Hundreds of Thousands Around the World Step Out Against Ignorance and for Science and Truth

These are times when science and the very notions of truth and reason are under furious assault from fascists in power in the U.S. In the face of this, on April 22 in over 600 places all across the United States and around the world, hundreds of thousands of scientists and others from all walks of life rallied, marched and spoke out. From tens of thousands at the main march in Washington, DC, and large protests in other major cities to smaller gatherings—including at the North Pole—people came out with passion, determination and humor in defense of science. Something like this has never been seen before: scientists and people in the sciences, including many who work in laboratories and scientific institutions, stepping out into the public sphere to stand up for science. And joined by others who are not scientists but see how crucial science is for humanity—and for many of these people, this was also their first protest.

The wide variety of creative home-made signs carried by the marchers reflected the mood: buoyant and witty, at the same time serious and angry about the threats to science and truth. A few examples among many: “Oceans are rising—and so are we”; “No science—No beer”; “Trump is like atoms—They make up everything”; “Make America think again”; “Got a plague? Me either. Thank a scientist”; “Empirical data Trumps imperial alt-facts”; “The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe it (Neil deGrasse Tyson)”; “I’m not a mad scientist, I’m absolutely FURIOUS”; “Nerds yes! Nazis no!”; “So serious, even the nerds are here”; “Just like experiments, one protest doesn’t work”; and the simple but clear “Fuck you, asshole.”

Among the speakers at the rally in DC, there were inspiring stories from people who have devoted their lives to the  increase and spread of knowledge, in the service of humanity. One speaker recalled how as a kid in India, he used his brother’s eyeglasses to make his first microscope—and told about how he is now heading an initiative to donate 50,000 microscopes a year to children around the world who can’t afford them and to provide affordable medical equipment to community health workers in poor countries fighting diseases like malaria. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a pediatrician who played a big role in bringing to light the lead contamination of water in Flint, Michigan, and the serious dangers this posed, especially to children, said, “Flint is what happens when we dismiss science.”

With all the celebration and spirited promotion of science by broad numbers of people, April 22 would have been a great day for science—were it not for the reality that science and search for truth itself faces a threat not seen in the world in the 80 years since Hitler! The fact that, at this day and age, people face the need to stand up for something so basic and simple as reason and science points to the seriousness and urgency of the situation. There really is a worldwide march of anti-scientific ignorance and reactionary religious fundamentalism trying to drag humanity backward. A group of Christian fascists in Seattle even marched backwards in an attempt to disrupt the Science March there.

And at the “vanguard” of this hellish process is the braying fascist jackass Donald Trump and his fascist regime. A regime of “alternative facts” and the outright denial of scientific truths. A regime that only promotes science and technology in the interests of “America First” imperialist war and hyper-aggression around the world while undermining science and attacking scientists in critical areas like climate change and public health. A regime that not only brazenly celebrates ignorance but creates a situation where scientists have real cause to fear that their research on climate change and other questions of vital interest to humanity will be destroyed and are scrambling to preserve data. This raises the specter of a modern-day burning of the Library of Alexandria—a center of learning in ancient Egypt, which had preserved much of the existing human knowledge at the time, and which was destroyed at the beginning of the Christian era.

In this situation, the call for the March for Science was right on time and much needed. And it is very positive that hundreds of thousands across the country and around the planet came out in response. Like the Women’s March right after Trump’s inauguration, the crowds at the April 22 marches point to the even larger reservoir of people, in their millions and millions, who deeply fear and hate what the fascist regime stands for and the horrendous actions they are taking.

And it was very good that among those who threw into this were some who gave expression to the sense of anger and urgency that are called for in the situation the world faces now. Musician Questlove started things off at the DC rally by pointing toward the White House and “that guy over there” and blasting Trump’s “alternative facts or whatever that shit is.” Albert Yu-Min Lin, chief science officer for National Geographic Explorer, said about standing up for science: “It won’t be easy—it won’t be for the faint of heart. From Galileo to Jane Goodall, scientists have put their lives on the line. They’ve been risk takers, rebels, adventurers. An explorer who discovered the Titanic, Bob Ballard, once said, ‘science is a full-contact sport.’ And at this juncture in our history, the gloves must come off.”

At a number of Science Marches in the U.S., people with Refuse Fascism were in the mix, including dozens of marchers in Los Angeles—getting out the message: “NO! In the Name of Humanity, We REFUSE to Accept a Fascist America! Drive Out the Trump/Pence Regime!”

There is an urgent need for this fight to be continued—to draw in many more people, become even more determined, and more sharply target the Trump/Pence fascist regime. Stay tuned.

The March for Science went underwater, thanks to this group of scientists at Wake Atoll, in the Western Pacific Ocean. (Photo:Twitter/@ScienceMarchHI.jpg)

Students in Iraqi Kurdistan take part in March for Science. (Photo: Facebook/AlexPoppe)

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (AP photo)

Edinburgh, Scotland (Photo:Twitter/@douglasfinch)

A contingent of students from Cal Tech marched in the Los Angeles March for Science carrying a banner signed by hundreds from their campus. (Photo: Special to revcom.us)

Scientists on the continent of Antarctica, which is melting faster than previously thought, add their message to the March for Science. (Photo: Twitter/@DrRenukaBadhe)

As thousands marched toward the Zócalo, Mexico City’s main square, a student yelled through a megaphone: "Alert! Alert! The fight for science in Latin America is passing through!" (Photo: Twitter/@corazon_verde7)

Los Angeles. In city after city, the marches were filled with homemade signs standing up for the importance of a scientific approach to all of reality. (Photo: Special to revcom.us)

Madrid (AP photo)

Seattle

Uganda (Photo:Twitter/@luckytran)

Bangladesh (Photo:Twitter/@luckytran)

San Diego (Photo: @NeiDalBem)