The events last weekend in Charlottesville shook me but did not surprise me. Watching armed fascists march through the streets of the United States was horrifying.
At the vigil in Philadelphia at city hall for our fallen comrade Heather Heyer and everyone else who was injured in Charlottesville, representatives from several groups spoke about the need to respond to the increase of fascist activities. To build a better future, those of us who stand on the side justice must together directly confront the rising forces on the right. There are several major leftist groups in Philadelphia and the fight against fascism isn’t a fight that any of us can win alone.
Fascists believe that creating a totalitarian ethnostate is necessary to respond to economic difficulties. So if we fight for justice, this must include economic justice. The income and wealth inequalities that have been growing since the 1970s are creating the ideal conditions for a fascist movement. If working people can unite against the forces of capitalism, we can stop the fascists before they can grow too large.
In the IWW we organize workers in all industries. We organize the worker, not the workplace. We are excited to be rebuilding a presence in Philadelphia, and we’re committed to building working-class solidarity, to introduce democracy to our workplaces, and to link arms with our comrades to defend our city from the threat of fascism. Join us, and help build a force for justice in our city.
