MDC DSA electoral training intensive taking place January 31 and February 1; locals in Minnesota fight back against open ICE warfare; DSA reading groups kick off this month; 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!
Paid for by Metro DC DSA (mdcdsa.org). Not authorized by any candidate or committee.
UP FRONT
DC-area socialists to hold Electoral Training Intensive as campaign operations continue
Wonder how Zohran Mamdani achieved his mayoral victory in NYC? Metro DC DSA is building the same people-powered electoral machine to take on billionaires and the political establishment so the working class of the DMV can elect socialist candidates across the region. On Saturday, January 31 (1:30 – 4:30pm) and Sunday, February 1 (2:30 – 5:30pm), Metro DC DSA will be holding its Electoral Training Intensive to prepare for local races this spring. The event is split into two sessions:
The Saturday session is for experienced individuals who have led or launched a canvass in past cycles. This day will be devoted to building leadership skills and strategic planning. Attendees will be expected to attend at least part of the second day (February 1) to help train new volunteers and DSA members to become canvass leads themselves.
The Sunday session is open to everyone. This day will be focused on teaching the core tactics and best practices that has made DSA an electoral juggernaut. This session is a great way to get plugged into current campaigns, answer any questions you may have about DSA’s strategy, and meet the architects of our electoral infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Metro DC DSA’s electoral operations will continue this weekend. In DC, door-to-door canvassing operations for Aparna for DC will take place on U Street on Saturday, January 17 and in South Columbia Heights on Sunday, January 18. The event will last from 1pm until between 3 and 4pm both days. The operations will begin with a brief campaign orientation and canvassing training at the meetup location. Water and campaign literature will be provided, but it is recommended to bring a small bag (totes are excellent), a granola bar or other light snack, and a portable phone charger. Volunteers are also requested to download the MiniVAN app on your phone ahead of time.
In PG County, Imara Crooms’ chapter-endorsed campaign for Prince George’s Council District 9 will resuming canvassing operations on Saturday, January 31. Details to follow in forthcoming issues of the Update.
The Battle for Minneapolis — Locals in Minnesota resist invasion by Trump’s ICE forces
Over the past weeks, the nation has watched in shock as reports, images, and video of violence and mass abductions being carried out by armed federal thugs bearing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) badges emerged from Minneapolis. The surge of Trump-loyal stormtroopers descended on Minneapolis both before and following their murder of an unarmed American mother, Renee Good, and another shooting of a man on Wednesday, January 14. Rather than retreat, ICE expanded their operations to schools and hospitals, Indigenous centers and homeless encampments (including a refusal to release detainees from the Oglala Sioux Tribe), and other cities throughout Minnesota. Reports of agents going door-to-door looking for immigrants to detain, dragging people down roads and shoving them into unmarked vans, and destroying storefronts, apartments, and windows have all been confirmed by reliable media, local officials, Twin Cities DSA members, and Governor Tim Walz.
Anti-fascist resistance in the city, which had already been organizing defensive maneuvers to frustrate ICE’s ongoing roundups and harassments against immigrants, has evolved into a city-wide, bloc-by-bloc struggle against the Trumpist occupation. (Minnesota based editorial collective Unicorn Riot has been keeping a running ledger of the invasion, as has the Star Tribune.) A general strike, backed by Minnesota’s well-organized labor movement, has been called on January 23.
The occupation of Minneapolis repeats and expands upon the invasion patterns trialed by Trump’s regime over the past year, as seen in Los Angeles and DC. But the invasion of the Twin Cities has played out with a new kind of intensified sadism, with Trump openly threatening the people of the city on January 13: “[Your] day of reckoning & retribution is coming.” Along with the administration’s publicly stated objectives of “liberating” the state from immigrants, Trump and his acolytes like Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem cannot hide a deeper desire to send a message to the nation by sacrificing a blue city disloyal to their regime.
As Trump’s government focuses on terrorizing another city, American precarity intensifies across the nation. Health insurance premiums are skyrocketing, food price inflation is higher than its been in four years, and utility bills are set to see record high increases. There have also been draconian budget cuts, openly targeted at blue states and cities as seen just this week: subsidies to daycares have been frozen, along with cuts to mental health and substance abuse programming across the country — all of which will tilt millions of people into deeper vulnerability, burying those who pursue lives of honest labor under the cruelty of a jackbooted regime.
