“United Against Fascism” A Week of Autonomous Action Reportback
It was only a week ago when over six cities and sixteen locations agreed to participate in a week of autonomous action. In cities across the so-called U.S., crews everywhere participated in an experiment of country-wide cohesion between spaces of geography and time. The result was something beautiful, and the momentum is only amplified by the gravity of the threat our communities face.
Antifascists were not the only ones getting active, however, and its important to track the actions of far right terror as they place into this national narrative.
- A shop called “The Donut Hole” in Tulsa, OK is fire bombed after hosting a drag show. This is the second time its been attacked this year after hosting a drag event. A crowdfund has begun for the shop. A letter is posted to the building.
- A bookshop called “Illiad Bookstore” in LA, CA is fire bombed. The owner and community members believe it is the result of antisemitism and support for the Queer community. A crowdfund has begun for the shop, and a book drive has been announced to support them. A letter is posted to the building.
- A synagogue called “Temple Beth-El” in Birmingham, AL has a firebomb deployed on the side of the building. A propane tank and burnt clothing is left at the scene with a suspicious backpack in bushes nearby. Federal agents arrest a suspect on second-degree arson. Temple Beth-El in Birmingham has historically been a target of firebombing by the Klu Klux Klan (KKK) dating back to the 1960’s civil rights era for its support of equal rights for Black people.
- A campus cultural center at “Sacramento City College” in Sacramento, CA is targeted after an empty wooden box of ammunition is placed provocatively near the entryways. Campus administration send a mass email, announcing an increased police present and for community support to find those responsible.
- A campus at “Arizona State College (ASU)” in Tempe, Arizona is flyered with antisemitic flyers depicting a Jewish-cabal controlling the media with Nazi-era racist caricatures. This comes a year after a similar incident where similar flyers were posted in the same location and signed by the Campus Republicans chapter.
- A community in Colorado Springs, CO is flyered with antisemitic flyers depicting a “Jewish-cabal” controlling the media with Nazi-era racist caricatures. They are folded into ziplock bags and thrown in driveways and lawns. The material links to a website ran by the GDL, or the “Goyim Defense League“, a Neo-Nazi group rising in activity and infamy. This comes 9 months after a similar flyering in Denver Colorado.
- A bar called “The Mercantile Saloon” in Sacramento, CA is visited by Nazi’s. They are chased out by local Queer-Antifascist group “The Lavender Angels” until they brawl against security for letting the Nazi re-enter “The Merc” as its called. It is a self-described “gay bay” in the Lavender Heights queer-district. It was discovered security there is a bunch of failed cops.
- On a school bus in Chicago, IL, a group of men stop a bus carrying Orthodox Jewish children by blocking it. They board the bus and yell slurs, threaten a 12-year old, and get kicked off the bus by the driver after sig-hailing at the children. This takes place on the anniversary of Kristallnacht, the Nazi pogrom that destroyed almost all synagogues across Germany in 1938. The CEO of the school has tried to minimize this raid, framing it as the childrens fault and deny a hate crime. However, his story of a single assailant contradicts the police narrative of four aggressors.
Damn, all it took was one Nazi with a Molotov to kick off a week of firebombings?
While this is massively disheartening to watch, it is more difficult to find comfort when you haven’t even gotten over the last attack before the next is reported. The Alt-Reich is expanding their regularly scheduled string of assaults against Trans & Queer venues and events, doctors and hospitals. While only a small number within their ranks appear to have gotten the memo, these highly motivated arsonists are leading the way in a trend that may cause many of us our lives.
Antisemitism is in full swing and it affects us all. West Coast United Against Fascism stands with our Jewish comrades over at Jews Against Fascism – Everywhere. While there is a victim of fascism, we are them. While all of our communities are facing fascist onslaught, its imperative we remember the recent history of the German Holocaust and recognize the importance of addressing antisemitism – even within our ranks from the so-called U.S. Left.
In a moment of optimism, while the assaults increase in brutality & pace, we take revolutionary optimism in seeing our movements grow united and determined. Today, we are exercising a new form of Antifascism where we live in work that means to address fascism outside of the space they mobilize exclusively – but early, proactively, and where they seed their ranks as well.
We encourage you to get started on this work by using the free resources on our linktree:
https://linktr.ee/communityantifascistlinks
We are far past waiting for them to throw the first punch – the shots have been fired, and the warzone follows our impacted communities where ever they go.
You need to be training with others to defend yourself.
Ask us for resources on how we can keep.
Now down to the Week of Action.
Now look at all the things a United Antifascist Front can do in a week. Imagine what we can pull off in a month.
Shout out to all the amazing crews that participated and we look forward to the next week of action. We will be announcing an upcoming date to look out for towards the end of the month for another united call to action.
In the meantime, do your part locally to rage against the machine and stand united to halt the fascist advance. You do not need to be a professional, but you should be educating yourself on how to combat the spread of fascism in your community.
Remember to @joinmastadon before the lights go out at Twitter HQ. You’re invited to join our friends at Kolektiva.Social and stay up to speed on the newest developments in fascist activity & antifascist movements internationally. Special thanks to sub.media for keeping the lights on. We owe you a taco.
Stay tuned, keep the fire alive and remember that we’re strongest when we’re organized – together.
Contact us at WestCoastUnitedAF@riseup.net