Justin Dart puppet marches at U.S. Social Forum

From the U.S. Social Forum. Here are the pictures of the puppet in the march from the Matrix Theatre Company.

In the wake of Arizona’s new racial profiling law, the BP oil disaster and the acute financial crisis, thousands of progressive organizers are coming together in a National People’s Movement Assembly (PMA) to set a national action agenda coming out of the US Social Forum (USSF). The National People’s Movement Assembly will be the culmination of nearly 100 local, regional and issue based People’s Movement Assemblies engaging tens of thousands of people nationwide.

“The process will be short on talk but large on action,” says Elandria Williams of the Highlander Center and member of the PMA working group. “It’s been incredible to watch everyday people – parents and young people, unemployed folk and grandmothers participate in this grassroots community governance process. This is not about the politicians or what the pundits think.”

According to organizers, communities around the country are preparing for the US Social Forum primarily through thesePMAs. “There will be more than 50 PMAs on every front of struggle in this country and across the globe. PMAs are where the rubber meets the road, where talk becomes action – and people are coming to this Social Forum ready to strategize, converge and meet the challenges ahead,” says Project South’s Stephanie Guilloud, PMA Working Group co-chair.

People’s Movement Assemblies will take place throughout the USSF starting Wednesday, ending with the National PMA scheduled for Saturday, June 26, the final day of USSF, from 12:30-4 pm in Cobo Hall. Topics range from developing cross cutting approaches to environmental justice in the wake of the BP oil disaster to coordinated communications strategies to counter the Right. A key focus will be Detroit, itself, the host city of the US Social Forum. There are five actions planned as part of the Detroit PMAs including local protests and marches. See www.ussf2010.org/actions.

“PMAs are tackling the hard issues that we, as a nation, are facing,” says Ruben Solís of the Southwest Workers Union and PMA working group co-chair. “We are coming out of this process stronger, more organized and ready to take the gloves off. This is a battle for our lives. Losing is not an option.”