In response, working people across the US are rising up against the regime’s reign of terror. In DC alone, anti-ICE rallies and vigils for those who have been detained have become an almost daily occurrence. An anonymous DSA member delivered a fiery speech at one of the rallies, and in front of DC’s Wilson Building, DSA-endorsed candidate Aparna Raj spoke about the violence caused by ICE within DC at a rally led by Families Not Feds. Meanwhile, Mayor Bowser has called the inquiries into MPD’s blatant collaboration with ICE “ridiculous,” saying that she and Interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll will not respond to the constant demand from DC residents for an oversight hearing.
Those interested in joining the effort against ICE and federal occupation in DC are encouraged to follow the Families Not Feds Coalition and Metro DC DSA’s Community Defense Working Group on Instagram. DSA members can also stay up to date in the #community-defense channel on Slack.
Political Education Working Group Spring 2026 reading groups kick off later this month — sign ups open
Want to be part of a collective that’s learning and reading together? Kicking off this month, Metro DC DSA is assembling 10 distinct reading and discussion groups including Palestinian poetry, publications and propaganda, healthy relationships for radicals, crafting and knitting while reading, Black Power and Palestinian Resistance, a magazine articles group, and more — sign up for reading groups here. The chapter’s reading groups provide an opportunity to learn in a group, either online or in-person, and help members develop their organizing prowess and knowledge alongside comrades while providing a forum for debate and discussion. These reading groups are also a great opportunity for new members to get introduced to the chapter and its ongoing work.
The Washington Socialist is Metro DC DSA’s quarterly political journal, which has published consistently since 2012 (and inconsistently since the 1970s). Articles provide contemporary commentary and debate on realities facing socialists in the DMV, with writings from MDC DSA members and allies across the Left. The latest edition of the Washington Socialist published today, January 16, with additional articles publishing next Friday, January 23. This week’s release features:
A socialist case for militant tenant organizing in the wake of the devastating RENTAL Act, a comprehensive undermining of working-class District residents passed by the Council and Mayor Bowser at the bidding of developers and capital
Notes from the field about Frankie Santos Fritz’s victory in the race for Greenbelt City Council, and how lessons learned during the campaign might carry over to Metro DC DSA’s organizing throughout the region
The Political Engagement Committee appointment process for 2026 is live; Metro DC DSA to hold GBM on Sunday, January 25
The Political Engagement Committee (PEC) leads the chapter’s electoral work, administering the chapter endorsement process, helping run and train members to run field operations for electoral campaigns, conducting research on prospective candidates and races in jurisdictions throughout the DMV, coordinating meetings with elected officials, and more. There are now seven seats on the PEC. Three, including the chair, are occupied by members of the Steering Committee, which means the committee needs to appoint four rank-and-file members, with at least one each from DC, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and Northern Virginia. Members can learn more and fill out this interest form by Tuesday, January 20 at 11:59pm to be considered for appointment.
The electoral work continues at Metro DC DSA’s next general body meeting at 4pm on January 25 at All Souls Church (note the location change), which will include a second read on the endorsement resolutions for Shayla Adams-Stafford (PG Council District 4) and Janeese Lewis George (DC mayor). Register for the General Body Meeting here.
Transit-focused socialists to meet for next working group meeting on January 19
Metro DC DSA’s Transit Working Group will hold a virtual meeting on Monday, January 19, at 6pm. Join comrades to work on defining priorities for 2026 and further developing the organizational structure within the working group. RSVP to the meeting here.
Greenbelt Public Works employees win right to unionize
Department of Public Works employees working for the city of Greenbelt won the right to unionize. Next up, socialists and allies push for the right to collectively bargain for all city workers and then all workers in the county. After the Greenbelt Council adopted Charter Amendment: Collective Bargaining Rights for Public Works Employees on January 12, activists are now working to extend the rights to all the city’s workers. The next Greenbelt City Council work session will focus on the Charter Amendment and will take place on January 21 at 7:30 at the Greenbelt Municipal Building (25 Crescent Road, Greenbelt, MD).
