A Statement from the Shut It Down DC Coalition on Facebook's false "Russian Bot" censorship

Earlier today(July 31), Facebook deleted numerous Facebook pages, including one event aimed at promoting a protest against Jason Kessler's Unite The Right 2, the sequel no one asked for.

The Shut It Down DC Coaliton has been meeting for weeks. We took over the Facebook event created by outside groups, in a desire to keep it accountable to local organizers. At numerous points, national groups have organized events in DC, and often demanded the resources of local organizers. We took over the Facebook event in question to prevent over-burden, and to control it.

The event was created by Resisters, but was used for legitimate protest organizing and promotion. Specifically, local organizers put our own messaging, graphics, and videos in it. We did not promote anyones views except our own.

White nationalism and supremacy is not a Russian ploy, it's a systemic problem. Jason Kessler is not a Russian bot, he's the foot soldier of the Trump agenda. White Supremacy did not start with the election of Trump and it won't end when Democrats are elected to the U.S. congress. It started when Columbus arrived in 1492 and robbed, murdered, and raped first nation peoples, it continued with the chattel slave trade, Segregation and Jim Crow, the Chinese Exclusion Act, Japanese internment camps, and shackled dead black bodies on stolen land.

Black Lives Matter D.C. and numerous other groups are central to organizing against a real threat to D.C. We do not organize because of a FaceBook account purportedly run by Russia, we do this to make sure our loved ones, communities, and neighborhoods stay safe from fascists in, and out of, uniforms.

We've since created a new Facebook event but we know real organizing comes from talking with our neighbors, and that this is a real protest in Washington, D.C. It is not George Soros, it is not Russia, it is just us. Facebook, has left numerous white nationalists pages openly promoting hate up for months at a time, claiming their hands were tied. They regularly suspended Black Lives Matter, Antifascist Groups, and Black Lives Matter member accounts. They have taken down real organizing.

In solidarity,

The Shut It Down D.C. Coalition Rise Up Fight Back BLM DC Contingent

The white supremacists want to come back. On Aug 12, 2018, the Alt-Right will hold "Unite the Right 2" in Washington DC in front of the White House at Lafayette Square. In collaboration with Shut It Down DC, we are calling Black Lives Matter activists, supporters, and our Movement for Black Lives comrades to participate in days of action against fascism on August 10 through August 12 and a mass mobilization in Washington DC for our Rise Up Fight Back March on Aug 12th, 2018.

We reject all forms of oppression, organize by consensus, embrace a diversity of tactics, and will not work with police. We seek to center the most marginalized members of our community.

St. Paul Principles:

Our solidarity will be based on respect for a diversity of tactics and the plans of other groups.

The actions and tactics used will be organized to maintain a separation of time or space.

Any debates or criticisms will stay internal to the movement, avoiding any public or media denunciations of fellow activists and events.

We oppose any state repression of dissent, including surveillance, infiltration, disruption and violence. We agree not to assist law enforcement actions against activists and others.