Milwaukee protests Trump’s visit ahead of presidential elections

Milwaukee, WI – Former President Trump returned to Milwaukee this past Friday, November 1, to speak at a rally at the Fiserv Forum, the same venue where he accepted the Republican presidential nomination during the Republican National Convention (RNC).

Once details of Trump’s visit were made public, the Milwaukee organizations who helped lead the Coalition to March on the RNC rallied together for an emergency protest to say no to Trump. Trump’s reactionary agenda stands against multiple movements that have a strong home in Milwaukee – anti-police crimes, reproductive justice, anti-war, labor, student, and Palestinian liberation.

Speaking to the question of reproductive justice, Allison Smith of Reproductive Justice Action – Milwaukee, stated, “we don’t want a man with a documented history of sexual misconduct. We want to remind him, and everyone else, that we did not stand idly by when our rights were stripped away in 2022, and we will not be silent now. We are committed to doing everything in our power to push back against right-wing attacks on reproductive healthcare and the healthcare system at large.”

Progressive elements of the labor movement have largely united against Trump on account of his prioritization of CEOs rather than workers and his vile attempts at sowing division among workers. While dividing the working class isn’t unique to Trump, his reliance on reactionary rhetoric has emboldened the reactionary elements of the U.S. population. Jacob Flom of the Milwaukee Area Labor Council made this point clearly, stating, “the labor movement stands for everything that Trump is against. Trump has tried to pit workers against each other by fostering anti-immigrant and anti-LGBTQ hate.”

With all the hatred Trump and his supporters have voiced against working and oppressed peoples, the imperative to take a firm stand against it and fight back became another consistent theme in the remarks of Friday night’s speakers. Speaking on behalf of the Milwaukee Antiwar Committee, Eva Dickenson, stated, “Trump’s comments on Palestinians have been sickening. He’s promised to put pro-Palestinian protesters like us in jail, and he has said that he wants to finish the job. No matter what he tries, he will never kill our spirit of resistance.” Aurelia Ceja, co-chair of the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, carried a similar message forward, explaining “we’re united to show that Milwaukee is a fighting city.”

A Trump presidency will require mass organizations capable of standing up against the multiple attacks on various movements. Trump has made it clear that he’s an enemy of the people, and the only antidote against him will be mass movement. Speaking to the importance of organizing, Audari Tamayo of Freedom Road Socialist Organization stated, “We recognize the ballot box as an arena of struggle, but we say that the best way to fight reactionaries like Trump and his supporters is right here in the streets. Trump represents the U.S. empire in decline, but this system won’t fall on its own or through the ballot box. The real hammer of change will be socialism built by the working and oppressed people!”

Tuesday’s election is quickly approaching, and for the people of Milwaukee, the road ahead is one of struggle.

Milwaukee has become a must-visit location for Republicans and Democrats given the city’s significance for the Wisconsin vote, which will play a key role as a swing state. Regardless of the outcome, it will be up to the people of Milwaukee to fight like hell for what they need and deserve. Friday offered a small glimpse into how the progressive movements of Milwaukee intend on standing together post-election.

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