Montgomery County DSA mobilizes to protect Takoma Park rent stabilization — Saturday, January 24 at 11am
The Takoma Park City Council has approved a study of the city’s current rent stabilization law, potentially laying the groundwork to weaken the existing protections. Takoma Park’s rent stabilization law is stronger than Montgomery County’s 2023 rent stabilization law — for example, Takoma Park’s law only allows rent increases equivalent to the Consumer Price Index, a measure of inflation, while the county’s law allows rent increases of 3% plus the Consumer Price Index.
Weakening Takoma Park’s strong renter protections would represent an attack on the city’s working class and lay the groundwork for other attacks on tenant rights in the region. Join MoCo DSA members in Takoma Park on Saturday, January 24 at 11am to strategize around protecting Takoma Park’s strong rent stabilization law. RSVP to the planning meeting here.
Rockville Renters United and MoCo DSA to host tenant door knocking clinic — Sunday, January 25 at 4pm
Interested in building tenant power in Montgomery County? Join Rockville Renters United and MoCo DSA for a door-knocking clinic on Sunday, January 25 at 4pm at the Rockville Library. Learn from experienced tenant organizers how to prepare for a door-knocking canvass and what to say after the door opens. Get a chance to practice and leave feeling confident on how to talk with neighbors about building power and taking on landlords. RSVP for the door knocking clinic here.
Stomp Out Slumlords to plan tenant electoral support and anti-eviction canvassing
Stomp Out Slumlords (SOS), Metro DC DSA’s tenant organizing project, will have their all-hands meeting on January 27 to strategize for local elections this year after concluding a brainstorming session in December. Among those plans, SOS aims to create a dedicated electoral subcommittee to work on local elections, so anyone interested in getting involved — especially those with electoral organizing experience — are encouraged to attend. The January 27 meeting is at MLK Library, Conference Room 401-F at 7pm. RSVP to the SOS all-hands meeting here.
Then, on January 29, SOS will meet for their regular anti-eviction canvass planning. Here, members will map out the dates for the next four months of canvasses, delegate roles, decide how to improve the canvasses, and brainstorm how to drive turnout while evictions continue to rise in the District. As always, this is a great opportunity for those interested in having a bigger role in the SOS canvassing program. The January 29 meeting will be at MLK Library, Conference Room 401-E at 6:30pm. RSVP for the canvass planning meeting here.
INFO ACCESS
Militarism-fueled fascist sycophants continue to infest an already capitalism-riddled US society — and make plans to invade their sovereign neighbors. Just the battle we need. Want to fight fascism from the heart of the empire? Join DSA and fight to build socialism! We’re the alternative that works for people, not profiteers and their captive politicians. MDC DSA’s chapter spans NoVA, DC, and the big Maryland suburbs. There’s organizational info on our Metro DC chapter — DMV branches, working groups, campaigns, current activities, and enduring values — right here. What grounds our activism? See the rich archive of our acclaimed Socialist Night School. Details? Join an MDC DSA Reading Group. Members are encouraged to join our Slack for real-time info on working group and campaign events, strategy/tactic exchange, and inspiration. Email [email protected] with your most recent DSA dues receipt to get access.
How to stay current with MDC DSA — Weekly Updates, like the one you are reading, are sent every Friday — sign up here; current and past Updates are available anytime on our website. The MDC Dispatch is the chapter’s new video news series, published on the first and third Sunday of each month. Got chops and skills to bring to this latest video effort? Check in with the Publications Working Group (roles list here) or 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; the Winter issue is being released in two parts this week and next (see above). Anyone, MDC DSA member or not, interested in contributing to the Washington Socialist can email submissions or questions to [email protected]. Members, look in on us or join at #publications on Slack
DMV LEFT COMMUNITY BULLETIN
Writers’ Social on January 17 | After The Storm
The future is unwritten, and we can be the authors of it. Come out on Saturday, January 17, from 1 – 4pm at Franklin Hall to meet other writers and comrades to talk, inspire, and share ideas and skills. More info from After the Storm here.
Reel and Meal film showing January 19: Refuge at Greenbelt’s New Deal Cafe
The film Refuge follows the unlikely relationship between a former Ku Klux Klan leader in rural Georgia and the Muslim refugees he once hated, focusing on how personal contact can undermine prejudice. The showing begins at 6:30pm, 113 Centerway (Roosevelt Center) in Greenbelt. Zoom registration required for virtual viewing.
