DSA is horrified by the massacre of dozens of men, women and children in the Christchurch, New Zealand mosques. Our hearts go out to the survivors. We stand against Islamophobia, and are ready to defend members of religious minorities in our own communities as part of our anti-fascist work.

Yet we cannot stay silent about the broader political context of this planned attack. The main attacker himself stated he was motivated by race hatred and moved to action by the words of the far-right in the U.S. and by Donald Trump. He reportedly was inspired by the white supremacist who massacred nine people at the Charleston, South Carolina Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. He quoted the far-right terrorist who gunned down Norwegian Labour Party youth at a 2011 summer leadership training. And he was undoubtedly aware of the recent Tree of Life Synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

All people of good conscience face a rising threat – an international fascist movement which destroys bonds of solidarity and love and spreads hate and fear. In dividing us along lines of race, religion, and country, this movement seeks to scatter the working class and ultimately serve the interests of global elites.

Their movement finds fertile soil after decades of neoliberal capitalist austerity policies enacted by governments the world over, including Wall Street Democrats in the U.S., which force poor and working people to compete with each other to survive. But we take heart from today’s global youth day of action on the climate and from the worker’s strike wave in the U.S. In this age of uncertainty and change, when corporate polluters are killing our planet for private profit and driving people to migrate, fascism will continue to rise unless we build a culture of solidarity, and an international Left strong enough to take on the capitalist class and force governments to serve the many, not the few.

We encourage chapters to reach out to migrant rights and religious minority groups in your community to offer solidarity and material support if needed. For advice, resources and training in common sense security practices, contact [email protected].