In a movement against fascism, directly-democratic popular assemblies help bring people together, lets them make their own choices, and builds the kind of freedom and equality we want. Through assemblies, movements can become stronger, more united, ready to defend themselves and push for real change. Typically, when someone refers to a “united front” they either mean some sort of generic unity of Left coalition and united action.

We desire to build toward a united front – a broad coalition of revolutionary and radical organizations able to mobilize broad popular resistance to fascism and build towards a free society. The only way to stop fascism is by expanding grassroots democracy to empower communities to defend themselves, sustain resistance, and build the fighting foundations of a new society at the same time.

By federating local assemblies into regional and national networks, we could build a mass fighting alternative to the capitalist settler colony itself. We can coordinate mass actions, like occupations and general strikes, that have the power to halt the machinery of fascism and its capitalist enablers.

We envision that those trying to build an assembly in their area could effectively do so by the end of the year through collaboration, to the extent it is desired. Hopefully through consistent communication, solidarity, trust and collective resistance the groundwork for a meaningful united front might be born.

1. Power to the People
Fascism is basically about a small group controlling everyone else, using fear and violence. A directly democratic assembly can not only be a means to resist and persist, but a model of what could replace fascism and the declining bourgeois-democratic order it grows out of. Assemblies put power into the hands of everyday people. The movement against fascism must embody the democracy we want to see in the world.

2. Avoiding Movement Capture
The structure of popular assemblies avoids our movements getting defeated from above by politicians, non-profit organizations, or groups claiming to act on behalf of the people. Oftentimes, our movements get co-opted by reformist organizations or criminalized by organized liberal forces.  A directly-democratic space is not immune to these issues but is structured in such a way that wards off these attacks, by creating a radical, democratic space that can serve as a counter-power to the state as well as those on the Left that seek to maintain and reform it.

3. Building Unity
In a united front against fascism, people from diverse backgrounds need to work together. If decisions are made by a handful of leaders, people tend to feel ignored or left out. Directly democratic assemblies make sure everyone’s voice matters, helping to keep the group united and strong.

4. Organizing for Action
Assemblies can organize real actions, like mutual aid, community defense, planning protests and blockades, even general strikes where everyone stops working. Assemblies draw on the strength of all committed people opposed to fascism, not just those in particular organizations or cliques. Because decisions come from the group, people are more likely to trust each other and commit to the work of the assembly and its working groups.

5. Building the Alternative
Assemblies let people practice real democracy in the present moment. Rather than just a means to organize a social movement against fascism, assemblies can become a new way to govern neighborhoods, workplaces, even whole cities and beyond.