OCTOBER 17, 2025
This is the weekly newsletter of the Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America (MDC DSA), which is produced by local members of the chapter’s Publications Working Group. The Weekly Update publishes every Friday at 9am. Ready to fight the Trumpocalypse? Join DSA, fight to win with a real alternative!
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CONTENTS
UP FRONT
No Kings, No Fascists, No Billionaires — mass rally against the Trump regime tomorrow at 11am
Join comrades to discuss socialist path forward and strategy for the resistance to Trump — Metro DC DSA General Body Meeting on October 19 at 2pm
Socialist surge in Prince George’s County and Montgomery County — plug into canvasses this weekend to get more socialists elected
No Kings, No Fascists, No Billionaires — mass rally against the Trump regime tomorrow at 11am
From DC to Portland, the country is under attack from a radical right-wing government and its small clique of billionaire backers. Tomorrow, millions of people across the nation are turning out to demonstrate against this fascist takeover.
Blocking the fascist takeover of the federal government is necessary, but not enough. Socialists have a unique role to play in the fight for a better world. This is why Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America is calling on members and allies to join in solidarity with this mass action. DSA members will be assembling at the north side of John Marshall Park (400 C St NW, Washington, DC 20001, near the Judiciary Square Metro stop) at 11am on Saturday, October 18. RSVP here.
Join comrades to discuss socialist path forward and strategy for the resistance to Trump — Metro DC DSA General Body Meeting on October 19 at 2pm
As the one-year anniversary of Trump’s election approaches, the Metro DC DSA Steering Committee has resolved to host spaces for members to reflect on the chapter’s strategic tasks in this moment — and how socialists can best equip themselves to take them on. Additionally, the chapter’s Program Development Commission (PDC), which has been tasked with studying these issues and drafting a coherent strategy, will be presenting the first draft of the Metro DC DSA Program at the upcoming General Body Meeting on October 19. Ample space will be set aside for breakout and whole group strategic debate. RSVP here. There will be one month for debate and proposed amendments before the program guide will be voted on by the chapter for approval.
Further, Metro DC DSA will be hosting an additional, hybrid discussion event on October 26 between 4:30 – 6:30pm, focused on encouraging members to reflect on how the chapter has matured over the last 10 years and possible changes to its processes and structures necessary to meet the moment. Socialists are strongly encouraged to attend both events as a way to deepen their participation in DSA’s collective democracy and help influence the direction of the socialist movement under the second Trump regime.
Socialist surge in Prince George’s County and Montgomery County — plug into canvasses this weekend to get more socialists elected
There are just three weekends left to knock doors for Metro DC DSA-endorsed candidates Frankie Fritz and Omodamola Williams. Frankie and Omo are fighting to support working-class families in Greenbelt and Gaithersburg, respectively. Socialists are mobilizing to get the word out ahead of election day on November 4:
- Frankie’s team is kicking off canvasses at 11:30am on Saturday, October 18, and 12pm on Sunday, October 19, both days at the Greenbelt Metro Station.
Omo’s team is kicking off canvasses this Saturday at 10am and at 2pm, as well as Sunday at 10am and at 2pm at Gaithersburg High School, 101 Education Blvd, Gaithersburg, MD. Carpool is available from Shady Grove Metro; please reach out to let the team know if you need a ride when you RSVP.
BRIEFS
Rally TODAY in solidarity with FEMA workers — October 17 at 12pm
At a time when disasters are on the rise and the Trump administration is decimating FEMA’s capabilities, workers and supporters are rallying in response at 500 C St. SW on Friday, October 17 from 12pm – 1pm. Join fellow socialists in attending to show support for current FEMA staff and those impacted by this administration’s cuts.
Ghouls Just Want Abortion Access — October 18 at 8pm
Join the Metro DC DSA Bodily Autonomy Working Group at As You Are for a fundraiser for the DC Abortion Fund (DCAF) and a kick-off for the working group’s Abortion Access Sheet. Come dressed in costume for a dance party with As You Are’s very own DJ Byte Back, BAWG’s block-printed merch, and more. Tickets are $7, and 100% of the proceeds will go to DCAF. Masking is required for this event. Get your tickets here.
