New Yorkers rally in protest of Trump's fascist state.
- Brett Vasquez
- Nov 27, 2017
- 2 min read
On November 4th, 2017, the citizens of New York mobilized in one of the worlds major commercial intersections and tourist attractions in Midtown, Manhattan. The crowd of over a thousand gathered on the corner of 42nd Street in Times Square to declare the Trump/ Pence Regime illegitimate, and to acknowledge the sizable threat they pose to not only the country, but to the world. Refuse Fascism, the group behind the protest, advocates to continue to rally until the current political establishment is out of office.
Fascism is defined as a political philosophy or movement that glorifies a nation and often race above the individual and stands for a centralized absolute government which is led by a dictator. Its roots began in Italy under Benito Mussolini, and swept across Europe in the the 1920's. Fascism relies on xenophobic nationalism, racism, misogyny, and the forceful reestablishment of traditional values. The dangers of fascism have been well documented within history.
The incident in Charlottesville, Virginia uncovered the faces of white supremacists who held tiki torches and shouted, "Heil Trump!" The White Nationalist were met by counterprotesters who were Anti-fascists which led to the death of Heather Heyer, a 32 year-old anti-racism activist.
The Refuse Fascism group uses the internet and social media to organize, distribute, and strengthen their message. They have accumulated over fifteen thousand followers on Twitter since its creation in December of 2016. They marched throughout New York City wielding signs and shouting, "No Nazi's, No KKK, No Fascist USA!"
Mark Bray, a Historian, College Professor at Dartmouth, and Author of the Anti-Fascist Handbook explains, "It's important to understand Anti-fascism as one facet of a broader historical and global struggle against white supremacy."
The rally was met with opposition from the Trump supporters who held flags and wore attire with the phrase "Make America Great Again." Law enforcement in the area subdued any would be violence between the two conflicting groups.
The demonstrations on November 4th were just the beginning in the fight of fascism in New York. The group led rallies in several other cities including Los Angeles, Honolulu, Chicago, Boston, Austin, and Philadelphia, totaling over 4,000 people.
For updates on the movement visit RefuseFascism.org
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