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Popular Resistance

Parent Organization: Alliance for Global Justice (AFGJ)
Website:

popularresistance.org/
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Project of:

Alliance for Global Justice
Formation:

2011
Directors:

Kevin Zeese, Margaret Flowers
Fiscal Sponsor:

Alliance for Global Justice

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Popular Resistance is a radical-left organization and information resource operated by Green Party activists that campaigns for anti-capitalist policies through nonviolent action. It is fiscally sponsored by the Alliance for Global Justice, a sponsorship organization for a number of left-of-center and radical-left advocacy groups.

Background

In January 2011, protestors occupied Freedom Plaza in Washington, D.C. On June 4 of that year, october2011.org was launched. An article posted to the website in April of that year, “History is Knocking,” by co-directors Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers, as well as activists Tarak Kauff, and Elaine Brower, urged others to join them at Freedom Plaza. The article, accompanied by a short video featuring its authors and others, attributed a variety of federal policies to “concentrated corporate power” or “corporatism.” The article endorsed policies that would expand Medicare and increase regulation of the financial industry, and expressed support for environmentalist positions. 12

In the fall, following the rise to prominence of the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York, “October2011.org” rebranded to “Occupy Washington, DC at Freedom Plaza” to signal its alignment with the left-wing campaign. Organizers signed a statement of solidarity with Occupy organizers in New York. 3

In June 2013, after the Occupy movement faded, the organization changed its website to PopularResistance.org and its name to Popular Resistance. The website republishes news articles from other outlets as well as its own in addition to resources for interested activists. Additionally, the organization supports multiple campaigns, all of which have their own independent websites. 4

Campaigns

Clean Up the Mines

The Clean Up the Mines campaign is focused on legislation regarding defunct uranium mines in the United States, which the campaign claims generate pollution. The campaign advocates for legislation that would fund research into the health and environmental effects of such mines on local areas, public education programs regarding the mines, the cleaning of the mines, and compensation for allegedly affected individuals. 5

Creative Resistance

The Creative Resistance Campaign, launched in 2014, promotes and supports art by radical-left activists ideologically aligned with Popular Resistance. Its website features images and videos of such art, as well as resources for activists interested in joining art groups in North America. 6

Health over Profit for Everyone

The Health over Profit for Everyone campaign advocates for the adoption of a government-controlled national health care program branded as “Medicare for All.” 7

It’s Our Economy

The It’s Our Economy campaign advocates for policies and regulations which orient the economy in such a way that popular sentiment is a stronger determinant of economic forces than standard market incentives. As of June 2, 2020, the campaign’s website, itsoureconomy.us, appears to be defunct. 89

Trade for People and Planet

The Trade for People and Planet campaign, named with reference to the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement advocates for the replacement of free-trade agreements with protectionist arrangements favorable to environmentalists and labor unions. As of June 6, 2020, the campaign’s website describes itself as advocating against the ratification of the US-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) agreement, which it describes as “The New NAFTA [North American Free Trade] agreement.” On July 1, 2020, USMCA entered into force, replacing NAFTA. 101112

We Are Cove Point

The We Are Cove Point campaign is focused on opposing the development of a new natural gas extraction project by Dominion Resources near Cove Point in Lusby, Maryland. 13

Alliance for Global Justice

The Alliance for Global Justice, Popular Resistance’s fiscal sponsor, is a 501(c)(3) organizing group that sponsors a variety of left-wing and radical-left projects and campaigns, including the allegedly Antifa-aligned Refuse Fascism, United Students Against Sweatshops, and Stop Mass Incarceration. The group identifies itself as “anti-capitalist” and was initially an outgrowth of the Nicaragua Network, which supported the Communist-aligned Sandinista regime. 14151617

AfGJ has numerous associations with the radical left, running efforts in defense of the de facto socialist dictatorship of Venezuela,18 publishing a defense of the North Korean regime,19 and taking actions on behalf of radical-left extremists including Leonard Peltier and Mumia Abu-Jamal. 20 21 22

People

Kevin Zeese is a progressive political activist and Green Party operative. From 1980 to 1986, Zeese worked for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, which supports the legalization of recreational marijuana. In 2004, Zeese was the press secretary for Ralph Nader’s independent presidential campaign. In 2006, Zeese unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate from Maryland on the Green Party ticket. Zeese is the “life partner” of Popular Resistance co-director Margaret Flowers. 2324

Margaret Flowers is a left-progressive activist and Green Party operative. Flowers has advocated on behalf of Medicare for All and co-founded the Maryland Healthcare is a Human Right campaign. In 2006, Flowers volunteered for co-director and life partner Kevin Zeese’s campaign for U.S. Senate on the Green Party ticket. A decade later, Flowers also unsuccessfully ran for Senate. 2526

