Metro DC DSA General Body Meeting this Sunday; workers organize against expected vote to repeal I82; socialists organize for a free Palestine; and more ...
This is the weekly newsletter of the Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America (MDC DSA), which is
produced by local members of the chapter's Publications Working Group. The Weekly Update publishes every
Friday at 9am. Want to fight fascism from the heart of empire? Join DSA and fight to build socialism!
Afterwards, join comrades for a happy hour nearby. More info can be found at the RSVP link.
Are you a newer member of the Democratic Socialists of America? Not yet a DSA member? Looking for a refresher on the basics of our anticapitalist practice? Mark Bastille Day with the Socialism 101 Socialist Night School, taking place July 14th at 6:30pm at the MLK Library and online via Zoom. RSVP here
Vote on I82 repeal in DC Council expected on July 14 — workers organize defense and morning-of rally
Late Monday evening, Mayor Bowser announced another closed-door meeting of handpicked restaurant workers and owners to take place at 11am on Tuesday, clearly staged by the local affiliate of the National Restaurant Association (RAMW). Mayor Bowser — a close ally of the corporate lobby — reiterated a call to fully repeal Initiative 82 at her meeting, defying her 2022 campaign pledge to respect the will of voters.
In Bowser’s sham meeting were warm bodies organized by the Restaurant “Workers” of America (RWA) — a right-wing anti-labor cult that is part of a corporate influence network run by anti-minimum wage corporatist Richard Berman. Outside, service workers opposed to Bowser's call to repeal I82 rallied to try and get in, but were intercepted by Bowser’s chief of staff, who called in a squad of police officers to prevent workers from interrupting a meeting publicly billed as a “roundtable discussion.” When her photoshoot was finished, Bowser escaped out a rat-filled back alley of the tavern to avoid facing workers.
As workers and the coalition maneuver through DC, a stop to Bowser’s I82 repeal appears to be coming together in the Wilson Building. Last week, a majority of CMs expressed their support for pulling the repeal from the budget (CMs Lewis George, Nadeau, Parker, Frumin, Allen, White, and Henderson). As such, an amendment that would strike out the repeal of is expected to be raised on Monday, July 14th. While this left majority is expected to hold, workers report alarming hesitation from the office of Christina Henderson (at-large). Workers are also nervous about the position of Robert White, who played a role in degrading DC’s TOPA law, and the resolve of Charles Allen (Ward 6), who voted to temporarily freeze the expected $2 wage increase tipped workers were expecting last month. Read more in the web version of this update.
Workers, trade unionists, and socialists are joining and organizing a wider rally on Monday, July 14th at 9am at the Wilson Building, calling on the council and Mayor Bowser to Tax Wealth, Fund the District. Among the demands: protect the DC Healthcare Alliance, raise taxes on the wealthy, oppose Medicaid cuts, and stop the repeal of I82. In the meantime, get involved with the Fair Price Fair Wage Coalition’s work to defend I82 here.
DC residents are urged to call the offices of Robert White (At-Large), Christina Henderson (At-Large), Charles Allen (Ward 6), Anita Bonds (At-Large) and Phil Mendelson (Chair) to urge full implementation of Initiative 82. Find a call script here. If the council feels they can overturn a vote of 74% of DC voters, larger reforms and popular initiatives to the wider left will be in peril. Call between now and Monday, July 14.
War criminal Netanyahu welcomed at White House (again) as Israel continues genocide
During yet another White House visit for war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump and Netanyahu promoted a plan to force Palestinians in Gaza into a “free choice” (AKA, an expulsion) to leave Gaza. This comes as Israel continues to slaughter Palestinians each day: people seeking aid, people at the markets, people in tents sheltering near Khan Younis, and beyond. The Trump administration has claimed that a ceasefire agreement could be reached as early as this week — in the meantime, Israel ruthlessly maintains its bombing campaign in Gaza. (The World Health Organization reports 94% of hospitals in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed over the past 20 months.)
