As members of the TORCH Anti-fascist Network, Rose City Antifa fully supports this statement of the Network, and endorses it in full.
It has come to our attention that Dave Strano of Redneck Revolt and the John Brown Gun Club has engaged in an ongoing pattern of behavior that is oppressive, exploitative, abusive, and which put comrades’ activities and well-being at risk. Strano’s behavior is in complete contradiction to what the TORCH Network stands for, as recorded in our Points of Unity.
TORCH Point of Unity #3:
“We oppose all forms of oppression and exploitation. We intend to do the hard work necessary to build a broad, strong movement of oppressed people centered on the working class against racism, sexism, nativism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia, and discrimination against the disabled, the oldest, the youngest, and the most oppressed people. We support abortion rights and reproductive freedom. We want a classless, free society. We intend to win!”
TORCH Point of Unity #4:
“We hold ourselves accountable personally and collectively to live up to our ideals and values.”
TORCH Point of Unity #5
“We not only support each other within the network, but we also support people outside the network who we believe have similar aims or principles. An attack on one is an attack on all.”
The TORCH Network declares itself in complete solidarity with the survivors of Dave Strano’s abusive behavior. Strano has caused serious harm across a number of groups over a sustained period of time. In creating a society free from fascist activity, we must also challenge and reject abusive behavior in our own movements and from those claiming to be allies. Therefore, we issue the following call.
For the TORCH Network, the only acceptable means of accountability from Dave Strano starts with his complete cessation of involvement with Redneck Revolt, the John Brown Gun Club, and other similar and allied groups. Though the TORCH Network has worked with these groups in the past, we hereby discontinue our involvement with them until Strano ceases to be a part of these groups. We ask that any organization that seeks to work with the TORCH Network also issue a similar, allied call, and refuse to work with Strano and those involved with him. In line with our Points of Unity, we will neither work with nor support any organization that continues to have a relationship with Dave Strano.