Resistance is spreading across the US including the major cities whereTrump has sent federal troops and/or the National Guard. Washington State organizations and coalitions are organizing to protect their communities from a potential troop deployment. PSARA is focusing our work on the Free Washington Project (FWP). The Project has called for the formation of a Coordinating Council to grow a grassroots network in Washington State to resist authoritarian and anti-democratic actions of the Trump administration, and the agenda of Project 2025. FWP will coordinate efforts with other stakeholders to stand against military escalation and criminalization of protest.

Initiated by Washington State Standing for Democracy, the Free Washington Project has been inspired by Free DC, Hands Off NYC, Bay Resistance, and organizations united in Los Angeles, Portland, and Chicago. Discussions with activists and organizers from these cities have enabled the organizers at the center of FWP to glean important lessons in building a popular front. First, FWP seeks to prevent the sending of troops and second, if troops are sent, to build a coordinated response to protect vulnerable communities and to ensure our response is nonviolent.

The FWP is building a Coordinating Council that is multi-racial and multi-sectoral that can grow resilience and mutual support across communities and the state. Through coordinated actions and events and sharing resources and announcements, we can broaden the base of resistance beyond those organizations that are the most active currently in the anti-fascist movement.

The FWP is launching a website (freeWAproject.org) to act as a clearing house to amplify the efforts of those organizing around the state. It will be a resource to announce actions, events, and trainings, intended to build resistance to Project 2025, even more broadly than its attacks against immigrants. Trainings can include non-violent civil disobedience, building rapid response networks, and de-escalation tactics.

The six points of unity for joining FWP are:

1. Commitment to non-violence to ensure the success of actions;

2. Commitment to building a coordinated response against the use of military or militarized units of federal or federalized forces in Washington State;

3. Commitment to solidarity, based on respect for diverse tactics and plans by various groups, avoidance of public criticisms, or debates within our movements;

4. Opposition to any state repression that seeks to surveil, infiltrate, disrupt, and cause violence to our movement;

5. Build the broadest resistance to authoritarian actions of the administration by utilizing the website as a resource for members of FWP;

6. Promoting community by building the broadest coalition that is multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-sectoral, multi-generational, and internationalist in composition and viewpoint. The coalition will honor the leadership of those most impacted by the policies currently being implemented under Project 2025.

While Standing for Democracy’s main emphasis will be to build a Coordinating Council of FWP, it is important to continue to build ties with other organizational efforts that have intersecting interests with FWP. One important formation, chaired by One America, is the Statewide Immigration Table: Rapid Mobilization which is focusing on a plan should federal troops be deployed to Washington State. Composed mainly of immigrant rights groups, ACLU and Indivisible representatives, the Table focuses on attacks on immigrant communities. As a leader in immigrant justice, One America is also building a communications plan with elected officials and media. WAISN (Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network) is launching a statewide membership group focused on large-scale raids by ICE.

Standing for Democracy continues its ongoing committee work through People’s Assemblies for Democracy, Affirmative Resistance, as well as a general membership education session on the last Wednesday of each month.

If you are interested in attending Standing for Democracy meetings and/ or finding out more information about the Coordinating Council of the Free Washington Project, please contact Cindy Domingo at 206.856.0324 or standingfordemocracy053@gmail.com.