On August 12th, 2017, the first Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville resulted in the death of Heather Heyer, murdered by a fascist white supremacist, and injuries to many of our comrades at the hands of fascists and the police.
On August 12th, 2018, fascist white supremacists are planning to gather again in Charlottesville and in Washington D.C. to try and recreate the violence and fear they brought to these communities last summer. In response, the people of Charlottesville and Washington will be joined by people from around the world to reject fascism, and to honor Heather’s memory.
We anticipate a very large number of people in both Charlottesville and Washington on August 12th, 2018. Street medics, including those from DSA, will join with local organizers in both cities to help keep our comrades safe.
But in order for us to be most effective in our work, we need supplies. We will use all funds raised in this GoFundMe to provide supplies such as:
• Our DSA standard trauma kit that reduces training time for medics and preps each medic to deal with gunshot wounds and other penetrating traumas;
• First aid kits with a broad range of supplies to allow us to treat a range of issues;
• Gloves to prevent infection and contamination, and keep ourselves and those we are treating safe;
• Food and water to help our comrades avoid the problems that arise from the lack of both;
• … and other supplies that will help us ensure the health & safety of DSA members and others on August 12th.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q: Who is DSA Medics? What have you done before?
A: DSA Medics is a committee of DSA members located across the United States who work to help ensure the health & safety of fellow DSA members during our political organizing work. Over the past 12+ months, we've successfully conducted medic trainings for our comrades in the Mid-Atlantic (Richmond, VA), Midwest (Chicago, IL), California (Berkeley, CA), and Pacific Northwest (Portland, OR). The folks we've trained have gone back to their home DSA chapters to apply their skills, and to teach others how to keep themselves safe, healthy, and happy in the course of their work. We don't receive any financial support from national DSA nor are we affiliated with any local DSA chapter: all of our activities are directly funded by our members and by the very humbling generosity of our comrades around the world through GoFundMes like this one. (Thank you! We literally could not do it without your support.)
Q: How can I show solidarity with the people of Charlottesville after August 12th?
A: On August 13th, 2017, many of the people present on August 12th had left, but the physical and emotional damage done to the people of Charlottesville remained. The Charlottesville Community Resilience Fund works to create thriving communities that prosper through solidarity, care, and self-determination, and we encourage you to also support their work with a donation if you can: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/resilience-fund
Q: What's the photo in the header?
A: The header image was taken by Tom Woodward, and is used under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license. Find the original here.
Note: DSA Medics isn't affiliated with Chicago DSA, nor with any other local DSA chapter. When we first posted this GoFundMe on July 30th, we included some old text in our FAQ that indicated that DSA Medics had some affiliation with, or was endorsed by, Chicago DSA. While members of our group are also members of Chicago DSA, we're not affiliated with the Chicago DSA chapter. We sincerely apologize for creating confusion around this. If you're a donor to this GoFundMe and would like to adjust your donation or to receive a refund, please don't hesitate to contact us, and we'll take care of it immediately. Thank you!
On August 12th, 2018, fascist white supremacists are planning to gather again in Charlottesville and in Washington D.C. to try and recreate the violence and fear they brought to these communities last summer. In response, the people of Charlottesville and Washington will be joined by people from around the world to reject fascism, and to honor Heather’s memory.
We anticipate a very large number of people in both Charlottesville and Washington on August 12th, 2018. Street medics, including those from DSA, will join with local organizers in both cities to help keep our comrades safe.
But in order for us to be most effective in our work, we need supplies. We will use all funds raised in this GoFundMe to provide supplies such as:
• Our DSA standard trauma kit that reduces training time for medics and preps each medic to deal with gunshot wounds and other penetrating traumas;
• First aid kits with a broad range of supplies to allow us to treat a range of issues;
• Gloves to prevent infection and contamination, and keep ourselves and those we are treating safe;
• Food and water to help our comrades avoid the problems that arise from the lack of both;
• … and other supplies that will help us ensure the health & safety of DSA members and others on August 12th.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q: Who is DSA Medics? What have you done before?
A: DSA Medics is a committee of DSA members located across the United States who work to help ensure the health & safety of fellow DSA members during our political organizing work. Over the past 12+ months, we've successfully conducted medic trainings for our comrades in the Mid-Atlantic (Richmond, VA), Midwest (Chicago, IL), California (Berkeley, CA), and Pacific Northwest (Portland, OR). The folks we've trained have gone back to their home DSA chapters to apply their skills, and to teach others how to keep themselves safe, healthy, and happy in the course of their work. We don't receive any financial support from national DSA nor are we affiliated with any local DSA chapter: all of our activities are directly funded by our members and by the very humbling generosity of our comrades around the world through GoFundMes like this one. (Thank you! We literally could not do it without your support.)
Q: How can I show solidarity with the people of Charlottesville after August 12th?
A: On August 13th, 2017, many of the people present on August 12th had left, but the physical and emotional damage done to the people of Charlottesville remained. The Charlottesville Community Resilience Fund works to create thriving communities that prosper through solidarity, care, and self-determination, and we encourage you to also support their work with a donation if you can: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/resilience-fund
Q: What's the photo in the header?
A: The header image was taken by Tom Woodward, and is used under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license. Find the original here.
Note: DSA Medics isn't affiliated with Chicago DSA, nor with any other local DSA chapter. When we first posted this GoFundMe on July 30th, we included some old text in our FAQ that indicated that DSA Medics had some affiliation with, or was endorsed by, Chicago DSA. While members of our group are also members of Chicago DSA, we're not affiliated with the Chicago DSA chapter. We sincerely apologize for creating confusion around this. If you're a donor to this GoFundMe and would like to adjust your donation or to receive a refund, please don't hesitate to contact us, and we'll take care of it immediately. Thank you!
Organizer
Matthew Malinowski
Organizer
Charlottesville, VA