Red Guards (USA)
Red Guards | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2015 |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Far-left |
The Red Guards are American "Marxist–Leninist–Maoist collectives of community organizers and mass workers"[2] originating in Los Angeles with other branches operating in Austin, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, and Charlotte, as well as St. Louis and San Marcos, under the distinct titles of Red Path Saint Louis and San Marcos Revolutionary Front respectively.[3] The Red Guards formed in 2015 as a reaction to the growing gentrification of Los Angeles and Boyle Heights, as well as a response to the "growing neo-fascist movement." The group is named after the Red Guards that operated under Mao Zedong in the People's Republic of China during the Cultural Revolution that were composed of militant students who campaigned against the "reactionary and bourgeois" culture of China.[4]
History
The Red Guards formed in Los Angeles on January 10, 2015; a month afterward, on February 17, 2015, Red Guards Austin formed. Red Guards Pittsburgh was formed on May 16, 2017. On February 3, 2018, Red Guards Charlotte formed. On March 8, 2018, the Kansas City Revolutionary Collective reconstituted itself as Red Guards Kansas City due to "a higher level of unity that has been achieved after almost two years of patient struggle with other Red Guards collectives, specifically Red Guards Austin" in regards primarily to questions of "the universality of protracted people’s war, party militarization, and concentric construction of the three instruments for revolution".[5]
Starting in 2015, the Red Guards went on an anti-electoral campaign, pushing for a boycott of the 2016 election, with the slogan, "Don't vote, revolt!"
On July 18, 2016, Red Guards Austin staged a show of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. The Red Guards would later heavily critique the group's mode of operation as well as its leadership, declaring the movement to be forefronted by "pig apologists."
After the election of President Donald Trump in November 2016, the Red Guards intensified their efforts, with Red Guards Austin stating "The war is not coming, it is here and now" in their "Everywhere is a Battlefield" polemic.
On September 21, 2017, a joint statement from Kansas City Revolutionary Collective (later known as Red Guards Kansas City), Red Guards Los Angeles, Tampa Maoist Collective, Queen City Maoist Collective (later known as Red Guards Charlotte), Red Guards Austin, and Revolutionary Association of Houston was released that heavily criticized and publicly severed all ties with the Saint Louis Revolutionary Collective due to alleged "horrendous security culture" and "weaponized identity politics" within Saint Louis Revolutionary Collective's leadership.[6]
On December 17, 2018, Red Guards Austin dissolved; on May 18, 2019, Red Guards Los Angeles went defunct. Remaining Red Guards and Serve The People organizations remain unaffected and are still operating.[7][8][9][10][11][12]
On October 12, 2019, members of the Red Guards were involved in an attack on Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) members in Kansas City.[13]
Ideology
The Red Guards released an extensive description of their political philosophy in a position paper published online in 2016, titled "Condemned to Win!"[14] In the article, it is explained that the theoretical structures of the collectives are based on the ideology of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism, with Maoism being principal. The Red Guards place a specific reverence for Abimael Guzmán, also known as "Chairman Gonzalo", who led the Shining Path revolutionary organization and waged a protracted people’s war in Peru.[3]
They are militantly opposed to other leftist groups including the DSA,[15] Workers World Party,[16] the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), and the Industrial Workers of the World, and have disrupted events and gatherings hosted by these groups in Austin, Kansas City, and elsewhere.[17]
Reception
The Red Guards have been formally condemned by the PSL. Following an alleged assault by the Red Guards in Austin, the PSL released a statement equating the Red Guard's provocations to tactics used the FBI as part of the COINTELPRO, which targeted left wing dissident in the 1960s and 1970s for suppression through the use of agent provocateurs.[18] Canadian YouTuber Jason Unruhe has referred to the Red Guards as "reeking of cop."[19]
The group was the subject of a baseless conspiracy theory circulated during the Austin serial bombings of 2018.[20]
The Red Guards received statements of solidarity and support from Maoist organizations internationally when one of their leaders, known by the alias Comrade Dallas, was arrested.[21]
See also
References
- ↑ Austin, Red Guards (24 September 2018). "In defence of the life of Chairman Gonzalo, hoist higher the flag of Maoism!". Red Guards Austin. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
- ↑ Caterine, Joseph. "Red Guards and the Modern Face of Protest". www.austinchronicle.com. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Kistler, C. (29 April 2018). "Red Guards Austin Statement for the May 1, 2018". Redspark. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- ↑ "USA Archives".
- ↑ "Announcing Red Guards Kansas City". Red Guards Kansas City. 8 March 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
- ↑ "Opportunism vs Maoism: St. Louis Revolutionary Collective as a Lesson for the US Maoist Movement". Redspark. 21 September 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
- ↑ "Austin woman arrested, accused of hitting counter-protester with stick at rally". KXAN. 5 May 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
- ↑ "Election Ticker: Last Chance for Controversy".
- ↑ "Red Guards Austin: But Who Controls the Guns?". 2018-05-16.
- ↑ "Red Guards Austin: A Year Summation of the Life of a Militant Maoist Organization in the U.S. Central South". 2016-02-17.
- ↑ "AUSTIN: Professor's Death Ruled Suicide After Being Targeted by Revolutionary Students". 2018-11-19.
- ↑ Gonzalez, Brenda (February 17, 2018). "Business owner threatened, harassed after flying flag supporting police". CBS News. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
- ↑ Reed, Daniel (October 17, 2019). "KANSAS CITY: Anti-Revisionist Confrontation of DSA Event Ends in Bloodshed". Incendiary News. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
- ↑ Austin, Red Guards (5 July 2016). "Condemned to Win! Position paper from Red Guards Austin, 2016". Red Guards Austin. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- ↑ Austin, Red Guards (21 October 2018). "DSA are capitalist pigs!". Red Guards Austin. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- ↑ "Workers World Party Confronted in Southeast Austin". Incendiary. 4 February 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- ↑ "Why do People Continue to Take the US Red Guards Seriously? Do you even Know Who these People Are?". Medium. 30 March 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- ↑ "'Red Guards' Austin's COINTELPRO-style tactics and slanderous attack against the PSL". gdoc.pub. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- ↑ Unruhe, Jason (February 6, 2019). "Austin Maoists or Texas FBI? WWP and PSL Attacked by Red Guards Austin". Retrieved October 19, 2019.
- ↑ Radtke, Dina; Martinez, Natalie. "These are the right-wing conspiracy theories and hoaxes floating around about the Austin bomber". Media Matters for America. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- ↑ "Forsvar kamerat Dallas og kjemp for hans frihet!". Tjen Folket. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
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