Celebrate International Women's Day 2014

Updated February 22, 2014 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us This year, on the weekend of International Women's Day: Saturday March 8 should be a day of resistance against the horrific oppression of women; and Sunday, March 9 should be a celebration of the bright future made possible through revolution. The spirit of internationalism should infuse both of these days. All over the world one-half of humanity is held in a state of subjugation and degradation. And right now what we face in this country is an all-sided assault on women's right to abortion, on the basic right of a woman to decide if and when she wants to bear children. Forced motherhood truly is female enslavement! And the right to abortion is seriously hanging in the balance. On Saturday March 8, demonstrations and rallies should be organized in favor of the right to abortion where the call for "Abortion on Demand and Without Apology!" should ring out. The future of women is at stake—all those who oppose the war on women need to step out and make their voices heard on this day, International Women's Day. One key front of the attacks on abortion is the vicious campaign of harassment against abortion clinics around the country, as Mary Lou Greenberg highlighted in her recent letter to Revolution ("The Battle for Abortion at the Clinic Doors"). One very good idea would be to mobilize people to defend these clinics and confront the anti-abortion fanatics who are terrorizing women seeking to get abortions. There may be other kinds of activities and places to focus these demonstrations—including where others are organizing women's day rallies and events, bringing this spirit into those events. Where Stop Patriarchy has called for IWD events, those should be united with. And everywhere the call to action "End Pornography and Patriarchy: The Enslavement and Degradation of Women!" should be taken out and distributed. Banners can be taken out to communities of the oppressed and palm cards distributed with BAsics 3:22—"You can't break all the chains, except one..."—calling for people to come out and join with others in these IWD demonstrations. And in the midst of all this—many people wearing REVOLUTION—NOTHING LESS! t-shirts—infusing these manifestations with that message and edge: we need a revolution, and nothing less than a revolution is needed to get rid of this system which is built on and enforces the oppression of women and all the other horrors humanity faces. Then Sunday, March 9 should be the occasion for celebratory IWD dinners with a real revolutionary and internationalist character—gathering people who stepped out on March 8, drawing forward women and men from among the oppressed neighborhoods, students and activists, immigrants who have come here from countries all over the world, people involved in the BA Everywhere campaign, and people who support the Revolutionary Communist Party. Organize a potluck—make it simple and radical and fun! If possible find a community center or church in a neighborhood—where people from the neighborhoods along with people from the campuses and other scenes can all gather together and experience a taste of what kind of world could be possible through revolution and a new revolutionary state power. These gatherings should pulsate with revolutionary energy and vision—displays with pictures and text about the world-shaking steps to liberate women during the first stage of communist revolution, quotes from Bob Avakian, pictures of women and men standing up against horrific forms of oppression from Mississippi to Lagos to Dhaka to Cairo and beyond. Poems, songs, music and other cultural expressions—particularly drawing forward the contributions of women and men from all over the world. Excerpts from the films Stepping Into the Future… or BA Speaks: REVOLUTION—NOTHING LESS!; readings from BAsics or other revolutionary works. If there are people you know who traveled to revolutionary China in the 1970s and saw first-hand what having revolutionary state power meant for the liberation of women, they could give a brief talk and show slides or clips from revolutionary Chinese films. Preparing these celebrations can be a way for all different kinds of people to get involved—inspired by the vision of emancipating humanity and bringing forward a society that gets beyond the oppression of women and all other forms of oppression. And a special message from the Revolutionary Communist Party will be sent to be delivered at these gatherings. All out for an International Women's Day weekend that's about fighting the power, and transforming the people, for revolution! Break the Chains! Unleash the Fury of Women as a Mighty Force for Revolution! International Women's Day 2014—March 8 & March 9 Actions called by Stop Patriarchy & Programs sponsored by Revolution Books New York: March 8, 12 noon: St. Patrick's Cathedral [5th Ave. btw. 50th-51st Sts.] 12:30: March & protest at sites of the war on women. StopPatriarchy@gmail.com March 9, 3-5:30 pm: Celebration & potluck dinner with international food St. Mary's Church, 126th St. btw. Broadway & Amsterdam. (212) 691-3345 San Francisco Bay Area: March 8, 12 noon: St. Mary's Cathedral [@Geary & Gough] 12:30: March & protest at sites of the war on women. StopPatriarchyBayArea@gmail.com March 9, 6:30 pm: Potluck dinner with international food. Bring a dish to share. Revolution Books, 2425 Channing Way, Berkeley (510) 848-1196 Seattle: March 8, 1 pm: Seattle Central Community College [Broadway & Pine] Open mic speakout: No More Silence, No More Shame, Break the Chains! StopPatriarchySeattle@fastmail.net March 9, 6 pm—Dinner & video showing! Revolution Books, 89 S. Washington Street (206) 325-7415 Chicago: March 8, 12 noon: Holy Name Cathedral, 735 N. State St. [Red Line, Chicago Stop] 12:30: March & protest at sites of the war on women. ChicagoStopPatriarchy@yahoo.com March 9, 5-7 pm: International Potluck Dinner, Revolution Books, 1103 N. Ashland (773) 489-0930 Los Angeles: March 8, 11 am: Adams & Figueroa. Abortion on Demand & Without Apology! Support the HER clinic and oppose the anti-abortionists. 2:30pm: Hollywood and Vine train station. March and protest at the sites of the war on women. StopPatriarchyLosAngeles@gmail.com March 9, 4 pm: Celebration & dinner Revolution Books/Libros Revolucion, 5726 Hollywood Blvd @ Wilton (323) 423-3500 Cleveland: March 8, 12 noon: Protest at Alternaterm—the FAKE women's clinic in Cleveland Heights, 2026 Lee Rd. Bring signs, banners, drums, your friends! StopPatriarchyCleveland@gmail.com Hawaii: March 9, 5-7 pm: Celebration! Revolution Books, 2626 S. King Street, Honolulu (808) 944-3106 Atlanta: March 9, time & place TBA: Celebration & potluck dinner Check Revolution Books Outlet, Atlanta—rbo-atlanta.blogspot.com