FRSO leader tells DC rally: “Stand up, fight back, and make the U.S. ungovernable”

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following speech that was given by Sydney Loving, member of Central Committee, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, at the Washington DC protest coinciding with the inauguration of Trump.

Brothers, sisters, and comrades,

It is so good to stand here with all of you. As an organization last year, we spearheaded the massive marches on the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and the Democratic National Convention in Chicago that brought 30,000 into the streets – that was the first step, and here is the next. Inauguration day is day one, and we’re mobilizing all over the country. The message is this: we’re not just ready for a fight – we’re looking for one.

The situation in the world today is showing cracks in the U.S. empire. It’s in a period of decline, and the decline is accelerating. We saw the cracks during the George Floyd rebellion – where one man’s murder brought millions into the streets and set cities on fire. It scratched the depth of national oppression and the potential for mass resistance.

After 16 months of atrocities, the Palestinian resistance and its allies have not been defeated. Millions around the world have stood up against the U.S.-backed genocide in Gaza and marched in solidarity with their heroic struggle for freedom. Things are sharpening.

Donald Trump and his gang of billionaires, bigots and corporate puppets are about to take power again. They’ve made their plans crystal clear: mass deportations, police and vigilante violence, attacks on workers, women, LGBTQ people, and immigrants. They’ll try to gut healthcare, roll back our democratic rights, and line the pockets of the rich while stepping on the rest of us.

There’s no one that Trump’s administration won’t try to pick a fight with. But we will bring the fight to him. When his forces come to town, we’re going to smash the event. When they try to provoke us, just like the students refused to leave the encampments for Palestine we’re going to hold our ground. If they’re looking for a fight, we’ll give it to them. Even if we don’t start the fights, we’re going to finish them.

Repression is nothing new to us. We’ve faced raids and FBI scrutiny; we’ve fought back and kept our people out of jail: Every. Single. One. We learned that the only way to win is not to shrink away; to face repression head on. The masses are the makers of history, and only by rallying together can we defend our movements and make real advances.

To those who feel overwhelmed or tempted to stay quiet – silence won’t save us. Solidarity will. We’re not scared of the idea of America coming apart – because this is our moment to fan the flames. We’re here to build movements, defend our communities, and turn up the heat.

Our work is expanding rapidly – we’re building a united front of everybody that has a bone to pick with Wall Street.

To this end, we invite everyone to join us. We’re not keeping our heads down and hoping the next four years blow over. We’re going to rise to every challenge we meet, stand up, fight back, and make the U.S. ungovernable.

#WashingtonDC #PeoplesStruggles #ImmigrantRights #WomensMovement #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #LGBTQ #Labor #FRSO