Approved: 6/27/2020
A RESOLUTION OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF OREGON
Regarding Support for Protesters and Opposition to Fascism
WHEREAS, fascism is a perversion of modern democracy, characterized by a compulsory official ideology, an uncompromising government by a single party led by a single dictator, use of militaristic police tactics, a movement towards monopoly on communications and weapons, a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism, and a programmatic platform which replaces reason with faith and scientific knowledge with authoritarian control; and
WHEREAS, fascism is an existential threat to all people in a democracy, particularly people of color, refugees, immigrants, religious minorities, the LGBTQ+ community, indigent people, people with disabilities, and those impacted by threats to women’s rights and autonomy; and
WHEREAS, fascism is a political and social movement that seeks to scapegoat the most vulnerable of our neighbors for the systemic failures of unrestrained capitalism, growing inequality and political corruption, and that seeks to provoke and harness the power of the most ignorant, reactionary, desperate and bigoted of our more privileged neighbors to those ends; and
WHEREAS, national and local fascists – those who advocate and practice racism – have increasingly been allowed and encouraged to bully, threaten, assault and kill those they deem to be their enemies, and history shows that without solidarity those whom they target will continue to become more isolated and the violence wrought against them will become normalized; and
WHEREAS, when fascism is present in a society, it is incumbent upon people to stand as opponents to fascism; and
WHEREAS, Article 10, Plank 1 of the 2018 Democratic Party of Oregon platform explicitly states that “We reject and condemn all racist, misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic, white supremacist, white nationalist, and fascist ideologies, organizations, and movements.”; and
WHEREAS, police brutality across the United States has spurred nationwide protests against systemic racism; and
WHEREAS, the vast majority of participants in these demonstrations, as well as the vast majority of the demonstrations themselves, have demonstrated consistent and principled non-violence; and
WHEREAS, on June 1, 2020, President Trump stated his intention to use US military forces on American soil to clear the streets of Americans exercising their Constitutionally-protected rights to assemble and to petition their government for redress of their grievances; and
WHEREAS, the President’s actions have resulted in anti-terrorism laws being used to violate the constitutional rights of all manner of Americans who choose to speak, organize, and assemble in opposition to abuses of power; and
WHEREAS, Amendment 1 to the Constitution of the United States of America declares that the government shall “make no law…abridging the freedom of speech, or the press, or the right of people to peacefully assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances”;
NOW, THEREFORE, THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF OREGON RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The Democratic Party of Oregon is firmly opposed to fascism and its proponents, and we stand in solidarity with the non-violent activists who also oppose fascism and are struggling for the freedom, justice, dignity and rights of all humanity.
Section 2. We support the protesters demonstrating against systemic racism, abuse of power by law enforcement officers, and police brutality.
Section 3. We further call for the demilitarization of law enforcement and a reevaluation of their role in their communities.
Section 4. We condemn the the disingenuous conflation of anti-fascism with terrorism, and abuse of anti-terrorism laws by those who would use them to intimidate, harass, detain, and deny the rights of people in the United States to speak, associate, and assemble in lawful protest.
Section 5. We condemn any threat to use, or the use of, any state’s or the United States’ armed forces, militarized mercenary contractors or unidentified armed personnel on American streets, against people in the United States exercising their constitutional right to assemble, as fascist and un-American.
Combined from a Resolution Submitted by Farrah Chaichi, Washington County & a Resolution submitted by Deren Ash, Deschutes County and Graham Parks, Multnomah County
