Democratic Socialists call for ceasefire in battles between Israel,
Hamas — Solidarity march on Saturday, October 21st calling for an end to
genocide
Over the past week, massive
protests sparked in cities across the US and the world in opposition to
Israel’s destruction of Gaza. In response to an attack led by Hamas — a
political and paramilitary organization operating out of Gaza — Israel
initiated a siege on Gaza and began an indiscriminate shelling of the
territory. As Israel’s leaders describe Palestinians as “human animals”
to justify its war crimes and collective punishment against an entire
population, bipartisan bloodlust and Islamophobia in the US have already
led to the murder of a 6-year-old Palestinian American child. More than
3,000 Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, including 1,000 children,
have been incinerated in explosions or crushed under rubble.
In
Washington, a shocked and enraged working-class has been standing up in
defiance to Israel’s outrageous injustice. Last Saturday, thousands
took to the streets in protests led by American Muslims for Palestine.
Throughout the week, protesters led by Jewish Voice for Peace and If Not
Now — two anti-Zionist Jewish organizations advocating for an end to
Palestinian apartheid — heroically blockaded the White House and led
peaceful protests on the Capitol Building, urging a change in American
acquiescence to the atrocities committed by its client state in Israel.
Protests
will continue throughout the next few weeks in defiance of the
government’s cruel and inhumane posture. Metro DC DSA is coordinating with AMP and other groups
from across the country to put together a massive march from the Lincoln
Memorial to Congress, starting at 1pm on Saturday, October 21.Sign up here
so we can all keep in touch, march together and be a visible presence
in solidarity with our allies and those under attack now in Palestine. The socialists are calling for immediate ceasefire, accountability for Israel's crimes in Gaza and freedom for Palestine.
Montgomery County Decriminalization Coalition relaunches — Sunday, October 22
Since 2020, Montgomery County DSA
has organized in coalition with other social and racial justice
organizations to get police out of Montgomery County Public Schools and
to end the practice of treating students — especially Black and Brown
students — as criminals. That coalition is relaunching as the Montgomery
County Decriminalization Coalition and you are invited
to the launch party. Come out on Sunday, October 22 at 3pm to Gene
Lynch Urban Park in Silver Spring (8410 Colesville Rd) to learn about
what we can do together to forge a path towards safer traffic
enforcement, a fairer education system and a community where all
residents can live and thrive without the threat of state violence. If
you are unable to make this event but interested in policing and
abolition work in Montgomery County, email
[email protected].
Nuts and Bolts: How to Talk About Socialism — Thursday, October 26
Sign up
now to attend the in-person “How to Talk About Socialism” training this
coming Thursday, October 26 at 6pm at Shaw Library (1630 7th Street
NW). This training will give participants an opportunity to practice
talking through what socialism is with trainers. We think every DSA
member should feel confident having these sorts of conversations, but
that confidence requires learning and practice. The training will be
followed by a happy hour. RSVP here for this or the other great upcoming trainings in the fall Nuts and Bolts series.
BRIEFS
DSA launches “No Money for Massacres” Campaign to stop US support for Gazan genocide
The American government is
failing to stand up for Palestinians and is turning a blind eye to
genocide. The capitalist war machine has worked overtime manufacturing
consent for ethnic cleansing. But the truth is, more Americans stand
with Palestine than ever. The Democratic Socialists are doing their part
to make this undeniable, from the streets, all the way up through
Congress.
Last week, the
DSA launched “No Money for Massacres!” — a phonebanking campaign aiming
to put acute political pressure on elected government officials to
support a ceasefire resolution and end US military support to Israel.
Since DSA launched the No Money for Massacres phonebanks, three targeted
US Reps (Barbara Lee, Greg Casar and Pramila Jayapal) have signed on to
a ceasefire resolution introduced by elected DSA members Cori Bush and
Rashida Tlaib. CLICK HERE to visit the campaign website and join the line.
National DSA also released a national toolkit to accompany the campaign which you can find here.
Kaiser Permanente’s Union Coalition reaches tentative agreement
In another victory for organized labor, the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions reached a tentative agreement
with management after a string of strikes across the country involving
over 75,000 medical administrative and support staff. The tentative
agreement increases wages 6% every year for the duration of the
agreement, adds additional protections against outsourcing, recommits
management to increased hiring to end their egregious staffing
shortages, and ends a loophole that previously allowed Kaiser Permanente
to deny granting a yearly performance bonus to workers if management
failed to meet their own arbitrary financial goals. The agreement still
needs to be ratified by the workers.
Socialist Feminist Section Happy Hour — Thursday, October 26
Join the Socialist Feminist Section at Continental Pool Lounge
(right next to the Rosslyn Metro) from 6 to 8:30pm for a fun night of
drinks, socializing and smashing the patriarchy. Look for the table with
the DSA sign and people wearing DSA merch.
