Fundraiser Presentation and dessert potluck to benefit Vermont J20 Defendants: Renowned historian Mark Bray on the history of anti-fascism
Sponsored by Central VT Prisoner Support, The Tilted Scales Collective, and Burdock Distro
When: December 7th from 7-9 pm
Where: Unitarian Church of Montpelier: 130 Main St, Montpelier, VT 05602
Cost: $10-$40 recommended donation, no one turned away for lack of funds
On January, 20th 2017, the morning that Trump was inaugurated, thousands of people took the streets to show their resistance to the Trump Regime and the world he and his supporters wish to create. During that protest, the police kettled (surrounded and trapped) over 200 people protesters, journalists, medics, legal observers and bystanders without giving them an opportunity to disperse. They were attacked with chemical and projectile weapons by the police for 8 hours before being arrested. Most were charged with unprecedented felony conspiracy charges. The remaining 194 people who were arrested are facing trial, scheduled to begin November 15th. If convicted, they could face up to 60 years in prison.
Two Vermont organizers are among the people facing charges. Central Vermont Prisoner Support is hosting a fundraiser to benefit their legal support fund. As some of you may know, the costs associated with traveling to D.C. for repeated court appearances and retaining an attorney add up quickly. Join us on December 7th from 7-9 pm at The Unitarian Church of Montpelier for a presentation by Mark Bray, renowned historian and Visiting Scholar at Dartmouth University. Bray will discuss the J20 case and the implications repressive state policies have on social struggles for a more equitable world. He will also discuss his new book Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook (Melville House, 2017). Books from Bray as well as literature from the Tilted Scales Collective and Burdock Distro will be available for sale.
***This event is a dessert potluck so bring a sweet treat to share!***
For more information about J20: http://defendj20resistance.org/
For more information about Mark Bray: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~grid/people/associatedvisitingscholars.html
Facebook link to the event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1451343628314731/2
About Mark Bray's Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook from Melville House publishing.
As long as there has been fascism, there has been anti-fascism — also known as “antifa.” Born out of resistance to Mussolini and Hitler in Europe during the 1920s and ’30s, the antifa movement has suddenly burst into the headlines amidst opposition to the Trump administration and the alt-right. Simply, antifa aims to deny fascists the opportunity to promote their oppressive politics, and to protect tolerant communities from acts of violence promulgated by fascists. Critics say shutting down political adversaries is anti-democratic; antifa adherents argue that the horrors of fascism must never be allowed the slightest chance to triumph again. In a smart and gripping investigation, historian and former Occupy Wall Street organizer Mark Bray provides a detailed survey of the full history of anti-fascism from its origins to the present day — the first transnational history of postwar anti-fascism in English. Based on interviews with anti-fascists from around the world, Antifa details the tactics of the movement and the philosophy behind it, offering insight into the growing but little-understood resistance fighting back against fascism in all its guises.