Spread the word about upcoming events with the Abolition Working Group — Sunday, October 19 and Saturday, October 25
The Abolition Working Group is working to meet the material needs of DMV residents and needs help in getting the word out. RSVP here to wheatpaste for its upcoming free coat giveaway on Sunday, October 29 from 1 – 3pm — meet at the Southern Ave Metro Station and wear comfortable shoes. RSVP here to wheatpaste for the working group’s upcoming brake light clinic on Saturday, October 25 from 1 – 4pm — meet outside the AutoZone at 955 Longfellow St NW.
Stomp Out Slumlords meeting and tenant organizing workshop — October 25 at 2 pm
Stomp Out Slumlords will have an all hands meeting and tenant organizing workshop on Saturday, October 25, 2pm at Mount Pleasant Library. Join tenants and organizers to talk through organizing strategy, get help working through issues in your building, or find advice for starting a tenants union. This meeting is for everyone whether you are already a member of a tenants union or are brand new to SOS. RSVP here. If you are interested in tenant organizing, fill out this interest form.
Labor Working Group holds monthly meeting — working group elections underway
On Tuesday, October 14, the Metro DC DSA Labor Working Group (LWG) held its monthly general member meeting. The Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee (EWOC) is in need of more leaders to organize workers. The committee will be tabling at No Kings on October 18, and then holding a Federal Workers Circle at Malcolm X Park on Sunday, October 19 from 12 – 2:30pm. Come join fellow workers for an afternoon of community-building and solidarity over shared food and labor struggle. A worker circle is a labor-oriented roundtable for workers to discuss their situations and support each other in organizing through sharing skills, knowledge, experiences, and common struggles. RSVP here.
Jon Irvine, labor activist leader for 25 years, was this month’s guest speaker and provided invaluable insight and inspiration on organizing. Some key takeaways were: power is not only what you have but what the opposition thinks you have, the best tactics are collective, set goals for involvement, don’t abandon effort, good strategies can escalate from low to high intensity, and celebrate everything — win or lose.
Finally, fall means election season, and LWG is no different. Metro DC DSA Labor Committee elections are underway for multiple positions, and members can nominate themselves or a fellow comrade. Click here to access the nomination form, which contains the full election timeline and breakdown of roles and their responsibilities. Nominations are open from until October 28, so act fast.
Transit Working Group building public pressure for effective regional transit
The Metro DC DSA Transit Working Group is fighting back against a failure to deliver better transit for riders across the DC area. Eighteen months after local leaders started their DMV Moves initiative to make once-in-a-generation progress to improve transit, those same leaders are about to make our transit status quo even worse than it already is. With no commitment to a secure source of operations funding, no expansion of bus rapid transit, no consolidation of regional bus lines, and no rail expansion, DMV Moves is committing the region to future decades of a stagnant, ineffective transit system that does not meet the needs of the public.
The Metro DC DSA Transit Working Group is mobilizing in advance of the upcoming DMV Moves meeting on October 29 to pressure DMV Moves to reconsider the impacts of this disappointing plan. To get involved in the ongoing campaign check out the Transit Working Group Action Network page.
DC Spanish Club for Socialists holding weekly meetup in Adams Morgan — Monday, October 20 at 7pm
Spanish Club for Socialists, a project of multiple area socialist and mutual aid organizations (including Metro DC DSA) is a free weekly event where organizers meet up to practice their Spanish. The event is about 90 minutes long and is split into beginner, intermediate, and advanced groups, so learners of all levels should feel welcome. The next session is scheduled for Monday, October 20 from 7 – 8:30pm at Potter’s House (1658 Columbia Rd NW). Sign up here for calendar updates and conversation guides.
Apartheid Free DC canvass training — Wednesday, October 29 at 6:30pm
Metro DC DSA’s Internationalism Working Group is sponsoring a canvass training for the Apartheid Free DC campaign to invite businesses and institutions to boycott Israeli goods and be part of a community-based network of solidarity with Palestine. Food will be provided. RSVP here.
DC Make Polluters Pay campaign launch — Wednesday, October 22 at 7pm
Climate change-fueled extreme weather is getting worse in the DMV, and residents are feeling it in the District through extreme heat and more intense flooding. Unfortunately, there’s worse to come. With the dismantling of federal aid like FEMA, it’s more clear than ever that the District needs to be ready for “once-in-a-lifetime” disasters. Metro DC DSA is joining a coalition of organizations across DC to launch a campaign to make the fossil fuel companies that create climate change pay to clean up their mess. Join the coalition’s launch webinar at 7pm on October 22 to learn more about the campaign to make Big Oil and Gas cover the check for climate damages. RSVP here.