Repro Justice Monthly Open Meeting — Wednesday, November 8
The Repro Justice Working Group is holding their monthly open meeting
at Midlands Beer Garden, starting at 6:30pm. Join them as they discuss
an article on reproductive justice (article to be determined) over
drinks. Come early, come late, come all.
Get your socialist wardrobe staples for fall
With the leaves turning and the air becoming crisp, it’s time to don some layers of chapter merch! Metro DC DSA’s Merch Store has hats, tees and hoodies that will keep you warm this fall. Each item is proudly union-made.
Washington Socialist October issue: two new entries
The October edition of our chapter publication, Washington Socialist, released two weeks ago; you can find that linked here.
MDC DSA Publications Schedule: This month’s final Weekly Update is Friday, October 27. Next issue of the Washington Socialist is scheduled for Friday, November 3, with an article deadline of October 28. Submit to [email protected]
Would
you like to participate in MDC DSA’s publications? We write, we edit,
we design, we do the tech — there are so many ways your hand could
lighten the load. Check us out on #publications and let us know what you
would like to write, or write about, or …? If you would like to see something included in the Update, suggestions can be submitted to the tip line.
DSA Feed, an RSS feed that aggregates multiple DSA publications — including our own Washington Socialist — in one convenient place. More from the National Tech Committee here.
Southwest DC Food Drive | Serve Your City / Ward 6 Mutual Aid Now through November 18, Serve Your City
will be accepting non-perishable foods and toiletry donations at Christ
Methodist Church (900 4th Street SW). Donations can be dropped off on
Wednesdays from 3 to 5pm and on Saturdays from 12 to 2pm. Donations can
also be made online here.
Outdoor Opportunities for DMV POC | Soul Trak Soul Trak, a community-based
organization dedicated to facilitating community, recreation, service
and leadership for racial minorities in nature, has two great events
coming up this month for those looking to get outdoors and in the
community. On October 21, Soul Trak will host a Social Hike at Seneca
Creek State Park in Gaithersburg, MD, from 9am to 12pm and on October
29, they will collaborate with the Washington Area Bicyclists
Association for a Confident City Cycling class from 10am to 1pm that
kicks off from the Anacostia Boat House. See details for these events
and other upcoming activities here.
Fall Festival | Wangari Gardens Wangari Community Gardens annual Fall Festival
is back and welcomes all neighbors in Park View (and beyond) to gather
for a day in the garden on October 28 from 12 to 4pm. There will be
great live music, free local food, workshops, games and more — costumes
are encouraged!
The Green Scream at The Well | The Green Scheme The Green Scheme is back on October 28
from 1 to 4pm for a second year in a row of family-friendly Halloween
fun at DC Greens’ urban farm, The Well at Oxon Run (300 Valley Ave SE). The Green Scream is open to community members of all ages. Free costumes for kids, face painting, games and snacks will be provided.
Ward 1 Mutual Aid Fundraiser | Lyman’s Tavern Lyman’s Tavern is partnering with DC Brau to host a fundraiser for DC Ward 1 Mutual Aid
on October 31 at 6pm. All proceeds from the sales of DC Brau’s Public,
Corruption and Seltzer cans will be donated to Ward 1 Mutual Aid and
their efforts to directly aid Ward 1 residents in need. Come out and be
festive this Halloween while donating to a good cause.
The Garage Gala | Live from the Garage Live from the Garage will be hosting a concert fundraiser for Ikemba Foods and Remora House DC, two local mutual aid groups committed to providing assistance for those in need in DC. Doors open at 7pm on November 10.
ESSENTIAL TRAFFIC
A cautionary tale:What DSA Can Learn From Organizational Death in the Student Movement.
A decades-long rightist assault on membership organizations led to the
collapse of the US Student Association in 2017. What can organizers take
away from the last decade of organizational death in the student
movement? From The Forge via Portside
Climate Opportunism — the usual private-equity suspects are scooping up a crucial labor force in the low-carbon residential sector. How expensive can heat pumps get? They expect to show us. From the American Prospect
After 112 Years, Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Victims Get a Memorial. The
1911 fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York killed 146
workers, mostly young immigrant women, and galvanized the US labor
movement. After 112 years, there is finally a striking and permanent memorial on the site. NYT via Portside
The flame of thought, the magnificence of art, the wonder of discovery, and the audacity of invention all belong to revolutionary periods when humanity, tired of its chains, shatters them and stops inebriated to breathe the breeze of a vaster and freer horizon.
- Virgilia D'Andrea
Sent via ActionNetwork.org.
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