‘Stage a people’s coup!’

The following excerpted commentary is by a member of the Raleigh chapter of the youth group FIST—Fight Imperialism, Stand Together. Visit www.fistyouth.org.

On March 21, Raleigh FIST traveled to the march in D.C. Eight of us went, driving in a 1980s family van.

The march itself was interesting, long and fairly diverse, with socialists and young anarchists. The riot police were out in full force, equipped with dogs, shields, wooden sticks and teargas guns. No violence or major confrontations occurred between the government and protestors, so perhaps this was just another half-hearted or otherwise restrained force. The march was three miles long and so perseverance was felt as each person dedicated themselves to finish the march, shouting as much as possible for about four consecutive hours.

At one point, in front of war-profiteering offices, the march halted to shout and dance, but was quickly moved forward because we were “clogging the area” and other obscure reasons. Thinking back on it, we definitely should have stayed and let the fury grow. But this is also the perspective of someone who yearns for the kind of fervor and dissent felt during the almighty “civil rights era.” Are these not civil rights that we are fighting for? Nostalgia is surely not as far as we can go. We have the power to make this imperialist, capitalist, racist, sexist, anti-LGBT and classist government turn over.

This march was successful in my eyes because it succeeded in inspiring me towards staging a people’s coup. Let us bring buses from all cities of all people to incite trembling in the CEOs that look down upon the thousands and thousands from their offices. Let them cover their ears because the noise is so loud. The fact that this march alone could have set off this excitement should invigorate people: the anti-war movement is not dead, so let us continue to make it stronger!

The president may represent a nurturing and revisionist administration, but it is still obvious to millions that the war in Afghanistan is continuing, Iraq is going into its most threatening stage yet—the long-term phase—and the racist war in Palestine is atrocious.

We can make this movement stronger—if electoral politics got out the vote, then we can spread radical epiphany and can get out the people. We can look all over the world for answers and see how the most radical resisters to U.S. imperialism organize in South America, Central America, Asia, the Middle East, Africa—everywhere! Mobilize!