Militarized mentalities rely heavily on cultures of fear, white supremacy, heteropatriarchy, and warfare logic of “us vs. them,” while successfully permeating through agencies, such as police departments, normalizing violence against those already deemed disposable, dangerous and/or “radical,” and dramatically amplifying the force of militarism through our communities.
Over the last year we have deeply researched 6 SWAT trainings/weapons expos across U.S. regions (Southern California, the Bay Area, the Midwest, and Upstate NY, among others), seeding cross-community campaigns to resist them, as inspired by solidarity work with movements facing tear gas in Egypt, Chile, and beyond. This work has offered many takeaways we find valuable for organizing.

On International Women's Day, members of the New York City Chapter of AF3IRM (The Association of Filipinas, Feminists Fighting Imperialism, Re-feudalization, and Marginalization)--is a national organization of women engaged in transnational feminist, anti-imperialist activism and militant movement building through grassroots organizing, trans-ethnic alliance building, education, advocacy and direct action--reflect on what choice and freedom mean for all who are marginalized by patriarchy. Does opening up the draft liberate women? Or does even enlisting allow the military to sell your body to a culture that will perpetuate violence against you? AF3IRM calls on us to reject mainstream use of feminism to further militarism and stand in resistance with women & transnational feminists as we struggle towards our collective liberation!