References

  1. “Our History.” Popular Resistance. Accessed July 6, 2020. https://popularresistance.org/aboutus/
  2. Zeese, Kevin; Margaret Flowers, Tarak Kauff, and Elaine Brower. “Now Is The Time To Join Together And Unite Our Struggles In Sustained Acts Of Nonviolent Resistance.” Popular Resistance. April 2011. Accessed July 6, 2020. https://popularresistance.org/history-is-knocking/
  3. “Our Campaigns.” Popular Resistance. Accessed July 6, 2020. https://popularresistance.org/campaigns/
  4. “Our Campaigns.” Popular Resistance. Accessed July 6, 2020. https://popularresistance.org/campaigns/
  5. “About.” Clean Up the Mines. Accessed July 6, 2020. http://cleanupthemines.org/about/
  6. “About.” Creative Resistance. Accessed July 6, 2020. http://creativeresistance.org/about/
  7. “Our Mission.” Health Over Profit for Everyone. Accessed July 6, 2020. http://healthoverprofit.org/our-mission/
  8. “Homepage.” It’s Our Economy. June 6, 2020. http://itsoureconomy.us/
  9. “Our Campaigns.” Popular Resistance. Accessed July 6, 2020. https://popularresistance.org/campaigns/
  10. “About This Campaign.” Trade for People and Planet. Accessed July 6, 2020. http://tradeforpeopleandplanet.org/about/
  11. Swanson, Ana. “As New NAFTA Takes Effect, Much Remains Undone.” The New York Times. July 1, 2020. Accessed July 6, 2020.
  12. Lawrence, Edward; and Jonathan Garber. “USMCA trade agreement reached.” FOX Business. December 9, 2019. Accessed July 6, 2020. https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/usmca-agreement-reached-sources
  13. “Background.” We Are Cove Point. Accessed July 6, 2020. http://wearecovepoint.org/about/
  14. “Our Principles.” Alliance for Global Justice. Accessed July 6, 2020. https://afgj.org/about/our-principles
  15. “#BlackLivesMatter Protests Held Amid Parties on New Year’s Eve.” NBCNews.com. January 01, 2015. Accessed June 6, 2020. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/blacklivesmatter-protests-held-amid-parties-new-years-eve-n277896
  16. Richardson, Valerie. “Antifa violence splits left as another major protest looms at Berkeley.” The Washington Times. September 13, 2017. Accessed July 6, 2020. https://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/sep/13/antifa-protest-of-ben-shapiro-looms-at-berkeley/
  17. “Homepage.” Popular Resistance. Accessed June 6, 2020. https://popularresistance.org/
  18. “Protest at OAS says ‘U.S. hands off Venezuela!’” Workers World. June 09, 2017. Accessed November 30, 2017. https://www.workers.org/2017/06/09/protest-at-oas-says-u-s-hands-off-venezuela/
  19. Smith, Stansfield. “An Interview with North Koreans.” Alliance for Global Justice. April 07, 2013. Accessed December 07, 2017. https://afgj.org/an-interview-with-north-koreans. Workers.org version: Smith, Stan. “A Korean View of Current Situation.” Workers World, April 12, 2013. https://www.workers.org/2013/04/8171/. Archived version of both: AfGJ + Workers.org – North Korea
  20. “Political Prisoners in the USA.” Alliance for Global Justice. September 07, 2017. Accessed December 08, 2017. https://afgj.org/politicalprisonersusa
  21. Pamela Anderson Foundation, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2014, Part XV
  22. “AfGJ’s Fiscally Sponsored Projects.” Alliance for Global Justice. Accessed December 08, 2017. https://afgj.org/sponsored-projects/fiscally-sponsored-projects/fiscally-sponsored-projects.
  23. “Kevin Zeese.” Americans who Tell the Truth. Accessed July 6, 2020. https://www.americanswhotellthetruth.org/portraits/kevin-zeese
  24. “CO-DIRECTORS OF POPULAR RESISTANCE ON THE NEW PHASE.” Popular Resistance. December 11, 2017. Accessed June 6, 2020. https://popularresistance.org/co-directors-of-popular-resistance-on-the-new-phase/
  25. “Margaret Flowers.” Green Party US. Accessed July 6, 2020.https://www.gp.org/dr_margaret_flowers
  26. “CO-DIRECTORS OF POPULAR RESISTANCE ON  THE NEW PHASE.” Popular Resistance. December 11, 2017. Accessed June 6, 2020.https://popularresistance.org/co- directors-of-popular-resistance-on-the-new-phase/

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