Following the Aug. 12 fascist-terrorist attack in Charlottesville, Va., Albuquerque community members came out to honor the victims and speak out against white supremacy on Aug. 13.
Albuquerque resident outraged by the events in Charlottesville gathered to the University of New Mexico bookstore to stand in solidarity with those affected by the events and to say loud and clear that racism is not welcome in Albuquerque!
The crowd was a multinational, multi-gender and multi-generational collection of individuals, all opposed to fascism, white supremacy and the reactionary violence committed against the anti-racists and anti-fascists that stood up in Charlottesville.
Attendees at the Albuquerque solidarity action enthusiastically stood at the sidewalk and chanted and waved at passing vehicle drivers, who overwhelmingly honked and raised fists in support of the action, showing the many in Albuquerque who are opposed to racism and ready for change. Passers-by who were either walking or riding bicycles stopped to check out the gathering, some even joining and speaking on the megaphone. Two members of the local chapter of “Stop the War Machine” attended the action and spoke condemning the wars and to advocate against an invasion of the DPRK.
Much of the speak-out focused on honoring the direct victims of the vehicular attack, particularly Heather Heyer.
The speak-out centered around strongly condemning capitalism, white supremacy, patriarchy and anti-LGBTQ bigotry and the violence they all breed. Recently, the UNM campus saw fliers from various white nationalist groups organizing on campus stuck all over the school, surrounding neighborhoods, and even glued to the windows of the local PSL office. This shows that Charlottesville is not an isolated incident, but rather the manifestation of a nationwide emboldening and mobilization of fascist
forces. The gatherers wanted to make themselves heard, to warn local fascists who may have overheard or even been spectating the action that bigotry and Nazi violence was not welcome and would not be tolerated.
The U.S. working class is living in a critical time. It is our duty to organize and mobilize the masses to fight fascism and stand in solidarity with vulnerable communities who are immediate targets of violence. We cannot rely on the state to protect us from fascist forces. Only the unity and solidarity of the people will build the power needed to smash fascism and white supremacy!
