The Warning Shot and the Mayday Strike
After hearing about it (and hearing about it, and hearing about it), okay, I get it. A general strike is not going to happen on Feb. 6.
After hearing about it (and hearing about it, and hearing about it), okay, I get it. A general strike is not going to happen on Feb. 6.
The amount of attention I’ve received for my piece calling for it is the reason I feel a responsibility to say that.
But it does appear that there are some plans in place to organize a mass strike for May 1 and a precursor action on Feb. 17. The action on Feb. 17 will be a general work stoppage, for those who can afford to take part in it. May 1’s action will be a strike.
Again, this is all in the planning stages.
Hopefully this will all culminate in an “American Spring” event, the kind that many people still think is a fantasy. I’m not so sure. If Trump follows up last weekend’s Muslim ban (which is still in effect) by signing this Executive Order severely restricting LGBTQ rights, anything’s on the table.
And, as shown in the picture above, people are not going to stand for this regime and its allies spreading their hate and white supremacy throughout the mainstream (though we need to do some education on that which already existed too).
So— while I still hope for a spontaneous general strike out of frustration and rage with the President, I am no longer arguing for it. And to avoid confusion and division, everyone should join together and work together for a common goal with the singular and narrowly focused goal of forcing the President to step down as the first priority of a greater movement going forward.
Finally, an important point— especially for people who have been contacting me about this: While I have organized and been part of actions before, I am not now an organizer nor am I trying to take on the mantle of a movement leader.
Contact your local socialist party, racial justice organization, immigrant rights group, etc, for details on this and any other actions. And contact them in general. They’ll be glad to hear from you.
See you in the streets.
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