Against Imperialism: International League of Peoples’ Struggle Hosts Assembly in Seattle | South Seattle Emerald

by Victor Simoes

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The Worldwide League of Peoples’ Wrestle (ILPS) U.S. 2nd Nationwide Meeting will happen Oct. 21–23 at Washington Corridor in Seattle. This gathering of organizations from world wide goals to strengthen ties within the international battle in opposition to imperialism by way of a collection of actions, workshops, discussions, and panels centered across the name “Battle for Our Rights, Lives, and Planet! Unite In opposition to the Dying, Determined U.S. Empire!” 

Imperialism is the imposition of a rustic’s political, financial, territorial, and cultural affect and management past its borders. U.S. imperialism has a protracted historical past of army conquest, diplomatic or compelled intervention in different nations, and neoliberal insurance policies that search to profit colonial powers at the price of the world’s individuals and assets.

“If we’re going to construct a world that’s completely different, if we’re to deliver ourselves again from the sting of local weather disaster, the potential of nuclear warfare, and from the devastating financial scenario that so many individuals discover themselves in, to do this, they should construct this anti-imperialist motion that brings collectively individuals from all throughout the nation, organizations that actually symbolize consultant grassroots individuals which are attacking the imperialist beasts from many various angles,” stated Rhonda Ramiro, member of the ILPS U.S. Steering Committee and the ILPS Worldwide Coordinating Committee.

The ILPS was shaped in 2001, searching for to deliver collectively the anti-imperialist and democratic forces that stood in opposition to the U.S. interventionist international coverage below one alliance. At present, ILPS has grown to over 350 organizations in additional than 45 nations. 

“Due to the circumstances of imperialism and neoliberalism, significantly over the previous 30 years, we even have seen so many extra individuals pushed out of their dwelling nations, compelled emigrate world wide as a result of their circumstances are unlivable at dwelling,” Ramiro informed the Emerald. “And so a lot of these individuals within the diaspora find yourself right here in the US. And we see the circumstances of our group right here within the U.S. and world wide as linked to these root issues in our dwelling nations. We additionally know that being right here within the U.S., we now have a particular function to play or sort of a singular function to play in that we are able to battle imperialism from inside, inside its stomach of the beast.” 

The Meeting will kick off on Friday, Oct. 21, with an motion focusing on many multinational firms primarily based in Seattle. ILPS invitations the group to hitch the march, beginning at MOHAI at 3 p.m., that seeks to reveal these corporations’ oppressive insurance policies towards staff, ties to militarism, and help to the US imperialist agenda. Seattle has a wealthy historical past in anti-imperialist activism, most notably the large-scale anti-globalization protests in opposition to the World Commerce Group’s annual convention in 1999.

“Seattle is a kind of locations the place so lots of the largest multinational firms that advance imperialist pursuits — Amazon, Starbucks, Google, and Boeing — have a big presence within the space,” stated Ramiro. “Even the schools in Seattle have connections to massive firms that contribute to, for instance, the U.S. warfare machine. So we thought it might be vital to come back to Seattle, to have the ability to confront that after which, much more importantly than the large multinational firms is that Seattle has a protracted and wealthy historical past of battle, and we wished to acknowledge that battle and be in solidarity with it, have fun it.”

ILPS member organizations primarily based in South Seattle, resembling Anakbayan South Seattle, a Filipino youth group combating for the nationwide liberation of the Philippines, have been very concerned in organizing the occasion. 

“Lots of people are very, very concerned; it’s been like an ILPS month,’’ stated Nica Sy, vice chair of Anakbayan South Seattle. “I believe that, basically, our chapter of Anakbayan has actually labored laborious to construct solidarity relationships, and numerous our solidarity work is centralized with ILPS. Main as much as the meeting, we’ve been selling it with all of our actions, our outreach materials, like our publication, and even with our basic membership.”

Anakbayan South Seattle sees the Meeting as a chance to proceed constructing the anti-imperialist alliance and additional intensify their actions in opposition to the imperialist insurance policies within the Philippines. Throughout September, Anakbayan South Seattle despatched a contingent of members to New York to protest and immediately confront the go to of Filipino president Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the US, the place he met with President Biden and CEOs of corporations like Boeing. 

“Anakbayan South Seattle is, firstly, an abroad chapter of Anakbayan within the Philippines,” stated Sy. “We’re finally accountable to our fellow Filipinos dwelling in our homeland. We’re not remoted from the struggles of Filipinos again dwelling. And if something, our struggles right here, our experiences within the diaspora, are immediately linked to the circumstances again dwelling. Ever-worsening social and financial circumstances within the Philippines are the rationale that we’re right here within the U.S. within the first place.”

To be taught extra about ILPS U.S. and Meeting particulars, you possibly can verify its web site, and to maintain updated with future occasions and actions, you possibly can comply with its Instagram. 

“Standing in opposition to imperialism, imperialist insurance policies, and warmongering of the U.S. isn’t solely proper and simply,” stated Ramiro, “it’s additionally pressing and mandatory.”

Victor Simoes is a world scholar on the College of Washington pursuing a double diploma in journalism and photograph/media. Initially from Florianopolis, Brazil, they get pleasure from radical organizing, hyper pop, and their beloved cats. Their writing focuses on group, arts, and tradition. You could find them on Instagram or Twitter at @victorhaysser.

📸 Featured Picture: Worldwide League of Peoples’ Wrestle (ILPS) members take part in marches in the course of the Black Lives Matter rebellion in 2020. (Picture courtesy of ILPS Seattle-Tacoma.)

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