Above photo: Liz Park, ILPS-US Secretary General speaks at rally in front of the White House.
Over 80 organizations protested the 4th of July across 9 major cities as part of a National Week of Action called for by the International League of Peoples’ Struggle – US (ILPS-US) to highlight 250 years of resistance to U.S. empire. While the Trump administration has spent over $68 million in taxpayer money on “America 250” and “Freedom 250” celebrations, communities took action to share the real history of the U.S.’ violence against the people and the active legacy of communities fighting for justice and freedom.
Community members directly impacted by Trump’s deportation machine, forced displacement due to war in their home countries, and predatory military recruitment took actions against sites of U.S. imperialism. From military bases in San Diego and Tacoma, to the UN’s headquarters which hosted a Counter Terrorism Summit in New York City, to Trump’s White House – masses of people united to call attention to the country’s violent history and the impacts of the U.S.’ ongoing drive to wage war for profit, all united to fight America’s 250 years of exploitation, plunder, and terror.
“What does the average person in America have to celebrate right now? What does anybody in the world under the system of U.S. imperialism have to celebrate right now? Are we celebrating when the U.S. unleashes wars of aggression? What is there to celebrate when the U.S. is in Palestine, when children across Venezuela, the Philippines, and Cuba have to wake up to the sound of warships, live fire, missiles, and war planes that are live tested right here,” said Ren of ILPS Southern California.
In New York City and Washington D.C. communities came together to oppose Trump’s fascist attacks on migrants, denouncing the recent 10,000 ICE detainments just in the last week alone, and called attention to the major cuts to Temporary Protected Status (TPS) impacting over 350,000 migrants. In D.C., “Las Madres Unidas en La Lucha,” a group of recently freed migrant mothers, shared about the brutal conditions they faced in ICE detention and how they fought back to win their release. They enjoined 130 other community members for a peace forum to strengthen the fight against fascism and war at home and abroad, culminating in a protest in front of the White House the following day.
“While we were shackled in detention, we learned the U.S. government is the real criminal, but that we also need to fight for justice not just for ourselves, but to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone again.” said Ana of Las Madres Unidas en la Lucha.
In Tacoma, Washington and San Diego, California, hundreds gathered outside U.S. military bases to decry their role in occupying and attacking countries around the world, as well as participation in the ongoing RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific) war exercises. Speakers challenged U.S. intervention in their home countries as the U.S. ramps up military spending while many still struggle to afford basic living expenses. Veterans shared about the predatory nature of military recruitment, warning others to not follow their path.
“I joined the U.S. army at 17 years old because I didn’t have any other option to pay for college. The U.S. military uses our poverty and desperation to give ourselves and our family better lives, to turn us into their weapons,” said Markus of BAYAN Washington. “Those weapons are then trained on my own people! JBLM is arming the U.S.’ war exercises in the Philippines, while the Marcos regime signs away thousands of acres of Philippine land for the unrestricted use by U.S. corporations to mine minerals, produce semiconductors, and set up AI hubs as part of the U.S.’ Pax Silica initiative,” they added.
The week of action demonstrated growing opposition to Trump’s war and deportation machine, shown in the breadth of the different communities who came together and committed to resistance against U.S. imperialism.
“Whether it’s detention centers, war profiteers, or the daily oppression we face under this system, this week of action shows that the most exploited and oppressed are organizing to fight back. Our fight is to unite workers, migrants, and all people struggling for sovereignty and liberation!” said Liz Park, Secretary General of the International League of Peoples’ Struggle – US (ILPS-US).
The International League of Peoples’ Struggles (ILPS) is a global anti-imperialist alliance founded in 2001, celebrating 25 years of organizing across sectors and countries. The ILPS-US chapter organizes campaigns such as Defend Peoples’ Struggle (DPS) and People Over Profit (POP), which focus on issues such as public safety, foreign policy, and economic inequality. For more info, visit http://ilps.us. Follow @ilps.us on Instagram.
