Support the General Defense Committee (GDC) Fund

In the last year, we have witnessed the rapid growth of an increasingly violent far-right. They have been emboldened by a government which looks on and allows or even encourages their violence. Charlottesville has made very clear how urgent it is for us to organize for community self-defense.

Community self-defense promotes solidarity and direct action from within our communities, so that we will not have to rely on the government to protect us. We know that the government doesn’t always protect us from gender violence, from right-wing political violence, or from police violence. In many cases, the government enables these forms of violence. The government exists to maintain the status quo, including the many forms of oppression that we are fighting to abolish. Relying on the government for protection is a losing strategy.

The General Defense Committee of the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World) is one organization that has been modeling community self-defense in recent years. This includes or ganizing against police brutality, organizing for harm reduction amongst drug users, broad-based anti-racist organizing, as well as supporting survivors of gender violence. Since the election, we have started new chapters in places like Nevada, Arkansas, Indiana, North Carolina, and grown quickly in cities such as Minneapolis and Milwaukee.

Now is the time to organize boldly. We want to build strong chapters across North America, in as many cities as we can, with deep roots in working class communities. With your help, we’ll be able to continue our growth and accelerate our expansion. We can use funding to provide trainings to new chapters, to start a travel fund, and to provide banners, flags, and other tools for expansion.

We want everyone to get involved with organizations that support community-self defense and mass anti-racism. We can help you find or start a GDC chapter, or get in touch with a similar group in your location. Contact us at GDC [at] IWW.org.

Don’t rely on the ruling class to protect your community!