Today I risked arrest alongside twenty other activists at Donald Trump’s new hotel in DC, just down the road from the White House. Together we unleashed a giant banner that said “Keep Trump Away From Nukes,” suspended by giant balloons to block the front entrance to his hotel.
With the election just two weeks away, it’s time to pull out all the stops to keep Trump from getting elected -- and that includes civil disobedience. That’s why the #NoRedButton campaign decided to rebrand the new Trump hotel so we can boldly call it like we see it: that Donald Trump is a racist demagogue, and we cannot allow him to have unrestricted control over America’s nuclear arsenal.
I’ve been organizing against nuclear weapons for a couple years now, and have risked arrest and been arrested for a bunch of different issues -- most recently it was for calling on Paul Ryan to disavow Trump, and before that it was to get big money out of politics. I firmly believe in the power of nonviolent direct action to shift the public climate and in the necessity of escalating campaigns. I think it’s how we’ll change the world.
I also believe nuclear weapons are one of the most pressing existential issues facing my generation, so I’m not sure why it’s taken me two years to organize a nonviolent direct action around nukes. It’s certainly not for a lack of urgency on this issue. The US is racing toward overhauling its entire nuclear arsenal to the tune of $1 trillion, triggering a new global arms race. We’re designing new nuclear weapons that are meant to be used. Global tensions are high.
I guess you could say that Donald Trump lit a fire under my ass. When you’ve got a power hungry maniac asking why he can’t use nuclear weapons and casually saying more countries should get nukes, it’s pretty clear that we’ve got to do whatever it takes to keep him from getting his finger on the button.
We were out there today because we’re fighting. We’re fighting for our future. For a more just, equitable world for everyone, everywhere. We’re fighting because we know that world, that future cannot happen with a nuclear-armed Trump.
I’m proud to have stood on the right side of history today. If you want to stand with me, check out the list of anti-Trump actions happening across the country this week and join us in the streets.