Standing Up to the Fascist MAGA Incursion into Chicago

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On Thanksgiving Day in Chicago, 100 Trump supporters brought their fascist “Stop the Steal” rally to the Trump Tower downtown. Unmasked in the midst of a skyrocketing pandemic, they spewed their lies that the election was “fraudulent” and “illegitimate,” that COVID is a “hoax” and that their personal and religious liberties are in mortal danger. Their rally was part of a nationwide campaign of weekly protests to unite Trumpers of all the extreme varieties to overturn the election of Biden and quickly build a national organization of “grassroots” fascists to shut down the country in January if Trump is not inaugurated, according to the national organizer Ali Alexander. Forces involved included Proud Boys, Christian fascists, science-denying conspiracy-theory believers who think COVID is a hoax, Back the Blue white supremacist fascists who have organized regular rallies and intimidating truck parades in the suburbs, as well as militia who have rallied to free Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old MAGA gun nut who murdered two Black Lives Matter protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and maimed a third. Trump2020 banners, Stop the Steal signs, and American flags were the hallmarks of the toxic mix of ideology and program, with the biggest sign capturing their murderous idiocy: “No More Masks, There’s No Pandemic, Covid 19 = Hoax.”

Confronting them was a raucous “noise counter-protest” of 50 people across the street. Mobilized by Refuse Fascism, the Revolution Club, the “No More” Foundation, anti-fascist anarchists, and others, they united that the fascists should not be allowed to dominate the public space or spew their toxic message uncontested, and that the people must be in the streets, nonviolently, to thwart attempts at this illegitimate power grab and drive the fascists out of power. Trump Tower has been a symbol of the hated Trump/Pence regime for four years of protests large and small, most recently the huge dancing-in-the-street celebration after Biden’s election win was announced. The MAGA mob could not be allowed to claim this as a shrine for their fascist devotion to Trump or use it to build up their forces to keep him in power.

Refuse Fascism’s message was boldly in the face of the fascists on the orange “Trump/Pence Out Now!” banners and signs saying “Trump You Lost, Now Get Out. STOP Trying to Overturn the Election! STOP Your Murderous Covid Program! STOP Your Dangerous War Moves! STOP Whipping Up MAGA Fascist Mobs!” Righteous chants rang out: “Humanity First, Not America First” and “Trump pack your shit, you are illegitimate.” Four coffins represented the precious lives of the more than 250,000 people in the U.S. lost in the epidemic, many of whom died needlessly and alone from Trump’s callous, murderous disregard. The “Pledge to the People of the World” was welcomed by many of the protesters as a representation of what they believe and why we must act now.

An important grouping came from Schaumburg, a suburb where they have been counter-protesting the MAGAs’ Sunday rallies for months. Last week, Refuse Fascism and the Revolution Club joined them. The fascist rallies have grown larger and more vicious since the election, and the fascists have been doxxing the counter-protesters and threatening them. One of the women, explaining why she has continued in the face of these attacks, said, “Somebody has to stand up and say ‘No.’”

A group of five anarchists made an anti-fascist, anti-Thanksgiving banner that cleverly connected Trump and the MAGA fascists to the whole white supremacist, genocidal history of this country, including what Thanksgiving really represents. It said “MAGA Pilgrims Fuck Off,” with a painting of a burning Mayflower-looking boat with a “blue lives matter” flag, a Trump sign, and a QAnon sign in flames. They blasted out a Fuck Donald Trump playlist along with pots and pans and cowbells to disrupt the fascist rally.

A young Black couple from Chicago came because “Trump calls Black Lives Matter terrorists... his narrative is racist... and the Democrats are going to sleep. We’re out here for revolutionary change.” A group of eight medics came because “everybody has the right to protest.” One said, “Fascism is a violent ideology. Fighting fascism isn’t provocation, it’s self-defense.” He added, “A night of broken glass is just a matter of time.* Electoralism doesn’t work, we need people in the street.” A young white woman said she thought it was important to protest on Thanksgiving because “people came to promote a feeling of connectedness, to show we’re still passionate about what we’ve been fighting for.” An older white couple who live in the neighborhood came “when we saw the Trump supporters, so pissed off and angry, we had to come out and support you all.” The man said that, like in Nazi Germany, Trump supporters “are just out for themselves. I always thought we were better than this.”

When the MAGAs turned their reactionary rally into a march to Millennium Park, the counter-protesters counter-marched directly on the other side of the street, calling them out all the way into the park where the police cordoned off the two groups. The fascists attempted to rally but were often drowned out by the chants and noise of the counter-protest.

At the end, back at Trump Tower, the counter-protesters wrapped up by joining together to say the Pledge to the People of the World.

*This refers to the nationwide Nazi attacks on the homes, businesses and synagogues of German Jews on November 9-10, 1938. "Kristallnacht" -- "Night of Broken Glass" -- was a major leap toward genocide. [back]

 

A Pledge to The People of the World: We Refuse To Accept a Fascist America

RefuseFascism.org

 

 

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