I Wrote This to Start a Fire

I wrote this to start a fire I wrote this in memory of Heather Heyer Fire starter, throwing kerosene on the coals This is for the White Rose, rest in peace to Sophie Scholl This is for Lepa Radic who fought against the fascists The Edelweiss Pirates who said take the state and smash it The Swing Kids and Zazou in zoot suit jackets Along with the Schlurfs who wanted nazis in trash pits I wrote this for Emma who lit my soul's inner flame This is for Ida who taught us how to liberate 43 group and the Battle of Cable Street Who fought fascists in London, blood left their faces streaked We Rock Against Racism like the X Ray Spex We're looking for liberation not pay checks From Charlottesville to the valley of Jarama I thought Killjoy told you, there's no nazis in Valhalla We never think of Heather but when we laugh or smile Cause she often made people laugh, we love the sound of her laugh A lot of us have video tapes We don't all have to sacrifice our lives They tried to kill my child to shut her up Will guess what? You just magnified her Fascism is not to be debated it is to be destroyed The reason cops are hated is cause the klan they employ From the Trail of Tears to the streets of Ferguson From Rikers, to Pelican Bay, the state be murdering We're kicking fascists like St. Pauli Like when Ethiopia fought them with Haile Lessons learned from Robeson to Chairman Fred Solidarity Not Charity like Common Ground said I'm just trying to find my way like Elisee Reclus I'm looking for the strength that Ella Baker knew Each bar is like John Brown cocking the hammer We combat the propaganda like the breakfast from panthers This is for the CNT and the Mujeres Libres I'm Battling the state and myself I'm in a fight that's 3 way They shall not pass, No Pasaran is what we say And play some Killah P is what I'm telling the deejay I understand exactly what fascism was while I was there And my intention was to go any place where I could help I couldn't live with myself today if I hadn't gone then knowing what happened The neofascists had their own ammunition. And this is very important to keep in mind, because the police, for the most part, pulled back. The next day, for example, those 20 of us who were standing, many of them clergy, we would have been crushed like cockroaches if it were not for the anarchists and the anti-fascists who approached, over 300, 350 anti-fascists. We just had 20. And we're singing "This Little light of Mine," you know what I mean? So that the— "Antifa" meaning anti-fascist The anti-fascists, and then, crucial, the anarchists, because they saved our lives, actually