A Call for West Coast Solidarity
A call to action and organization for all activists and anarchists in the West. - Phoenix Anarchist Coalition
Last year hundreds of activists from the West and SouthWest converged on Denver, Colorado for the annual demonstration against the racist and imperialist Columbus Day parade. Most of those who went, left Denver with a renewed sense of inspiration and hope.
Columbus day is a holiday that celebrates U.S. imperialism. It celebrates war, misery and white supremacy. It celebrates the worst things about our current society and political situation. Those who oppose it - indigenous peoples, anarchists, progressives, anti-racists, regular folk, and others - come together every year to organize against it.
"We need to realize that our roots are anarchist" - Russell Means (AIM Activist)
As we make the connections between the global and the local – between the need for national demonstrations against the International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank, the regional Four Winds March and continued local resistance and actions, we are making ties to a struggle that says we stand in solidarity with all those who resist imperialism, racism, state violence and globalization. The history of the SouthWest is fraught with the struggles of Indigenous People who resisted American repression. These struggles continue to this day, with activists like AIM and the Dine’ Black Mesa land resisters taking on the struggle in their day to day lives. As anarchists and activists, we need to be supporting these people in every way possible and this action is just one way to do that.
This year, Columbus Day, October 7-14, Denver
There will be two large scale actions this year, both confronting the imperialism of the United States, one in Washington D.C. against the IMF /World Bank and the other in Denver. This is a call out to individuals, collectives, federations, coalitions, and associations - anyone who is interested in West Coast solidarity and issues - to attend the action in Colorado. What’s most lacking on the West Coast right now is the communication and dialogue between the different regions. The experience and knowledge we have is unique, so the more we get together to share ideas, the closer we will be to a more viable, and sustainable resistance movement.
We are not trying to trump or out-organize the mobilization in D.C. In fact, some of the anti-Columbus Day organizers will be attending the action against the IMF/WB. Unfortunately big actions far away only leave room for a couple activists in a collective to attend. We intend to create a space for those in the West to converge for a weekend, make some solid connections and hopefully communicate more effectively in the future.
510 Years of Resistance
Not just for anarchists or indigenous people, the Columbus Day action is for anyone. Whether you identify as anarchist, anti-imperialist, progressive or have no political tag, people all over the West are gearing up for the action and everyone should feel free to be involved.
For more information, contacts in your area, comments or questions, contact us: Email:
PAC@phoenixanarchist.org Pager: (602) 422-6831
Web: www.phoenixanarchist.org
Mail: Phoenix Anarchist Coalition PO Box 3315 Tempe, AZ 85280-3315
For a free society, ~ the Phoenix Anarchist Coalition