Socialists are organizing against such displays of barbarism from the heart of empire. Now is the time to get involved in the fight for an apartheid-free District and a free Palestine. The Metro DC DSA Internationalism Working Group continues to organize against US imperialism and Israeli apartheid; members looking to get involved can do so at this interest form, and learn more about the local campaign at DC 4 Palestine’s Apartheid-Free DC campaign website.
A reminder of why we organize: The nation’s biggest teachers’ union, NEA, cut ties with propaganda machine ADL. At a delegate assembly just days ago, National Education Association member delegates voted to break existing ties with the Anti-Defamation League, a frontline US propaganda organization blunting and excusing the news of Israel’s savage assault on Palestinian civilians. NEA will no longer use lesson plans, films, and other ADL materials in the classroom. See also in Labor Notes.
The late, great David Schwartzman — advocate of solar communism, DC statehood, and a million social justice causes in between — reviews Malcolm Harris’ What’s Left, which emphasizes the need for the left to map out a metastrategy to take on the climate crisis. “So little time, such a formidable challenge, but dare to struggle, dare to win! … We owe this commitment to the children of the world. My optimism (or wishful thinking) is informed by the global upsurge of the movement to end Israeli genocide of the Palestinian people, with growing ties to the climate justice struggles and organised labour.”
Guido V. writes on being disciplined in an online world of cruelty: “The current stage of organization is one of building capacity, power, and influence, and our enemies relish in the opportunity to paint us as violent radicals. It gives them the chance to crack our solidarity with one another and build a wall between us and the public. Nowhere is this more prevalent than on X/Twitter.”
Maxwell Rott finds a “hyperrealist afterlife” in a review of Mark Fisher’s Flatline Constructs: “It is unsurprising then that Flatline Constructs, as Fisher’s first major theoretical work, is an archetypical example of both his brilliance as a terminologist and his shortcomings in critical application.”
An addition to ongoing conversations about hyperlocal left-wing politics in DC: Patrick Dalton argues against ANCs altogether. “...I don’t think running DSA members for ANCs does any of those things. This is absolutely not the fault of the chapter or particular ANC Commissioners. I think it’s because ANCs are fundamentally anti-democratic, parochial, and should be thought of by socialists like they were government-run homeowners associations.”
Fight Pepco and spread the word about public power in Bloomingdale and Eckington — Saturday, July 12
This Saturday, July 12, help We Power DC spread the word about the evils of Pepco compared with the public power alternative, and tap into that latent anger against our greedy utilities. All materials (+ training) will be provided — just dress for the weather and bring friends. RSVP here.
Comrades will meet at the park across from Big Bear Cafe, at the intersection of R and First Streets NW.
Join Stomp Out Slumlords to defend TOPA and tenants’ rights; canvasses taking place this Saturday, July 12 and all summer
Stomp Out Slumlords, MDC DSA’s tenant organizing project, is planning tenant canvasses all summer to preserve DC’s TOPA rights, which are currently under attack from Mayor Bowser’s proposed RENTAL Act. Since this legislative push by the developer lobby threatens tenants (and so much organizing around the District), SOS is pivoting from the usual anti-eviction canvasses for the next few months in order to build tenant opposition to this horrendous bill. SOS will canvass buildings in wards across the District that are critical to stopping this bill from passing in the council. If you’re looking for a way to get involved in the fight for fair and affordable housing in DC, RSVP for the upcoming canvass here.
Street Team Monthly Meeting — tomorrow, July 12 at 3:30pm
Build power in the DMV and join the Metro DC DSA Street Team by attending our monthly meeting at MLK Memorial Library, 901 G St NW DC, room 205-B, on Saturday, July 12 from 3:30 to 5pm. This event is for anyone interested in getting active in the chapter’s Street Team to build socialist power in the DMV. The Street Team hosts and attends community events to connect Metro DC DSA and its campaigns with the community in the DMV in order to expand the chapter’s base and build a more democratic society. We are interested in talking to DMV residents to hear what is going on in their everyday lives and talk about how many of these issues connect to our campaigns. All are encouraged to attend in-person. RSVP here for the Street Team monthly meeting.