Walk Out on Fascism, January 20 | Free DC
On January 20, together with communities all over the country, Free DC is calling on everyone who opposes this administration to walk out of work at 1pm. More info on the walk out here.
Voices of the Movement on January 31 at Kalo House
On January 31 at 6pm, head to Kalo House for Voices of the Movement. They will have music, activities, an art gallery, drinks, and empanadas for donation to benefit mutual aid groups. This gathering centers powerful performances and thought-provoking art while bringing people together in community and shared purpose. RSVP to the gathering here (donate what you can).
Protest First Aid 101 class on January 31 | The Truth School
On Saturday, January 31, from 3 – 4:30pm, the virtual class Protest First Aid 101 will cover all the basic information protestors need as a civilian to be prepared to help with various medical events that may come up during a protest or demonstration. Attendees will learn how to respond to common medical emergencies, what to carry in a protest first aid kit, and more. This Zoom class is taught by two medics from Street Medics Austin. Register for the class 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.
Pressure from the ground: Black Minnesotans on survival and strategy.
If you’re watching footage [of the Minnesota resistance] and noticing who is most visible right now, you’re not wrong. Many of the people on the frontlines are white Minnesotans — and that is not a failure of solidarity. In fact, it is solidarity in practice. What you’re seeing is them leveraging their privilege and strategies learned from Black Minnesota organizers over decades to respond and protect marginalized communities. At the same time, this visibility reflects intentional organizing happening behind the scenes — decisions about who should be out there, when, and how. Don’t mistake this for a lack of care or attention from Black and brown communities. There is strategy happening in real time, and it is deliberate, thoughtful, and necessary. Zedé’s Substack
Stop ICE? Go After Its Corporate Collaborators:ICE can’t function without help from the private sector. So we should force the private sector to stop helping.
There are many well-known ICE-fighting tactics that we can and should use, like protests, know-your-rights trainings, and neighborhood watches. But two recent victories show a promising, relatively underutilized path forward — one that deserves to be pursued further: we can target businesses to break from ICE. ICE relies heavily on the private sector to help carry out its Gestapo-like crusade against immigrants and their allies. Without the logistical, financial, and political support of business, its capacity to terrorize our communities would crumble. Labor Politics via Portside
ICE Has Become a Rogue Paramilitary
It’s time we see ICE as it already sees itself: a rogue internal paramilitary force dispatched by the Trump administration to terrorize vulnerable people and violently intimidate political enemies into submission. As Senator Bernie Sanders observed, “ICE, Trump’s domestic army, is now attempting to occupy Minneapolis. Let’s be clear: This is a Trump authoritarian power grab — an open attempt to suppress dissent and heighten conflict after ICE shot and killed a mother of three in broad daylight.” The only silver lining here is that the Trump administration, trapped in an echo chamber of its own making, is clearly overplaying its hand. Nearly all Americans have seen the videos of [Renee] Good’s killing, and a majority of Americans believe it was unjustified. Furthermore, ICE’s already-low favorability has tanked to the point that more Americans now support abolishing ICE than oppose doing so. Jacobin
… And patterns and models for elections at all levels
Elections are coming up throughout our area and MDC DSA has several viable, committed candidates running in DC, Montgomery and Prince George’s County, and in Northern Virginia. There has been a lot written about Zohran’s remarkable victory in New York City and some (not as much) about Katie Wilson’s in Seattle. That said, the articles below are important as a reminder to focus on the collective effort and organizational work that enabled those victories — and to avoid falling into the trap of relying on mainstream media, which always prefers personalities to issues:
As to New York, the Indypendent has an excellent article by its editor John Tarelton that recaps the election — its roots in Occupy and persistent organizing that continued after setbacks — and prospects for what’s next.
FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting) examines the coverage of Zohran’s campaign by the New York Times, NBC, CBS, the New Yorker — i.e. corporate media — all reinforces the perspective of corporate Democrats who will do everything to deny the importance of what that election meant.
As for Seattle, two organizers who were deeply involved in Katie Wilson’s mayoral campaign detail the strategic decisions and tactics used during her campaign that were the basis of her victory.
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.
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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
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