It’s a true mystery why anyone ever paid attention to Malcolm Suber, Gavrielle Gemma and the rest of the circus animals at Take ‘Em Down NOLA in the first place, though obviously their success in destroying several historical landmarks in New Orleans is at least partially attributable to that city’s former mayor Mitch Landrieu desperately needing some sort of legacy statement that would otherwise be nonexistent other than a new airport terminal which, so far, is a colossal waste of money.

It’s been obvious to those who bothered to pay attention that Take ‘Em Down NOLA is a Marxist revolutionary group whose prattling about slavery and the Confederacy was merely a cover for its true desire – the destruction of as much American culture, law and economics as possible.

Now it’s obvious even to people who haven’t bothered to pay attention, because these people are shouting from the rooftops exactly who they are. The statement offered last week demanding “Removal, Replacement and Resistance” is a manifesto which could apply to the entire Antifa/Black Lives Matter movement and removes all doubt about whether Take ‘Em Down NOLA could be appeased or compromised with.

They’ve had their inch. This is the mile they’re now demanding.

The past three weeks have been very telling in New Orleans. While masses of people across the country, and definitely here in New Orleans have risen up to: (a) stand in solidarity against police terror, (b) stand up for worker rights, safety and dignity, and (c) stand up for Black Lives Matter – while we YET LIVE, the veil has been pulled back as to why there is such painfully slow, if any material progress for the lives of the Black working class in New Orleans.

We are seeing exactly how symbols represent systems.

You can debate among yourselves whether these people are stupid enough to believe that bowdlerizing Lee and Beauregard would actually change any black lives; we don’t find them to be geniuses of any sort, but our interpretation is they think the populace was stupid enough to believe it – and when things got worse, largely because the defenestration of the city’s history was a symbol in its own right and the message it sent was that New Orleans was no longer a city friendly for regular white people to visit or do business in.

Keep in mind that these are Marxist revolutionaries, and a Marxist revolutionary is always on the lookout for opportunities to incite the proletariat into revolution. And these Marxist revolutionaries, just like the Antifa and BLM thugs plying their trade across the country, see black people in the cities as the proletariat. So this agitation is all about ending America – one statue at a time.

We see that despite the “Take Em Down” movement laying deep roots in New Orleans over 5 years ago, the people of New Orleans have been on the front lines of this, which has given the city officials more than enough time to take action. Now, during this current moment of rising consciousness and action, we are watching these symbols to exploitation and oppression fall like dominos across the country, and while some in other cities are making a decision to take them down on a Monday, and bringing cranes out for removals on a Tuesday, we see that is does not take long nor much money for a city to act!

Yet, the elected officials of New Orleans are still twiddling their fingers as they form committees to decide on this, and decide on that. We don’t need one more committee to host discussions. We need to make the declaration that ALL symbols to white supremacy (inferiority & mediocrity) need to come down, and NOW!

That’s what you get for appeasing these people.

They want Andrew Jackson’s statue to come down, something that simply cannot happen if New Orleans is to remain a tourist destination of any quality. That statue is the single most recognizable visual mark the city has, and losing it will turn it into something else.

It would be a revolutionary act. Whatever else the city’s weak leadership might be, they aren’t revolutionaries. Which means these people are declaring war on the people who have been appeasing them so far.

Once a principled decision is made, it would easily go like this:

1) REMOVAL: Remove the statues/monuments IMMEDIATELY. Even an empty pedestal (until replacement comes) sends a message to all that New Orleans would prefer an open space, rather than one filled with the honoring of racism, hate, exploitation and oppression. By making a CLEAR decision to NOT compromise with white supremacy and honor it in any form or fashion, New Orleans should be a leader in the removal of images of psychological terror upon Black lives. This would also show up in the way systems in New Orleans work. The many city workers (and hospitality workers and essential workers, who are essential 365 days a year, not just during COVID19) should be paid a LIVING wage, hazard pay, PTO and PPE, and be given the green light by the city to remove these statues/monuments. This could happen today if city officials were principled, rather than compromisers with the rich ruling class who put mediocrity and profits over people. If elected officials were principled against racism, exploitation and oppression, they would take ACTION NOW!!! When it comes to school names, each and every school community should have say and active involvement in the replacement of the school names, and with parks and street names, residents across the board can be provided the criteria below to support and guide replacement choices. Take Em Down NOLA gave the city until the end of this month, which is three days away to take action. And we know that if the elected city officials will not take action, the people must do so, in the name of our own collective self-determination!

