A Woman’s Place is in the Fight, Workers of the World Unite!

Yesterday, all around the US, International Women’s Day marches took place in many urban cities without any obstacles. Why? Because, they either paid for a permit or their organizing posed no threat to the current establishment.

Austin’s first militant International **WORKING** Women’s Day march, organized by Popular Women’s Movement, overcame police impediment and fascist harassment by the Texas Nomads SAR, a white nationalist organization that is anti-woman and anti-immigrant.

The Austin Police and the fascist Texas Nomads share the same interest on International Working Women’s Day:

They don’t want militant women to march and take the streets.

They don’t want us to have power!

On the start of SXSW, on a Friday evening during traffic hour, Popular Women’s Movement, took a segment of the bustling 7th street by a storm in honor of revolutionary women in history and all over the world – especially ones that serve the world proletarian revolution. For those that are not well-versed in Austin’s geography, 7th street is a highly gentrified street, sitting besides gentrified mansions and dilapidated homes on the brink of being torn down. It’s the main corridor from the airport to downtown, where thousands of tourists will travel through this upcoming week of SXSW mayhem.

We steadfastly held our red banner, which read “Unleash the Fury of Women!” We also held large portraits of revolutionary women Rosa Luxemburg, Jiang Qing, and Comrade Norah. Rosa Luxemburg who was a staunch fighter against the treacherous dead ends of reformism, Jiang Qing who provided revolutionary leadership in China’s Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, and Comrade Norah, a founder of Peru’s Movemiento Feminino Popular and second in command of the Communist Party of Peru – we will never forget these strong women! They will live forever in our hearts, as we follow their footsteps in the historical fight against capitalism, imperialism, and revisionism.

As we marched down 7th street towards Webberville, we weaved through aggressive police squad cars that took every attempt to block our march. Our courageous members and women supporters remained resilient and unwavering in their march. At the corner of 7th and Webberville, police targeted and isolated a lone photographer. Our marchers began yelling at the officers to release the photographer. More officers arrived abruptly to tackle the back of the march and grabbed two militants. As they were loading them into the squad cars, crowds of people came out of their homes and shops as we yelled “Abusive pigs deserve to die! Women hold up half the sky!” Our red-masked supporters passed out pamphlets which included details of the history of International Working Women’s Day and notable highlights of women’s struggles in Austin. One example is Morgan Rankin, a young black woman in a mental health crisis, was shot 6 times by an APD officer, Benjamin Rogers. Benjamin has received no consequence from murdering this woman to this day.

The hypocrisy of the police was undeniable. While they claim their duty is to protect and serve citizens and maintain public safety, their attempts to roadblock and repress our march caused more chaos during traffic hour than we ever could have. It is clear that their main goal is to protect the rich and terminate any form of resistance against capitalist interests.

After the arrests of our comrades, we dodged around the squad cars and sprinted back onto the streets. Members of masses joined our block and we continued up Webberville, through residential streets, down Pleasant Valley Road, and back to H.E.B where we squared off with the fascist Texas Nomads, which comprised of Christopher Ritchie, Colin Whites, and Jon Colgin.

Christopher Ritchie is a violent white nationalist livestreamer, known for his participation in the violence of Charlottesville. He is an islamophobic supporter of ACT for America and Soldiers of Odin. Christopher Ritchie, during the march, yelled multiple misogynistic slurs, demanding that women in the march make him a sandwich.

Collin Whites has been arrested for assaulting an anti-Trump protestor. He is a math tutor for Austin Community College. He openly supports Trump with paranoid ideas, claimed at an ACC citizen Communications Board, that Antifa frequently drives by his car and harasses him.

Lastly, Jon Colgin, a Trump supporter, punched a protestor at an Anti-Trump Rally at City Hall, right before the 2018 Women’s March and Rally in downtown.

These misogynistic men unsuccessfully tried to capture our red flags. They depend on the cops to protect them and eventually were detained for their own protection.

Transcript of Richie’s livestream of the march:

Off camera Texas Nomad: We could use a few more numbers… Listen, we can’t take em’ brother. They were good with those sticks, man. Ritchie: Fuck em’! Off camera Texas Nomad: I’m just saying tactically, we can’t take em. I’m telling you.

Militant women of Austin, let’s drive these violent men out of our neighborhoods and the pigs who leap to protect them before they lift a finger for any of us. The necessity to organize and fight for our movement is more important than ever.

Long live revolutionary women of the past, present and future!

Unleash the fury of women as a mighty force for the proletarian world revolution!

Please donate to support our comrades who were arrested and are facing charges! We are forever humbled by their bravery and sacrifice.