“It can’t happen here”—that’s the false notion that America, because of its supposedly “exceptional” character, will never succumb to fascism. In fact, there’s nothing exceptional about America. And this past week, the drive toward fascism has accelerated at warp speed.

Fascism means ripping away the rule of law, violently suppressing dissent, and demonizing whole groups of people. Fascism means a section of the ruling class crushes their rivals as part of violently clamping down on all of society. Fascism, in sum, means a regime that rules by brute force without regard to rights. So let’s take a look at what’s going down.

All week, in cities all over the country, armed federal agents from ICE in full battle array, wearing masks, stormed into restaurants, and patrolled parking lots or quiet neighborhoods to arrest immigrant dishwashers and day laborers and parents, by the thousands a day. In Los Angeles, on Friday, they arrested, brutalized and sent to the hospital David Huerta. Huerta is the president of a 700,000-member union, SEIU, who was attempting to check on employees. When the prominent congresswoman Maxine Waters went to check on him in federal detention on Sunday, she got the door slammed in her face. (For more, see: The Throwdown in Los Angeles: Fascist Attacks on Immigrants, People Stand Up at revcom.us.)

When people took to the streets in protest against these outrages in Los Angeles, the Trump fascist regime responded with all-out repression. They have at this point sent in 4,000 National Guard soldiers and 700 Marines to crush these protests in spite of protest and opposition from California’s governor, Gavin Newsom. A president is only supposed to go over the head of the governor if citizens are in serious danger. It hasn't been done since 1965, when the president at the time, Lyndon Johnson, had to send the National Guard in to prevent peaceful civil rights protesters from being brutally beaten by Southern sheriffs. 

This represents a major leap in the level of intimidation, threat and outright violence—a leap into fascism. It would be foolish to not take this very seriously. 

THIS IS A FULL-OUT EMERGENCY! IF YOU CARE ABOUT THE RIGHT TO PROTEST, YOU MUST ACT NOW!

Fascism is happening here… and it is happening NOW.

The clampdown in Los Angeles is part of a larger national assault.

Leaders of the opposition party are mocked, threatened and even arrested for raising their differences or carrying out their duties. Judges are insulted as “lunatics,” physically threatened and even subjected to bogus arrests and trials for carrying out their legal duties in ways that displease or defy the fascist regime. Basic parts of the Constitution—the 14th Amendment and “birthright citizenship”—are being challenged and defied, with the real possibility of this amendment being thrown out by Trump’s hand-picked fascist judges on the Supreme Court before the month is over. 

The list could go on—the attacks on the rights and human dignity of trans people, the coercion of law firms, the attacks on and silencing of the press… all these are real and horrible and getting worse. 

Fascism is going to another level. So must our resistance to it. Now. 

There has been and is resistance. People have stood up to defend those under attack and they have braved assault and arrest to do so—and this has radically increased in the past week. People have raised their voices—and risked their “platforms”—to take righteous stands. People have stepped way out of their “lanes” to stick their necks out for those who are being demonized. People have come out—sometimes by the dozen, sometimes by the tens of thousands and more to express their outrage and anger, to say NO to this fascism. 

But up against the events of the last week and this weekend, we have to be blunt: This is not enough! More, much more, is needed now—from every decent person in this country. And more clarity of purpose is needed: that we must create a political crisis through the nonviolent protest, growing to millions, so massive, so widespread that Trump is driven from power.

These next days and weeks are crucial.

As you read this, the Trump fascist regime is preparing an unprecedented military parade through Washington, DC, on Saturday, June 14. This from a president who talks about “his” generals, a president who has openly expressed the desire to shoot protesters in the knees, a president who has purged the high ranks of the military of Black generals, women and anyone who has spoken out against racism. 

Also as you read this, there is a very real danger that Trump is preparing to declare California in a “state of insurrection,” which would allow him to directly use the army to “maintain order” there.

Once again, what does this require of you?

ACT: This week: come out where you are to defend those whose lives and rights are under attack. Bring your friends and relatives who think like you do. And if you don’t know anyone, don’t worry—you will find friends. Raise the demand: THE TRUMP FASCIST REGIME MUST GO NOW!

Then on Saturday, June 14, be in the streets. If you can possibly get to DC to join with RefuseFascism.org to protest Trump’s fascist military parade, do so. There must be a strong and sane voice on the scene to counter the deadly lunacy of what is being planned by the Trumpites. With decency, humanity, unity, nonviolence but with plenty of determination and courage too, there must be a bold pole planted that points to the danger of, and need to defeat, this horrible anti-human regime, declaring: TRUMP MUST GO NOW! There must be a pole around which the many more decent people can be inspired and organized for the summer ahead. 

If you cannot get to DC, then act where you are. Even if you are one person, take a sign that reads: TRUMP MUST GO NOW! and sound the alarm—and more will join.

ORGANIZE: Join or begin a chapter of RefuseFascism.org. Join with people of many different political viewpoints and social backgrounds, overcoming divide-and-conquer schemes and uniting around the single unifying demand: THE TRUMP FASCIST REGIME MUST GO—NOW! Work with others to build a movement to actually defeat this regime and force it to go, working through and discussing how to do it while pulling together in common action.

LEARN: Dig into the roots of where this fascism came from in the soil of this country… grapple with how to approach defeating it… and raise your sights to a whole different way the world could be, way beyond the madness and hopelessness of today by getting into the works of Bob Avakian, the revolutionary leader and architect of the new communism. Start now with Trump/MAGA Fascism: What We're Really Facing, Why, and What Must Be Done to Defeat It Before It's Too Late, and his ongoing social media messages @BobAvakianOfficial. And if you come to think through getting into this that the whole system itself is rotten and illegitimate, get with and run with THE REVCOM CORPS for the Emancipation of Humanity.

In short: act now, as if the future depends on it… because it does.

IN THE NAME OF HUMANITY, WE REFUSE TO ACCEPT A FASCIST AMERICA!

THE TRUMP FASCIST REGIME MUST GO NOW!

Revcom.us