“We Will Not Be Intimidated Into Silence”

Protesters Denounce NRA for Inflammatory Videos

July 14, 2017 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us

On July 14, hundreds of people rallied outside the National Rifle Association’s suburban Virginia headquarters in a protest against recent outrageous videos from the NRA. After the rally, about 200 people began a 17-mile march to the Department of Justice in Washington, DC, where they will demonstrate tomorrow at 10 a.m. The first NRA video basically called on their followers to attack those who are resisting and protesting the Trump/Pence regime.

When some people called this out, the NRA put out a second video that doubled down on the first by naming and attacking several individuals, including Tamika Mallory of the Women’s March and DeRay Mckesson of Campaign Zero. Tamika Mallory was at the protest at the NRA headquarters, as was Linda Sarsour, a Palestinian American activist who has also been the target of reactionary threats.

The July 14 protest was called by organizers of the Women’s March. The call for the protest—“We Know We Are Not Safe. But We Will Not Be Intimidated Into Silence”—was co-signed by over 70 other groups. The call began: “Recent actions of the NRA demonstrate not only a disregard for the lives of black and brown people in America, but appear to be a direct endorsement of violence against women, our families and our communities for exercising our constitutional right to protest. On July 14th and 15th, Women’s March and partners will mobilize a mass demonstration, again grounded in the principles of Kingian nonviolence, to denounce the false and intimidating rhetoric of hatred and send a clear message that our movement will proudly and bravely continue to strive for the respect of the civil and human rights of all people.”

As the statement “We Must Support Those Under Attack,” issued by Carl Dix, Sunsara Taylor, Cornel West, and Andy Zee, who initiated RefuseFascism.org, said in part: “The mobilizing of the minions and trolls of this regime to go after specific individuals is not only chilling but could directly endanger those individuals. Particularly in the case of Tamika Mallory and DeRay Mckesson—African-American activists who are explicitly attacked for their associations with important movements for social justice—this is extremely chilling and must be opposed, especially given the history and current-day reality both of the U.S. in general and the particular persons wielding power in this regime. This is also true for Linda Sarsour, a Palestinian-American Muslim activist who has also come under vicious attack from the extreme right…”

Organizers in front of Fox Fascist News Network send support to women in DC who are marching tonight against National Rifle Association after being threatened by name in the second NRA video message.

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