INFO ACCESS
The DMV continues to be under siege by militarist authoritarians. Want to fight fascism from the heart of the empire? Join DSA and fight to build socialism! We’re the alternative that works for people, not profiteers and their captive politicians.
The next session of MDC DSA’s “Why You Should Join DSA/New Member Orientation” is a virtual version Wednesday, October 22 with another virtual encounter Wednesday, November 19. Anytime, you can learn about the Metro DC chapter — branches, working groups, campaigns, current activities, and enduring values — right here. Get inside our ideas and our work through our acclaimed “Socialist Night School” — archive is here. Members are encouraged to join our Slack for real-time info on working group and campaign events, strategy/tactic exchange, and inspiration. Email slack@mdcdsa.org with your most recent DSA dues receipt to get access.
Staying current with MDC DSA — Weekly Updates, like the one you are reading, are scheduled and emailed on Fridays; current and past Updates are available anytime on our website. Not subscribed? DSA member or not, sign up to get the Update, the go-to source for the DMV Left. The MDC Dispatch is the chapter’s new video news series, published on the first and third Sunday of each month. Submit your Update or Dispatch suggestions (or DMV scandal tips) to our tip line. The Washington Socialist, published since the 1970s, offers in-depth analytical/opinion articles on a quarterly schedule; part one of the Fall 2025 issue is available now. Check out the Socialist’s topic-indexed and searchable archive to see what we write — and what you can write. Anyone, MDC DSA member or not, interested in contributing to the Washington Socialist can email submissions or questions to washingtonsocialist@mdcdsa.org. Members, look in on us or join at #publications on Slack.
DSA CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Friday, October 17
5:30 – 7:30pm | Informational Picket at Le Diplomate
Saturday, October 18
9:30 – 11am | NoVA M4All petition drive at Cherrydale Farmer’s Market
10am | Omodamola for Gaithersburg Canvass
11am – 3pm | No Kings, No Fascists, No Billionaires!
12 – 3pm | Frankie for Greenbelt Canvass
2pm | Omodamola for Gaithersburg Canvass (2pm)
8 – 10pm | Ghouls Just Want Abortion Access: A Fundraiser for the DC Abortion Fund
Sunday, October 19
10am | Omodamola for Gaithersburg Canvass
12 – 3pm | Frankie for Greenbelt Canvass
1 – 3pm | Abolition Coat Distribution Wheatpaste #2
2 – 4:30pm | Metro DC DSA October General Body Meeting
2pm | Omodamola for Gaithersburg Canvass (2pm)
Monday, October 20
7pm | Trans/Queer Liberation Biweekly Meeting
Tuesday, October 21
7pm | NoVA Medicare for All Working Group
Wednesday, October 22
7pm | Repro Justice Campaign Meeting
7 – 8pm | Why You Should Join DSA/New Member Orientation (virtual)
7:30pm | We Power DC general circle meeting (see calendar for meet invite)
Thursday, October 23
5:30pm | Informational Picket at Le Diplomate
Friday, October 24
5:30pm | Informational Picket at Le Diplomate
6 – 7pm | Starbucks Solidarity Training
Saturday, October 25
10am | Omodamola for Gaithersburg Canvass
12pm | Frankie for Greenbelt Canvass
1pm | Brake Light Clinic I: Training & Canvassing
1pm | NoVA branch coffee social meetup
2pm | Stomp Out Slumlords Meeting
2pm | Omodamola for Gaithersburg Canvass
3 – 5pm | General Security Training & discussion
Sunday, October 26
10pm | Omodamola for Gaithersburg Canvass
12 pm | Frankie for Greenbelt Canvass
2pm | Omodamola for Gaithersburg Canvass
3pm | MDC DSA Internationalism Working Group monthly meeting
DMV LEFT BULLETIN
Copaganda Book Signing and Discussion Tonight | DC Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression
Author and former public defender Alex Karakatsanis will be discussing his book Copaganda, a rigorous analysis of the vast array of tools the police have at their disposal to try and control nearly every aspect of the narrative around what they do and don’t do in our communities. Join the DC AARP, Claudia Jones School, and more tonight at Sankofa. RSVP here.
