AGAINST THE CELEBRATION OF COLUMBUS AND COLONIZATION
Call for autonomous creative disruptions of the San Francisco Columbus Day Parade on Saturday, October 7
On this day Columbus Day Celebration, Inc. will put on a ceremony of conquest and colonization called the 144th Annual Italian Heritage Parade.
The highlight of this family friendly parade is the appearance of a “Queen Isabella” –the Spanish queen who funded the initial expedition for the continuing genocide and ecocide of the Americas. The people putting this on say that “Queen Isabella” is a “typical Italian-American young woman. She symbolizes our community in her dreams, ambitions, and ideals. She will represent the Columbus Day Celebration and Italian Heritage Parade and our community for the duration of the Celebration at various functions and events.” The idea that a Spanish monarch is the symbol of Italian heritage exposes that this parade isn’t about Italian heritage but rather the bloody heritage of conquest, genocide and ecocide that was introduced to these lands by Christopher Columbus.
This parade and others like it represent a history from the eyes of the Settlers that removes the devastation and destruction wrought by the colonizers.
This is a call to celebrate a different kind of history – the history of resistance to colonization. Many indigenous people across the globe have and are giving their lives to defend the Earth and our connection to it. Worldwide indigenous people have been engaged in the front lines against Empire for over 520 years, fighting for self-determination and autonomy, and fighting against all the systems of domination introduced by Settlers.
Columbus Day is a celebration of genocide and ecocide. The rape and destruction continues, but so does the resistance. This is a call for autonomous creative actions to expose the full history of colonization and join the continuing global anti-colonial and anti-capitalist resistance. Attack the symbols and disrupt the idols of empire, colonization, and capital.
Reclaim
Resist
Rejoice
Decolonize the NEW World 2012
IN OAKLAND:
ANTI IMPERIALIST – ANTI COLONIAL – ANTI CAPITALIST RALLY & MARCH :
11TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WAR & OCCUPATION OF AFGHANISTAN
Rally: 6pm- March: 7pm- Oscar Grant Plaza (14th & Broadway Downtown Oakland)
Bay Area Autonomous Afghans & Allies calling on all Anti-colonialists, Anti-imperialists, Anti-capitalists! March & Rally in Oakland, CA, in response to AFP’s “Call Out for Solidarity” on the 11th anniversary of the War in Afghanistan.
read the full call to action here.
