Demonstrators protest against fascism, promote free speech on Library Mall

The Madison branch of the Industrial Workers of the World held a demonstration speaking out against fascism and recent violence against members of their union Friday.

The demonstration, titled “All Out Against Fascism and Hate,” and organized by the union’s General Defense Committee, attracted roughly 45 people to Library Mall.

Demonstrators gathered at Library Mall to listen to speakers such as Alex Gillis of the Union de Trabajadores Inmigrantes, Lariisa Stewart of the Madison Feminist Directory and Sam Olson of the Wisconsin Bail Out the People Movement. Speakers covered topics such as injustice against minority groups and national responses surrounding President Donald Trump’s election.

According to Erik LW, member of the IWW, the demonstration was a direct response to the recent shooting of an IWW member in Seattle during a “counter protest” of a Milo Yiannopoulos event.

“We’re just trying to bring more attention to basically a violent movement that we’re seeing in this country and around the world,” LW said.

In the demonstration’s Facebook event, IWW specifically cited student organizations on campus that they believed were perpetuating violent ideals. Those organizations included the American Freedom Party and Young Americans for Freedom.

YAF partnered with Young Americans for Liberty to mobilize and promote their agenda of free speech in response to the accusations of fascism by the IWW.

“We all kind of joined together to discuss how we’re kind of upset with how our campus has been kind of rebelling against free speech,” YAF Recruitment Chair Abby Streu said.

Streu and YAL Chair Cahleel Copus were quick to dismiss claims of fascism and violence made against their organizations by the IWW.

“We are not out here protesting our ideas. We’re literally out here promoting free speech,” Copus said. “We think that free speech is a beautiful thing. It’s a great liberal tradition on college campuses that people freely exchange all ideas, and we want to promote that concept.”

While the event remained peaceful, heckling was present between both sides of the demonstration.

“This is not an attack on your free speech. We’re standing up for people who need it,” Stewart said in response to opposing demonstrators.

YAF member Kyle Reski said he believed the demonstrations were not productive.

“I appreciate disagreement, but when people are just screaming at you calling you racist and hateful and violent … you can’t have a conversation with that,” Reski said.