View source for Rage Against the War Machine rally

{{POV}}The '''Rage Against the War Machine Rally''' was a rally in response to the [[2022 Ukraine conflict]] which took place on February 19th, 2023 in [[Washington, DC]].<ref>[https://rageagainstwar.com/#Invitation Rage Against the War Machine website]</ref> It was promoted as a protest which would "unite the [[left]] and [[right]]" against [[US]] involvement in the [[Russo-Ukrainian War]]; however, its attendees largely included{{failed verification}} politically [[List of syncretic ideologies|syncretic]] to [[far-right]] elements,<ref name=":1" /> and its message largely entailed support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, rather than an end to such a war.<ref name=":0" />{{failed verification}} Right-wing [[Fox News]] pundit [[Tucker Carlson]] promoted the rally on his show.<ref name="tucker">{{cite web | last=Garris | first=Eric | title=Tucker Carlson Promotes Rage Against the War Rally on His Show | website=Antiwar.com Blog | date=18 Feb 2023 | url=https://www.antiwar.com/blog/2023/02/17/tucker-carlson-promotes-rage-against-the-war-rally-on-his-show/ | access-date=18 Oct 2023}}</ref>

==Organization==
{{Empty section|date=August 2023}}

==Attendees==
Notable speakers include [[Jill Stein]], [[Dennis Kucinich]], [[Anya Parampil]], [[Jackson Hinkle]], [[Jimmy Dore]] and [[Roger Waters]]; in attendance was journalist [[Max Blumenthal]].

==Criticism==
Members of the rally included [[Right-libertarianism|right-wing libertarians]], including [[Ron Paul]], along with syncretic groups such as [[Patriotic socialism|patriotic socialists]], largely those who were organized in [[Caleb Maupin]]'s Center for Political Innovation as well as a small assortment of "[[MAGA Communism|MAGA communism]]" promoters.{{cn}} Among the main organizations present at the rally which attempted to cement the image of a united front of the "left-wing and right-wing" was the [[Movement for a People's Party (United States)|People's Party]].<ref>[https://socialistaction.org/2023/02/06/rage-against-the-war-machine-a-reactionary-right-left-antiwar-alliance/ Rage Against the War Machine: A Reactionary “Right-Left Antiwar” Alliance] by Jeff Mackler (February 6, 2023) ''Socialist Action''</ref><ref name=":0" />

The rally saw significant attendance from [[neo-Nazi]] and [[alt-right]] organizations (possibly including the [[Ku Klux Klan]] and [[National Vanguard]]). Neo-Nazi figures [[Matthew Heimbach]] (founder of a hate group known as the [[Traditionalist Workers' Party]]) and Shandon Simpson (who is linked with the terrorist organization [[Atomwaffen]]) were present at the rally and actively propagated [[antisemitic]] and other racist canards. [[Strasserism|Strasserists]] and [[National Bolshevism|National Bolsheviks]] were also present.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-DKf7YV5IQ Rage against the Putin Machine] by Jason Unruhe (February 22, 2023) ''YouTube''</ref><ref name=":0">[https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/02/20/lfjm-f20.html The “Rage Against the War Machine” rally: A reactionary political freak show] by Jacob Crosse, Joseph Kishore (February 20, 2023) ''WSWS.org''</ref><ref name=":1">[https://truthout.org/articles/fascists-are-attempting-to-win-followers-by-rebranding-as-antiwar/ Fascists Are Attempting to Win Followers by Rebranding as Antiwar] by Shane Burley (March 19, 2023) ''truthout''</ref>

==Aftermath==
The Rage Against the War Machine Rally was relatively unimpactful, with a total turnout of 750-1,000 people<ref name=":0" /> despite its promotion by Tucker Carlson.<ref name="tucker" /> However, the rally itself indicated the extreme rightward turn patriotic socialists are undergoing, now openly allying with far-right, even Neo-nazi elements. The aforementioned Neo-nazi leaders Heimbach and Simpson were spotted soon after the rally at an after-event hosted by the Center for Political Innovation.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5GYwuvmAD_VyV6w5aFnnUw/community?lb=UgkxhdkaGOjrrwqtOHuUEWZUubRL1sz8EOg5 Post by Socialism for All] (February 20, 2023)</ref>

The rally would quickly be outcompeted by a much larger rally organized by the [[ANSWER Coalition]] a month later, whose general stance, unlike the effectively pro-war Rage Against the War Machine rally, was largely anti-war and left-wing.<ref>[https://www.answercoalition.org/protest_march_18_19_peace_in_ukraine_say_no_to_endless_u_s_wars Sat. March 18 -- National March on Washington: Fund People's Needs, Not the War Machine!]  ''Answer Coalition''</ref>{{better source needed}}
== References ==
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[[category:united States]]
[[category:21st century events]]