New Metro DC DSA Fiber Arts group meeting Monday, July 14, 7pm
Attend the Monday, July 14 meeting of the new Metro DC DSA Fiber Arts group. This group aims to promote, celebrate, and build community around the fiber arts, including knitting, crocheting, sewing, embroidering, felting, and needle-punching. This group is a way for members to develop fiber skills, mitigate burnout, and connect organizers who normally work in different realms.
Organizers plan to have sessions dedicated to learning skills such as darning and patching, as well as creating agitpop for the chapter and other radical causes, both for visibility and fundraising projects. The July meeting will be a relaxed session where people are encouraged to bring their current projects. For those who don’t have a current project — or are beginner learners — yarn and needles will be available to knit/crochet squares that will become part of the quilted blankets that we will donate to those in need this coming fall and winter.
The group will meet at Silver Branch Brewing, a brewery and taproom in Silver Spring, just a quick two-minute walk from the Silver Spring Metro Station. RSVP here.
Rockville City Council and mayor to discuss rent stabilization on July 21; tenants planning large community presence
After over a year of pressure from Rockville tenants and rent stabilization supporters, the Rockville City Council and mayor have finally put rent stabilization on the agenda for its July 21 meeting. This hearing comes shortly after Council Members Izola Shaw and David Myles announced a rent stabilization ordinance. Join Montgomery County DSA, Rockville Renters United, and Rockville tenants for the hearing and demand rent stabilization. RSVP here.
Before the hearing, join Montgomery County DSA for an art build to make signs for the meeting. RSVP here.
Sign up for Electoral Training Intensive — July 26 and 27, 1:30-4:30pm
Wonder how the socialist Zohran Mamdani achieved his mayoral primary victory in NYC? On July 26 and 27, Metro DC DSA will be holding a two-day electoral training to prepare for local races this fall and into 2026. Mamdani’s win did not only show that democratic socialists can run and win, it inspired hope to those seeking to bring about a socialist future. Come learn why electoral politics is an important part of DSA’s strategy and get trained up for the election cycle this fall — no experience necessary.
Day 1 will focus on local elections coming up and their strategic importance, and Day 2 will prepare members looking to get involved in any endorsed campaigns this fall.
Abolitionists organizing backpack drive — spread the word on Sunday, July 27, 1pm (and subsequent Sundays)
Metro DC DSA’s Abolition Working Group is hosting its 2nd Annual Free Backpack Drive on Saturday, August 9th. Comrades will distribute backpacks filled with school supplies to ALL students — no questions asked, no barriers. Many families struggle to afford basic school supplies. This fundraiser embodies socialists’ commitment to community care and mutual aid. This is what it looks like to invest in kids, not cops.
Ahead of the event, abolitionists will fan out across DC over the coming weeks to raise awareness of the backpack drive. The next event takes place on July 27: Comrades will meet at the Eastern Market Metro Station entrance at 701 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, do a quick poster tutorial, and then disperse to locations along the Orange and Silver/Blue lines to paste these posters everywhere. RSVP here.
INFO ACCESS
Want to fight fascism from the heart of the empire? Join DSA and fight to build socialism! July’s remaining session of what we are calling “Why You Should Join DSA/New Member Orientation" is a virtual version Wednesday, July 23. An in-person version is scheduled for August 6. Learn about the Metro DC chapter — branches, working groups, campaigns, current activities, and enduring values — anytime right here. Get inside our ideas and our work through our acclaimed Socialist Night School — archive is here. And get totally up to date at the Night School’s refreshed presentation of Socialism 101 on Bastille Day, July 14.
