As International Revolutionary Left, we want to convey our solidarity with Khsama Sawant, councilor in the Seattle City Council and leading member of Socialist Alternative (SA) in the United States. The comrade is again suffering a campaign of persecution, harassment and maneuvers by the large multinationals, the Trumpist right and local leaders of the Democratic party to put an end to her position in the City Council. Her crime: standing with the victims of racist police violence and leading demands for decent wages, education and public housing.
Elections will be held on December 7 to force the removal of Kshama. The date of this so-called Recall Campaign has not been chosen by chance: situated right between Thanksgiving and Christmas — two of the biggest holidays in the country —, so that the vast majority of traditional Kshama voters (the most exploited sectors and impoverished) are expected not to go to the polls. In fact, it is estimated that participation can drop as much as 50%.
Behind this undemocratic revocation attempt, marked by racism and the most disgusting misogyny, are different personalities that are well known for their class hatred against workers and the youth. The campaign against Kshama has received donations from more than 500 Republicans, including 130 who donated thousands of dollars to Donald Trump in the last presidential elections. Among these is George Petrie, Trump's main financial supporter in Washington state.
Obviously, Amazon couldn’t be missing from the list. Three top executives of the multinational (John Schoettler, Morgan Battrell and Doug Herrington) have actively participated in this. These are the same ones who financed Kshama's opponent in the 2019 elections after activists in the struggle for public housing, together with SA, the DSA and Sawant herself, raised the Tax Amazon campaign.
According to the accusation filed against comrade Kshama, this whole offensive is based on her participation in the Black Lives Matter protests, on the fact that she stood with a banner in one of the anti-racist mobilizations and opened the doors of the City Hall to the protesters to hold an assembly. That is to say, the reactionaries are attacking her for doing what anyone claiming to be on the left and holding a public position should do: being in the streets side by side with the youth and the struggling movement. Protesting is not a crime!
This fraudulent revocation attempt against Kshama can set a very dangerous precedent if she is victorious. The multinationals, the Trumpists and the Democrats pretend to kick a councilwoman democratically elected by the population of Seattle for having raised an opposition to all the corrupt policies that have been practiced in the city for years. And on December 7 it may be Kshama, but after this the attacks against the activists from the housing movement, BLM and the left in general could be intensified.
For this reason, the comrades of the International Revolutionary Left join the campaign of solidarity with Kshama Sawant and send her our militant support.
An injury to one is an injury to all!
