Keynote Speech by Refuse Fascism at Rallies and Marches on Nov 4:

Who will end this nightmare? WE WILL

November 4, 2017 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us

Today it can and must be said that there ARE people in this country who REFUSE TO BE SILENT, WHO HAVE STOOD UP with courage and conviction, braving the lies and even threats of violence and death by fascist trolls. Today, we, and people just like us in cities and towns across the country, are overcoming fear and uncertainty, recognizing the grave danger that the Trump/Pence regime poses to all of humanity, TO STAND TOGETHER AND SAY:

THIS NIGHTMARE MUST END: THE TRUMP/PENCE REGIME MUST GO!

In the Name of Humanity, We REFUSE to Accept A Fascist America.

We rally and march today to BEGIN a new phase of the struggle to bring about what millions of people ache to see: the end of a regime that imperils the lives of millions of people, a regime that denies their basic rights, their humanity and even their very health, and yet its danger is even greater than that. Without exaggeration, the future for humanity and the planet hangs in the balance from the Trump/Pence regime. This regime is playing roulette with nuclear weapons and is denying science and climate change while discarding environmental protection laws. Millions know and feel this horror.

Who will end this nightmare? WE WILL. Only the determined struggle of millions of people acting together with courage and conviction can drive this regime from power. Today we begin a process of continuing protests demanding this whole illegitimate regime be ousted from power. We will reach out to all sections of the people, spreading everywhere, growing week by week and month by month with the movement increasing in size and determination. We will not be deterred by naysayers, cynics, by those who normalize, accommodate or conciliate with a regime such as this. We are right to do this and the hour is late. Our actions today across the country reflect the values and respect for all humanity and the world we want—in stark contrast to the hate and the bigotry of the Trump/Pence regime.

Nov 4 NYC March through Midtown

We have what we need to begin:

[1] An understanding of what we are fighting. This is not a normal presidency. This is a regime working every day to bring about an American Fascism—Manifest Destiny and American exceptionalism—a fascism wrapped in the Bible taken literally and the American flag, saturated with racism, misogyny and xenophobia.
[2] We have a plan to bring forward the hundreds of thousands and eventually the millions of people to create a situation where this regime is driven from power.
[3] We have a plan for the next two weeks that will be a springboard, so that we can work to change the calculus from what may seem impossible now to become a movement that shakes the political ground.

For 11 months there has been one outrage after another from the Trump/Pence regime that assaults the conscience, threatens the world and in its very extremeness fills people with anguish and anger. This is the basis for millions to act on our demand.

Can anyone seriously deny that the Trump/Pence regime is working to radically eviscerate the rule of law, bludgeon the truth, demonize and terrorize immigrants, refugees, Muslims? Deny that this is a regime that stigmatizes LBGTQ and disabled peoples; tramples Native people’s rights, threatens Black and Latino youth with more police brutality and mass incarceration, that threatens the environment and more wars including with nukes? That this is a regime that despises women—from the sexual predator-in-chief to a vice president and much of the cabinet who would return women to the Middle Ages without rights to control their own destinies?

Chicago Nov 4: "No Trump/Pence; No WWIII"

We act now because fascism gets normalized as it gathers momentum. While group after group gets demonized, others “get by” and go about their daily lives. The unthinkable becomes routine and the abnormal becomes normal. And, then it might only take a single incident—intentional or not—to drop the hammer. History has shown that fascism must be stopped before it becomes too late.

For those who thought that letting Trump's generals run the show would bring “adult supervision into the room”—now you see that you have a president and a chief of staff who deny the horror of slavery and the necessity of a civil war to end it.

Today, November 4, as Trump stomps into Asia, seven billion people hold their breath for fear of what he might unleash, or put in place, while he’s there... All this makes painfully clear that we cannot wait. We cannot stand by. We must fight from where we are now. We must unite and struggle together to drive out this monstrous regime.

Nov 4 Seattle

Some will tell you that we cannot do this. They are wrong. This IS possible. Last year, the South Korean people took to the streets, in demonstrations that took place every week at first, and then mushroomed over a few months to politically engulf the entire country and force the removal of their president. They created a crisis of legitimacy and, on that basis, all kinds of previously hidden truths began to pour out. Cracks that had existed in the ruling apparatus turned into fissures through which the truth and outrage of the people erupted. The legitimacy of the regime began to unravel. Faced with that situation, the powers that be somehow found the mechanism to remove the duly elected president, replace her, and call new elections.

Some people will tell you that the U.S. is not South Korea. Duh. In fact, the horrific danger and horror of the Trump/Pence regime far exceeds that of the former president of South Korea, with therefore far greater potential to arouse broad and determined struggle.