DMV Leftist Writers Social | Sudhouse DC, October 18
Solidarity and community building are essential to fighting fascism. Every step counts, so come out to meet others who want a better future for all! After The Storm, a local anticapitalist magazine and writers collective, is hosting a social event on Saturday, October 18, from 3 – 5pm at Sudhouse DC on U Street. RSVP here.
Reel and Meal | The New Deal Café Monday, October 20
The Reel and Meal at the New Deal Café presents new short films to inspire us to action. Projecting Protest depicts the protest tactic of projecting words onto city walls; Not a Token Bill is a humorous look at two Colorado congressmen who dig into the new Digital Token Act — and uncover a web of power and deceit. Excerpts from Citizen Ruth: Environmental Warrior follow the environmental work of Ruth Wright, who reshaped Colorado’s landscapes. A short message by Robert Reich, who calls for policies to restore accountability in our democracy, follows. The films are screened in-house at the New Deal Café, 113 Centerway in the Roosevelt Center, Greenbelt, and on Zoom. Join us Monday, October 20, starting at 6:30pm. Anyone attending online should pre-register here.
Community care and connection | Freedom Healers DC
Join Freedom Healers DC in the immaculate Temperance Alley Garden on Saturday, October 25, 3 – 7pm, for an afternoon of rejuvenating community care and connection. Organizers especially encourage you to come if you’ve been impacted by ICE abductions or other grief, anxiety, and violence inflicted by the federal occupation of DC; or if you’re feeling the complex grief of the most recent ceasefire in Gaza. Freedom Healers will have reiki, facilitated journaling, guided stretching, massage, and more. Please bring a friend or two, especially anyone you know who has trouble making space to care for themselves. Register here.
ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVES
ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVES are articles and opinion pieces of interest to DMV leftists but not, generally, appearing in local media. They should have links without paywalls. Readers are invited to submit candidates at our tip line.
DSA Graphic History: Learning From Our Past
Why, among all socialist organizations, is DSA the one that has grown so dramatically? A new graphic history frames the features that have made it the nation’s foremost radical formation. “The past is prologue.” A review in Stansbury Forum by our local comrade Kurt Stand, via Portside.
Mitchell Palmer, the Palmer Raids, and parallels to the foam-flecked Stephen Miller era
MSM-level analysis, for sure, but a useful account of how hate and ignorance flourished at the official (and electoral) level, then failed, a century ago. “Eventually, the Wilson administration overreached, and the Palmer raids came to be seen as folly. Only about 800 of the more than 4,000 people detained were deported. The raids failed to achieve their main law-enforcement goal. The F.B.I.’s own history of the episode refers to them as a ‘nightmare.’ In short, America was here before — and has come to regret it.” NYT
Veterans especially upset about military’s assignments to support ICE
US military veterans increasingly face arrest and injury amid protests over Donald Trump’s deportation campaign and his push to deploy National Guard members to an ever-widening number of American cities. Jose Vasquez, a former US army staff sergeant and executive director of the progressive veterans’ organization Common Defense, said: “What drives so many veterans into action is not only the injustice faced by immigrants and protesters, but also the larger threat to democracy rooted in government brutality and militarization… The disturbing escalation in arrests and violence signals that the basic freedoms we once swore to protect are under attack.” The Guardian
The little-noticed “third front” in Israel’s unending war on the Palestinians
”… amid the prospects of a lasting cease-fire and Palestinian self-determination, there must also be pressure to end the unsparing detention of the thousands of Palestinians who continue to be held in Israel’s prisons, many under conditions that defy international laws mandating humane treatment of detainees. Under the hostage-prisoner exchange agreement of the cease-fire plan, Israel released about 2,000 prisoners and detainees this week. They represent only a small fraction of the total number of Palestinians held in Israeli facilities. The vast majority are being left to rot.” NYT
The flame of thought, the magnificence of art, the wonder of discovery, and the audacity of invention all belong to revolutionary periods when humanity, tired of the chains of its restrictions, shatters them, and stops inebriated to breathe the breeze of a vaster and freer horizon.
–Virgilia D’Andrea
Not a member yet? Join DSA and fight to build socialism!