#oneoclockwalkout
Walk out on the billionaire class.
one o’clock walkout
every day
till we strike
Strike to tax the rich.
One o'clock walkout is a tool to accelerate the momentum building to STRIKE
A daily walkout at 1 o'clock PM.
Everyone, wherever you are, every day that you can.
Until we reach the critical mass needed to exercise our collective power and STRIKE.
The 1st GOAL of our STRIKE:
TAX THE RICH to meet our basic needs:
1. affordable housing & rent
2. affordable groceries
3. universal healthcare
4. fully-funded public education
Why a walk out?
We need people in the streets because we need to see our collective power with our own eyes, in real time (not just on screen, but on our own block). That’s where we’re going to be when we reach the critical mass for an effective strike, so let’s practice.
Why now?
We know that the vast global majority, especially of oppressed groups, wants change, but if we have not organized to strike yet…. it is clear there is no singular, horrible action or level of destruction that will invoke the massive & simultaneous action needed to strike, and lives are being lost as we wait. We must urgently accelerate the move to strike, to minimize harm (death and destruction) and to have less work to be undone.
Why daily?
If we look at the massive protests that are happening right now and over recent years, you would see they are getting both larger and more frequent. A dotted line, beginning to widen and blur…But each time you attend a huge protest, across town, on a weekend, it takes hours of your day and you feel connected momentarily, but then you go back to the grind for weeks. We still need these rallies, but alone they are not enough.
It is time for daily, hyper-local, tangible action. You walk outside, at 1 o’ clock. If all you do is take a deep breath of fresh air and see no one, you recommit yourself to coming tomorrow and you know YOU DID SOMETHING. The next day, you might pick up some trash. There will be those of you who feel called to lead, and those who don't. That's ok. Maybe one day you talk to someone who goes by, you knock on a neighbor's door. The days you have time, you walk to the end of the block, to the nearest intersection. The beauty is it never fails, because we keep doing it EVERY SINGLE DAY until we strike. It starts small, that’s the plan. And it includes everyone, even those who feel afraid or uncomfortable to speak out. If you’re the kind of person that feels embarrassed to TALK? That's fine, you can still WALK out.
Why 1 o’ clock?
It needs to be synchronized so we see the true quantity and power of our collective. 1:00 is mostly just a time, but it is generally an accessible time to the majority, even if you walk out initially under the guise of “lunch hour". It doesn’t actually matter what your employer thinks (though it can help, it’s not necessary to the movement). The movement doesn’t need their approval or awareness. The power is when you leave your task and you take to the streets. Our power is in seeing each other and knowing why we are there.
Why a strike?
A global strike led by the working class, is the ONLY way to reverse the devastation we are currently seeing at the hands of the ultra wealthy, ultra greedy, that are influencing our government. We must disrupt the economic system to take away their power. Disruption starts with the simple action of walking out. Stop whatever you are doing (that is inherently a cog in the wheel) and WALK OUT.
What comes next?
One o’clock walkout is not the STRIKE itself, nor is it the plans for rebuilding after. For this we look to the many leaders who are already doing this work. We amplify their voices and we set the stage for the work to be done. We pass the baton and join in the work. Here are some resources.
The moral of the Lorax by Dr. Seuss has always stood out to me...
"UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it's not."
And its true….but its only half true… more accurately:
Unless MILLIONS of people like you care ENOUGH TO CHANGE a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it's not. So lets change. It could work, and wouldn't it all be worth it if did? Walk out with me.
- Iris Rose Stokes