From the Philippines to U.S., ‘Struggle against fascist attacks’ is topic of Chicago meeting

The forum “Struggle Against Fascist Attacks at Home & Abroad” was held here the evening of Sept. 18, convened by Anakbayan Chicago and the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP)–Midwest.

Held on the 45th anniversary of the declaration of martial law by Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos, convener speakers addressed the current martial law crackdown by the Duterte regime in the Philippines province of Mindanao. They exposed the even more widespread military repression against Muslim and Indigenous Filipinos, the regime’s so-called drug war that has claimed the lives of over 12,000 victims, and the growing U.S. military support provided to the Duterte regime by the Trump administration.

In addition, a panel featured presentations by Father Primo Racimo, a Marcos regime martial law survivor and human rights activist; Jazmine Salas, Stop Police Crimes Committee; Danya Zituni, U.S. Palestinian Community Network; and Jo Monet, Workers World Party. The panel addressed fascist attacks in the U.S. against Palestinian and other human rights activists, murderous police violence against Black and Brown communities, brutal deportations of undocumented immigrants, and the growing fightback against white supremacy exemplified by the struggles to take down Confederate monuments in Charlottesville, Va., and Durham, N.C.

In a lively discussion, attendees pledged to build a broad solidarity movement against oppression and injustice here and worldwide.