Our objective is nothing less than creating the movement from below that forces the removal of the Trump/Pence regime. Starting today—we are calling on every person, every group, to be a part of beginning a movement of protests that gathers momentum. Where people are out every day—reaching out and protesting in waves.

Every day there are new outrages from the regime, and new divisions and conflicts among the powers that be. Republican senators are forced out of their party and then speak some truth of the danger of Trump. Indictments. Scandals. Infighting. Our Call to Action, which everyone should circulate and sign, says that:

“Our determination to persist and not back down will compel the whole world to take note. Every force and faction in the power structure would be forced to respond to our demand. The cracks and divisions among the powers already evident today will sharpen and widen. As we draw more and more people forward to stand up, all of this could lead to a situation where this illegitimate regime is removed from power.”

Nov 4 San Francisco

How do we get where we need to go? We start with a two-week plan to springboard forward from today.

We start today with our march showing people that there IS a force now daring to demand that this regime GO NOW, chanting, saying and signifying in every way to the people we meet: JOIN US JOIN US JOIN US.

Then, there are plans for different protests, speak-outs, outreach and rallies most every day in most cities. Across the country we are calling for three nationally coordinated protests.

First, on the anniversary of Trump's election—Wednesday 11/08—Take to the streets! This is no time to reminisce over our shock last year. Go to high schools. Join protests at night and march. Let's move people from “Not My President” buttons to joining us so that this dangerous buffoon really is NOT PRESIDENT. Everywhere we go reach out and bring more and more people into the streets.

Second, NEXT SATURDAY, November 11, Veterans Day; at the end of Trump’s Asia trip: Come out for major protests against the unconscionable way this madman and his generals have put all of humanity at direct risk of extermination. Take to the streets next Saturday with the lives of our sisters and brothers around the world in our hearts, letting them know that this narcissistic madman will not take the world down in our name.

Third, two weeks from today, November 18: Hit the streets and multiply the size of today's march... more cities, more people, more organizations all saying together: This Nightmare Must End: The Trump/Pence Regime Must Go!

All week leading into November 18 there will be different protests, rallies and ways to organize. Most important, what each of us must do is reach out and spread the word—flyering, marching, speaking to groups. This is new and out of the ordinary for most of you. But, there is nothing ordinary about this regime. It is time for ordinary people to do the extraordinary.

On November 18 we must have thousands more people getting to a situation where every time some new outrage of Trump comes up—which is every day—people think of the “THEY MUST GO” movement... And, they think: “I really do need to be a part of that.”

There are also those who tell us that we should not do this. Who look at this regime and their determination to vilify and repress opponents... who see the bloodlust and coarseness and bigotry at the very heart of it... and who say out of honest concern that this regime is too vicious and we have no choice but to wait for elections or to fight the attacks as they come and hope for the best. Our answer: every great struggle everywhere has demanded courage and has often demanded sacrifice. But we cannot shrink from that. We will not be provoked into foolish and alienating actions. Nor will we be cowed by the slander and vilification this regime wallows in, or attempts to divide us against each other. There is too much at stake.

We remember the words of Martin Niemöller, the German clergyman who ended up in Hitler’s concentration camps. Niemöller said: “First they came for the communists, but I was not a communist so I said nothing. Then they came for the trade unionists, but I was not a trade unionist so I said nothing. Then they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew, so I said nothing. Then they came for me... and there was nobody left to speak.” Many people here have heard that quote, and over these next two weeks we will be called upon at times to remember and apply that lesson anew.

Niemöller also said that had they stood up to Hitler at the very beginning, at a time when the direction and logic of the Nazis was clear but the carnage had not yet fully begun, that even though there would have been tremendous sacrifice, it would have been worth it. It might have worked, he said, and think of what we would have avoided if it had. We surely face a situation no less grave.

We honor the memory of those who stood against the Nazis, and of all those who stood for justice throughout history against heavy odds. We do not seek unnecessary sacrifice; on the contrary, we will do everything we can to prevent anyone in this movement from coming to harm, to protect each other. But we know that sacrifices are necessary in any great cause against entrenched power, and we know this: that we are not acting in isolation but together with many others who recognize this great danger and are part of this great fight, and that we represent the interests of humanity as a whole.

The people and the planet are depending on us. This nightmare must end. There is a way to do this, beginning here and beginning now, and beginning with each of you to make a crucial beginning in these next two weeks and then go on from there.

Join me in pledging: In the Name of Humanity, I REFUSE to Accept a Fascist America. The Trump/Pence Regime Must Go!

Volunteers Needed... for revcom.us and Revolution

Send us your comments.

If you like this article, subscribe, donate to and sustain Revolution newspaper.