series of powerful speeches detailing the present situation, highlighting the regime’s historical erasure of Black military history, or any version of history that challenges White Supremacy and/or Misogyny, and the deportation and detention of Black and Brown immigrants, some even citizens, in concentration camps. Additionally, they conveyed that the people, even if they disagree politically, must unite in the face of this fascist threat, and that, finally, it was important for people, even in this weather, to come out and march anyway, to take their power back, to send an important message to the still sleeping masses in this country: Wake Up! Attendees took the powerful Refuse Fascism pledge, raising dozens of fists in defiance against a consolidating fascist America. After the speeches and pledge, the march to the White House began.
The visuals were stunning. We had two beautiful banners; the wider banner in front had the potent message: “Trump Must Go Now!”, whereas the taller banner in the back had the title for the action: “America at 250: Ruled by a Fascist Regime.” In spite of the blistering heat, people still brought that fierce energy, still chanting that infectious, yet necessary demand throughout the trek to the White House. Also, some marchers were carrying umbrellas with different letters attached to the tips; combined, these umbrellas, when opened, spelled out the message “Trump Must Go Now!” We ended up taking a compelling photo in front of the White House, with the umbrellas open, and the banners in the background, an excellent way to get this urgent demand out on social media! Finally, we marched back to McPherson Square, ending with a call to join Refuse Fascism and get involved in a bigger way! This was a successful event that broadcast our critical demand out to folks, an important step towards ultimately building the infrastructure we need to remove this Trump Fascist Regime from power in the future. Thanks to all who organized the action and to all who came out!
Another protest in DC on July 4, under the banner of “We the People,” carried a giant constitution through the streets.
And in Philadelphia, veterans led a march of hundreds against fascism, a few days after an active duty member of the Air Force, Jason Watson, courageously called for Donald Trump and JD Vance to be impeached, convicted, and removed from office from the Capitol steps.
Read and spread this statement from the Refuse Fascism Leadership Board.