Want to stay current? Weekly Updates, like the one you are reading, are scheduled and emailed on Fridays; current and past Updates are available on our website. Not subscribed? DSA member or not, sign up to get the Update, the go-to source for the DMV left. The MDC Dispatch is the chapter’s new video news series, published on the first and third Sunday of each month. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and submit your Update or Dispatch suggestions or DMV scandal tips to our tip line. The Washington Socialist, published since the 1970s, offers in-depth analytical/opinion articles on a quarterly schedule; theSummer 2025 issue is available as of today. Check out our indexed and searchable archive to see what we write — and what you can write. Anyone, MDC DSA member or not, interested in contributing to the Washington Socialist can email submissions or questions to [email protected].
Members — want to stay updated in our local chapter workspace? MDC DSA members are encouraged to join our all-member Slack for real-time info on working group and campaign events, strategy exchange, and inspiration. Email [email protected] with your most recent DSA dues receipt to get Slack access.
DMV LEFT COMMUNITY BULLETIN
July Reading Series | Third Space Politics
This month, Third Space Politics is reading Aziz Rana’s How Americans Came to Idolize a Document That Fails Them, and will be discussing structural and historical dynamics that have shaped the Constitution into a barrier to the progression of democracy. Join them for session 2 on July 17 and session 3 on July 30, both at the National Mall. Learn more and RSVP.
Closet Revival Swap | swap.season x finding your good
swap.season and finding your good are hosting a Closet Revival Swap on July 19, 12 – 3pm at Right Proper. Bring up to 10 items, take up to10 items. Learn more here.
ICE activity in Takoma Park | Moco IRC and DC Migrant Mutual Aid
ICE was spotted in Takoma Park on Wednesday, with additional reports continuing to come in from across the DMV. Montgomery County Immigrant Rights Collective and DC Migrant Mutual Aid have hotlines, resources, and directions on what to do if you see ICE in your neighborhood. Learn more here.
ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVES
ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVES are articles and opinion pieces of interest to DMV leftists but not, generally, appearing
in local media. They should have links without paywalls. Readers are invited to submit candidates at our tip
line.
Defying the US military is one of the most intimidating prospects someone can face. Disobedient soldiers can be court-martialed and face prison. Yet if they do carry out unlawful orders, the fact that they were “just following orders” is no defense in a criminal trial. All this puts military personnel in an untenable situation. And still, some soldiers are taking a stand. The New Republic via Portside.
UAW president denounces Trump-GOP budget law as ‘total betrayal’ of US working class: "This bill isn't governance," said United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain [In an op-ed in the Detroit News]. "This is a class war waged from Capitol Hill." While the Trump White House and congressional Republicans have tried to cast the budget law's tax provisions as worker-friendly — in some cases by outright lying about what's in the legislation — Fain noted that the law's limited deductions for tips and overtime will only benefit a small sliver of Americans, and only until 2028. "On the other hand, many of the tax benefits in this bill for the wealthy are indefinite and have no expiration date," Fain wrote. From Common Dreams via Portside.
Donald Trump’s Darwinian America: “[Trump’s reliance on his own instincts] has led many observers to describe Trump as a social Darwinist. This interpretation of Darwin’s work, celebrating the triumph of the strong and the extermination of the weak, is a common thread uniting the otherwise ideologically disparate set of historical leaders Trump has praised, from the American empire builders of the late nineteenth century to (according to his former chief of staff John Kelly) Adolf Hitler. …the historian Carl N. Degler asserted in 1991 that the struggle against Nazism had at last left social Darwinism ‘definitely killed, not merely scotched.’ But ideas that are truly dead rarely return to life so swiftly and with such vitality.” Harper’s magazine; TX our comrade Dan S, “5 Lefty Links.”
This is the weekly newsletter of the Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America (MDC DSA), which is produced by
local members of the chapter's Publications working group. The Weekly Update publishes every Friday at
9am.
Paid for by Metro DC DSA (mdcdsa.org). Not authorized by any candidate or committee.
Thinking about it, but want to get this email Update every Friday? SIGN UP
HERE
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 vast and free horizon. - Virgilia D'Andrea
Sent via ActionNetwork.org.
To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Metro DC DSA, please click here.
