Address delivered by Bill Borden, vice chair of Democrats Abroad Sweden, on the occasion of the No Dictators! demonstration at Raoul Wallenbergs torg in Stockholm on Saturday 18 October.

"It's great to see you all here standing up for democracy, standing up for a democratic USA.

"My name is Bill Borden.  As  vice chair of Democrats Abroad in Sweden, I represent nearly 4,000 Americans in Sweden. We are here today to stop tyranny!  We are here to take down the tyrant Donald Trump and his henchmen!  We are here to take back our democracy!

"We are not alone.  We will be joined later today by the 2,650 protest rallies of millions of Americans  throughout the USA  as well as around the globe.  This is a mass movement.  Together, we will stop this nightmare.  Trump does not represent America.  We do! 

"Former US Labor Secretary Robert Reich frames the line up of forces in today’s crisis. 

"It’s not about the Democratic Party vs. the Republican party or left vs. right. It’s  about democracy vs dictatorship.   Right vs. wrong.

"It’s not a war on undocumented immigrants, but a war on Americans.

"The Trump regime is  not fighting foreign enemies; it is fighting Americans who criticize Trump and his oligarch enablers.

"Let’s take a quick look at what Trump and his oligarchs have done.  They have fired highly qualified, dedicated public servants and replaced them with loyalist henchmen. So the great talents of civil servants are lost and the government is being run by incompetent loyalists. We have incompetent department heads: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., at Health and Human Services; Attorney General Pam Bondi. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. 

"Trump threatens US universities and the broader education of Americans by withholding funding passed by Congress. Why? ...Because universities teach courses he doesn’t like and hire professors he doesn’t agree with.

"Trump MAGA Republicans passed cruel legislation to cut health care coverage for ordinary Americans. Why? ...To pay for tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires: an unprecedented transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich, a reverse Robin Hood.

"Senator Bernie Sanders points out that the richest man in America Elon Musk has more wealth than millions of American households. The top 1%  have nearly a third of the nation's wealth. The richest half of Americans have about 98% of American’s wealth with  only 2% left for the other half. That’s outrageous

"Ordinary Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. Ordinary Americans can’t afford groceries and rent.  Much of this is due to tyrant Trump who illegally added tariffs on foreign products. These tariffs are really taxes on food, clothes, cars and many other products.

"Trump  sent immigration agents to Chicago and Portland, cities run run by elected Democrats.  The agents don’t target those who they imagine are violent, illegal immigrant criminals.  They go after everyone where they imagine there is opposition, especially Americans who have difficulty defending themselves like immigrants, the poor and African Americans.

"They drag American citizens, including children, out of their homes in the middle of the night. These ongoing, abusive, violent, and lawless actions victimize entire communities. 

"What can we do about it?  Professor Tim Snyder of the University of Toronto points out that the first rule is not to obey in advance.  Tyrants want you to be afraid so that you’re powerless to stand up against them.  Our rally sends a message to Americans including Trump: we will not cave.  We will fight for our democracy.

"The only thing that doesn’t work is doing nothing.  Then we are doomed to fascist dictatorship. Now is the time to be active.

"Our Democrats Abroad rally here in Stockholm,  the demonstration in Malmö and rallies all around the globe – including 2,650 demonstrations in the USA later today – send this powerful message: we will not cave to the tyrant Trump. We will fight for our democracy.

"A ground-breaking  Harvard University study suggests that, if at least 3 ½%  of  Americans are active and non-violent,  there are great prospects to stop this tyranny.  We know that through past examples.

"Millions of Filipinos marched peacefully in Manila in 1986.  The Marcos regime folded on the fourth day of demonstrations, liberated by the People Power Revolution.

"The country of Georgia overwhelmed its dictator president through the bloodless Rose Revolution in November 2003. Protestors stormed the parliament building holding  flowers in their hands.

"The Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia in 1989 resulted in the peaceful overthrow of the communist government and the establishment of democracy. The revolution involved  protests, strikes, and demonstrations, bringing about the election of hero Václav Havel as president. 

"There’s a great way to get involved and stop  the wannabe tyrant king Donald Trump. Join Democrats Abroad.  If you’re not already a member, sign up with Liz, Carolyn or me. 

"We can make a powerful difference. Together, we will  win this fight – for the American people and American democracy."