Madison Socialist Alternative hosted an anti-Trump and far-right rally Wednesday outside the Wisconsin State Capitol. Around 50 people gathered to listen to MSA and other socialist and communist organization speakers.
In an interview, University of Wisconsin graduate student and MSA member August Easton-Calabria said they believe the Democratic and Republican parties do not do enough to support the working class.
“Can we rely on the Democratic Party to help us fight the right, or do we need to build movements in the streets, in our workplaces, on campuses?” Easton-Calabria said. “… We need to get organized independently of the Democrats.”
Easton-Calabria said they believe the Democratic Party gave up on Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) when he ran for president. Sanders presented a great opportunity for change in the country, but building a separate Workers’ Party is still the best option, Easton-Calabria said.
Easton-Calabria said they voted for Green Party candidate Jill Stein in the 2024 General Election because they believed she was the only anti-war candidate in the race. Even if Stein was not in the race, Easton-Calabria said they still would not have voted for Harris.
“All of those votes [for Stein] could be added to Kamala’s votes, and she still would have lost,” Easton-Calabria said. “… She’s [Harris] committing genocide in Palestine right now.”
Easton-Calabria said many people are rightfully scared now that Trump has won the election and if Harris won, there may have been less fear. But, they said there are terrible agendas under both parties.
A little later into the rally, MSA speakers chanted and addressed the crowd on the steps of the Capitol.
One speaker, MSA member Rianna Kuenzi, said Trump won this election due to the Democratic Party’s failure to listen to the working class.
“I believe in the power of the people to strike the ruling class system and their corporate two-party system where it hurts — which is in their pocketbooks,” Kuenzi said.
Kuenzi said they believe capitalism is a disease and only global socialist movements can support a world free of war and oppression.
Following their speech, speakers resumed chanting — along with the rest of the crowd.
“Voting blue is not enough, Democrats, we call your bluff,” the crowd chanted.