Wiping out all monuments to New Orleans’ history has zero relationship to the plight of hospitality workers, or if there is a relationship it’s a negative one, as when you destroy all the landmarks and therefore make sightseeing a waste of time, you drive away the sightseers who might otherwise spend money at hotels and restaurants. That would make hospitality workers unemployed workers.

This is pure agitprop. It’s not intended to make sense. And it doesn’t. But in case you’re confused, what they’re saying is that every monument to somebody white from before 1960 or so has to come down, and if that demand isn’t immediately complied with they’ll do it themselves.

2) REPLACEMENT: Take Em Down NOLA not only has criteria for which symbols to remove, but we also have a Build Em Up NOLA criteria. When removing symbols to white supremacy, exploitation and oppression, we need criteria for replacement symbols. Take Em Down NOLA uses the following criteria: (1) Images that honor, uplift and celebrate RESISTANCE to exploitation and oppression (2) Images of REVOLUTIONARIES – those who fought for the liberation of oppressed people (3a) Images that edify, celebrate, honor and revere LIBERATION (3b) NOT images that fetishize Black trauma, suffering, exploitation or oppression. Just because you put up an image of a Black person or symbol, does not make it about liberation. Some images further perpetuate exploitation and oppression, and we must discern between these clearly (4) NOT images of white supremacists, nor Black misleaders, neoliberals, nor those who placate to members of the rich ruling class. NOTE: If the white supremacist can look at it and find any joy, it’s gotta go!!! If a revolutionary would find inspiration in it, to continue to the fight to end systems of oppression, while building toward complete liberation of the Black working class (which ensure the entire working class’ liberation), room must be made for it!!!

They want monuments to communist revolutionaries. Not even Martin Luther King will do. Seriously. That’s what they’re saying.

3) RESISTANCE: It’s the MASSES of people who are principled against racism, exploitation and oppression, and that is why the bust of John McDonogh is no longer in Duncan Plaza. Yes, there are many racists, but those who oppose that backward ideology are out numbered, and when we ACT on our principles, we can and will always WIN!!! It’s the masses that take action on our behalf. It is not the puppets who answer to rich, that fold to their beckon and calls. We say, if the elected officials are not going to serve the people, the people must serve the people! Monuments to white supremacy must come down, one way or another. The people WILL decide!!! The city has three days to take action!!!

They want everybody to believe they have the masses on their side. They don’t, of course; they can perhaps turn out 5,000 people on a good day for a protest march. And we saw when they last claimed they were going to take down the statue in Jackson Square, that a determined law enforcement presence stops them cold.

The gambit here is to scare the mayor and city council into further appeasement by throwing down a gauntlet and threatening a violent confrontation. And this is more along those lines…

Finally, while the racist who oppose Black Lives Matter call for their rallies and try to suppress the voices of the masses, we who believe in liberation for all oppressed peoples are not fooled by the silence of the mayor, and city council who choose NOT to draw that line, and refuse to denounce boldly that New Orleans will not welcome such. So, we as the people must do just that. We know that those who choose to be neutral in situations of oppression, have chosen the side of the oppressor. We know that the oppressed masses of New Orleans CAN NOT and WILL NOT remain silent one more second in the face of their oppression. We WILL RESIST. And WE WILL WIN!

We say, if you are not willing to denounce racism and those who espouse it, directly or indirectly, then the people MUST denounce you! And Black misleaders will not be used to trick the people! It’s no wonder New Orleans has not yet finished the job! The city has three days to take action. Yet, AGAIN, if the elected officials are not going to serve the people, the people must serve the people! Monuments to white supremacy must come down, one way or another. The people WILL decide!!!

In other words, if LaToya Cantrell and the city council won’t let them take Jackson down they’re all Uncle Toms.

New Orleans is irredeemably doomed, but we’ve seen little indication it’s that far down the rabbit hole just yet. But tomorrow is July 1, and that would be Take ‘Em Down NOLA’s deadline. They’re about to have their bluff called. We’ll see just how violent their little Cultural Revolution can get.