March for Migrants and the Planet in New York?; & Katherine Franke on Interrupting the Gears of Authoritarianism

During a massive action on April 19, a sea of people gathered in Bryant Park and rallied on the steps of the Public Library. We estimate 10,000-20,000 people participated in the 14-block-long march. Speaking at the rally were people from migrant rights organizations and those fighting climate change. Along with highlighting those issues, the action addressed other Trump/MAGA attacks that have motivated millions of U.S. residents to get into the streets in an effort to stave off the onslaught by the fascist clique governing the country. This includes the summary deportation of hundreds of people? without due ?p?rocess. A key organizing force was Summer of Heat, "a campaign of sustained nonviolent direct action" demanding that Wall Street stop investing in, financing, and insuring fossil fuels. It is sponsored by Extinction Rebellion and several other environmental organizations.

At the rally and march, a heartening sign was the growing evidence of intersectional thinking. For example, ACT UP/NY, an AIDS direct action group, discussed the relationship between climate change and capitalism. Other activists present discussed the survival concerns of people with HIV/AIDS in the context of attempts by the Trump administration to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. They also discussed the difficult task ahead to change the thinking of Trump’s base. We also talked about other recent protests, including the NY "Death by 1000 Musk Cuts" and the D.C. protest earlier this month against the shutdown of PEPFAR (the President's Emergency Program for AIDS Relief), where AIDS activists brought 200 coffins to the State Department.

The April 19th rally and march was sponsored by Summer of Heat and Target Majority NYC (which is an Indivisible & Swing Left alliance). Swing Left focuses on training volunteers to register voters, phone bank, fundraise, and engage in door-to-door campaigning for Democratic candidates.
John Mark Rozendaal of Xtinction Rebellion
John Mark Rozendaal of Extinction Rebellion

The program includes an interview with John Mark Rozendaal, a queer member of Extinction Rebellion, the direct action environmental group, discussing the origin of the march, its significance, and the importance of intersectional activism in this time of extreme reaction.

Also interviewed were a pair of artist-activists working under the name C-R-K-S-H-N-K, pronounced like Crookshank. One of them said: "I'm a wheatpaste artist. I started five years ago just when the pandemic was starting. It was a great opportunity to get outside and vent anxiety and frustration by the images that I do. Then I place them on buildings and different things. And it's good therapy for me."

Thanks to MD D'Elia for contributing audio footage of this rally.
Photomontage of Trump & Musk byCRKSHNK - C-R-K-S-H-N-K
Photo-montage of Trump & Musk by CRKSHNK

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Terminated Columbia Law Professor Katherine Franke

Interrupting the Gears of Authoritarianism

Former Columbia University School of Law professor Katherine Franke, an out lesbian, is the founding Director of the School’s Center for Gender & Sexuality Law, an executive committee member of the Center for Palestine Studies and a board member of Palestine Legal. In January 2024, Professor Franke appeared on the Democracy Now! program to discuss an attack on Columbia’s campus targeting pro-Palestinian student activists with a foul-smelling liquid that led to multiple hospitalizations. Based on that appearance, two Columbia professors filed a complaint against her claiming she had created a hostile environment for Israelis at Columbia students; she also became a target by name for Republican lawmakers in Congress, including NY Representative Elise Stefanik. When Columbia’s then-president Minouche Shafik was called to testify in Congress last April about campus protests, Stefanik grilled Shafik about Prof. Franke and two other Columbia faculty members - all three are queer. In January of this year, Prof. Franke was effectively terminated from Columbia.

On April 21, Katherine Franke posted a short video on YouTube titled Interrupting the gears of authoritarianism. We played this three-minute commentary on our program. She writes, “What kinds of smart tactical organizing should we consider in these challenging times? ACT UP's organizing offers some inspiration for today.” To learn more, she recommends checking out the film United in Anger: A History of ACT UP, whose producers, Jim Hubbard and Sarah Schulman, we have had as guests on Out-FM. Go to unitedinanger.com.
Sing Out Louise
"Sing Out Louise" choral group at the protest