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'We Rise' Actions Aim to Challenge Rightwing Takeover of State Governments
Protesters take to the streets and state capitol buildings to declare: 'our statehouses and our cities belong to us'
Mar 11, 2015
With working families, women, the environment, people of color under attack in state legislatures and city halls around the country, people are stepping up to say: "No more."
To make their message heard by local governments on Wednesday, supporters participated in more than 20 events--including rallies, sit-ins, and acts of civil disobedience--in 16 states as part of the "We Rise" national day of action.
"Politicians working primarily on behalf of big corporations are making it harder and harder for families to get by," said Ana Maria Archila, co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy, which helped organize Wednesday's events along with National People's Action and USAction.
She added: "Our families won't stand for this, and today thousands of workers and families raised our voices in state houses across the country to demand that elected officials join us in leveling the playing field so that each and every family can thrive."
With the right wing currently in control of more state legislatures than at any time since the 1920s, state houses offer "the right wing's best chance to enact the most extreme legislation," wrote Bernie Horn, senior adviser for Progressive Majority Action and the Public Leadership Institute, in an op-ed last month.
"Apparently conservatives believe they have a mandate to give big corporations another free ride on the backs of everyday people," said George Goehl, executive director of National People's Action. "But they're wrong. They have no such mandate. Instead, as we can see in the resistance to draconian policy or Chuy Garcia's campaign to unseat Rahm Emanuel as Mayor of Chicago, there is a new brand of populism taking root in America. People are fed up with politicians doing the bidding of big money. They're ready for leaders who will work for, not against, people and the planet."
To that end, close to 2,500 people packed the Illinois Capitol Building in Springfield on Wednesday, where some were arrested for acts of civil disobedience and others chanted, "Tax the rich, now!"
Meanwhile, a parade snaked its way through Albany, New York, with about 1,000 marchers calling for increased funding for public education.
And in Topeka, Kansas, approximately 200 activists piled into the office of Republican Gov. Sam Brownback to demand that elected officials put people and the planet before profits and polluters.
Other actions were taking place in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania (seven different events), West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Follow the activity on Twitter under the hashtag #WeRise.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
center for popular democracyenvironmentillinoisinequalitykansasnew yorkpeople powerpeople's actionrahm emanuel
With working families, women, the environment, people of color under attack in state legislatures and city halls around the country, people are stepping up to say: "No more."
To make their message heard by local governments on Wednesday, supporters participated in more than 20 events--including rallies, sit-ins, and acts of civil disobedience--in 16 states as part of the "We Rise" national day of action.
"Politicians working primarily on behalf of big corporations are making it harder and harder for families to get by," said Ana Maria Archila, co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy, which helped organize Wednesday's events along with National People's Action and USAction.
She added: "Our families won't stand for this, and today thousands of workers and families raised our voices in state houses across the country to demand that elected officials join us in leveling the playing field so that each and every family can thrive."
With the right wing currently in control of more state legislatures than at any time since the 1920s, state houses offer "the right wing's best chance to enact the most extreme legislation," wrote Bernie Horn, senior adviser for Progressive Majority Action and the Public Leadership Institute, in an op-ed last month.
"Apparently conservatives believe they have a mandate to give big corporations another free ride on the backs of everyday people," said George Goehl, executive director of National People's Action. "But they're wrong. They have no such mandate. Instead, as we can see in the resistance to draconian policy or Chuy Garcia's campaign to unseat Rahm Emanuel as Mayor of Chicago, there is a new brand of populism taking root in America. People are fed up with politicians doing the bidding of big money. They're ready for leaders who will work for, not against, people and the planet."
To that end, close to 2,500 people packed the Illinois Capitol Building in Springfield on Wednesday, where some were arrested for acts of civil disobedience and others chanted, "Tax the rich, now!"
Meanwhile, a parade snaked its way through Albany, New York, with about 1,000 marchers calling for increased funding for public education.
And in Topeka, Kansas, approximately 200 activists piled into the office of Republican Gov. Sam Brownback to demand that elected officials put people and the planet before profits and polluters.
Other actions were taking place in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania (seven different events), West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Follow the activity on Twitter under the hashtag #WeRise.
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
With working families, women, the environment, people of color under attack in state legislatures and city halls around the country, people are stepping up to say: "No more."
To make their message heard by local governments on Wednesday, supporters participated in more than 20 events--including rallies, sit-ins, and acts of civil disobedience--in 16 states as part of the "We Rise" national day of action.
"Politicians working primarily on behalf of big corporations are making it harder and harder for families to get by," said Ana Maria Archila, co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy, which helped organize Wednesday's events along with National People's Action and USAction.
She added: "Our families won't stand for this, and today thousands of workers and families raised our voices in state houses across the country to demand that elected officials join us in leveling the playing field so that each and every family can thrive."
With the right wing currently in control of more state legislatures than at any time since the 1920s, state houses offer "the right wing's best chance to enact the most extreme legislation," wrote Bernie Horn, senior adviser for Progressive Majority Action and the Public Leadership Institute, in an op-ed last month.
"Apparently conservatives believe they have a mandate to give big corporations another free ride on the backs of everyday people," said George Goehl, executive director of National People's Action. "But they're wrong. They have no such mandate. Instead, as we can see in the resistance to draconian policy or Chuy Garcia's campaign to unseat Rahm Emanuel as Mayor of Chicago, there is a new brand of populism taking root in America. People are fed up with politicians doing the bidding of big money. They're ready for leaders who will work for, not against, people and the planet."
To that end, close to 2,500 people packed the Illinois Capitol Building in Springfield on Wednesday, where some were arrested for acts of civil disobedience and others chanted, "Tax the rich, now!"
Meanwhile, a parade snaked its way through Albany, New York, with about 1,000 marchers calling for increased funding for public education.
And in Topeka, Kansas, approximately 200 activists piled into the office of Republican Gov. Sam Brownback to demand that elected officials put people and the planet before profits and polluters.
Other actions were taking place in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania (seven different events), West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Follow the activity on Twitter under the hashtag #WeRise.
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