Happy May Day! What a day for protesting especially when governments that claim to stand for freedom, democracy, and human rights arrest and silence dissenters or condemns their protests and labels protesters antisemitic and terrorists. The time to fight is now. But really, the time to fight is always when faced with oppression.
May Day took place in the US. This is not taught in the US and it is because the government does not want the people to be educated on our history of fighting for our rights and against capitalism. Workers across the US organized and were inspired by anarchists and socialists back in the 1880’s. They were fighting for an 8-hour workday. As I was reading through the history of May Day, what struck me is how little has been achieved since then. On May 1, 1886, workers around the US went on strike. Several days later, police escalated their attacks on striking workers and killed and wounded numerous strikers, the numbers vary. The strikers and anarchists rallied the following day and a bomb was thrown at the police killing several officers who then retaliated against the protesters. Several anarchists were arrested and hung, even when they were not present at Haymarket Square where the bombing took place. Even with protections and proclamations, it wasn’t until the 1920’s and 1930’s that workers had a set 8-hour workday. What is interesting is how many organizations tell this differently as if workers had set hours way back under President Grant, but if they had, then there would have been no need for the May Day strikes in the 1880’s. Even today, this story is convoluted and distorted to wipe away the role in how the US government and the elite oppressed citizens.
In the words of August Spies, an anarchist who was sentenced to death, “Here you will tread on a spark, but there and there, behind you — and in front of you, and everywhere, flames blaze up. It is a subterranean fire. You cannot put it out.”
There is no way for oppressors to put out the flames. Today we are fighting for our rights, just as the inspirational leaders of May Day did. Let’s make them proud and never give up the fight.
Just as the leaders back in the 1880’s faced, so do protesters today face the same smearing tactics of the US government through the media to claim that college protesters that are voicing their support for human rights and against genocide as antisemitic terrorists. Just as the leaders back in the 1880’s faced, so do the protesters today face the same police brutality and violence.
There are abominable headlines from major media outlets claiming that protesters are being influenced by outside forces. These news agencies are doing their best to discredit student protesters. Beatings from police are justified to them because they argue that law and order must be established, yet these same articles never explain why the police are arresting and brutalizing students who are simply sitting on a college lawn in protest.
It is a heartbreaking thing to see that we are still forced into this cage of oppression and control from those we elect into office. This entire system must be restructured or we will never leave this cage. The power should always and only be in the hands of the people, and never elected officials who will sell us for profit and subjugate us for control.
Do not believe the lies, believe their actions. Police are attacking peaceful students throughout the US (and world). This is a direct threat to our right to free speech, and a human right.
Police do not send in massive forces and attack white supremacists and do not silence their rallies. Police did not send in massive forces and attack insurectionists when they overtook and tried to overthrow the Capitol on January 6. Police do not send in massive forces and attack school shooters who kill innocent children on school campuses. But police do send in massive forces and attack peaceful protesters in universities that are pro-Palestine and against ethnic cleansing of Gaza.
It’s time we all join together and topple the oppressors around the world. This fire has been smoldering for hundreds of years. The flames are beginning to lick at the oppressors and they are realizing that this fire will not go out, which is why those in power are heavy-handed with police force against protesters. It is an attempt to subjugate and silence dissent. For some, this will work because fear is a major driving force which is why so many are silent still. For others, witnessing these horrors and injustices done to those fighting for human rights and a free Palestine, this will light that fire within.
Join the fight if you are close to protests.
Call out the lies from the college administration, media, and government officials.
Donate to student organizations that are protesting.
Spread credible information and stories from students.
Do not sit in complacency because there is no such thing as that. It is a lie. It is a lie from capitalists that want your labor, your money, and for you to fear if the charade of complacency is up, what you will face which is reality.
From the river to the sea, may Palestine be free. May the whole world be free.
Protest
BE UNGOVERNABLE
Disrupt everything
Boycott
Vote 3rd party
Donate
Organize
Volunteer
Demand sanctions and embargoes for Israel, US, UK, Germany, France, Australia, UAE, Russia, RSF, SAF, M23, Egypt, Chad, and Rwanda.
Please extend your energy to other countries and people facing atrocities and genocide in Palestine, Sudan, DRC, Haiti, West Papua, the Rohingyas, Armenians, and the Uyghurs.
Articles for reference. Please read and share.
The Anarchist Library: Reclaim May Day!