250 years of empire – July 4th, 2026

July 4th, 2026 marks 250 years of the US empire. 250 years of slaughter. 250 years of conquest. 250 years of plundering the earth. The stars and stripes of its flag have cast their suffocating shadow over more than seventy countries since the empire’s imposition. From droping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagsaki, to torturing detainees held without charge or trial at Abu Ghraib, napalming children in Vietnam, overthrowing governments in Iran and Guatemala, imposing military bases all over the world—dominating and shattering people’s lives, imposing wherever it goes a predatory demand forcing women into the sex trade— the US imperialist war machine has left its mark on every corner of the world. If the Fourth of July celebrates democracy, then we must expose what democracy means to the people of the world: death and destruction. 

As the rulers of this country prepare for massive celebrations marking 250 years of the United States, those who stand with the people of the world must come together to denounce, disrupt, and expose any celebration of this bloodthirsty empire. To honor the birthday of the US is to honor its history of devastation and domination: the sanctions on Iraq in the 90’s that killed hundreds of thousands of children, the firebombing of cities in Korea that killed millions of civilians, the drone strikes in Afganistan and Pakistan that have killed civilians during weddings, funerals, and in their homes, the mass displacement of millions through wars, domination and desctruction worldwide. To celebrate the Fourth is to prop up the ‘American identity’ built on violence and exploitation. To celebrate 250 years is to cheerlead a military with such bloodthirst for domination that it continues to claim more lives every day, destroying entire regions and depleting the earth. For those in power, this July 4th is not just a perverse glorification of an evil history, but of their ongoing ability to dominate the world under the duplicitous banner of freedom. We say fuck that.

Behind Enemy Lines is launching the 250 Years Too Many, three months of anti-imperialist action, exposing the crimes (past and current) of this empire, culminating in a week of action in the place where it all began, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In the build-up to July 4th, we are calling on all people of conscience around the country to host events, revealing the crimes of this empire. 

• Host an anti-imperialist film screening
• Host a speak-out outside of a detention center
• Interview immigrants about why they had to leave their country
• Organize a protest at an army recruitment office
• Create anti-imperialist artwork 
• Host a reading discussion on an article about US imperialism or those who have fought back against the US empire
• Organize walk-outs against the crimes of this empire, whether it be ICE kidnappings or the war in Iran

Between now and July 4th, our goal is to win over as many people as possible— exposing the evils of US imperialism, building ties, and struggling alongside the masses to stand with the people of the world in resisting the Fourth of July.

Our campaign will culminate in a week of action in Philadelphia. Starting on June 26th, we invite students, young people, and those moved by this fight throughout Philly, building up to a weekend of anti-imperialist resistance from July 3-5.

As we work over the coming months, building for (insert campaign name), we challenge people to think about what this national ‘holiday’ really means. What do these celebrations stand for? 

What does the Fourth of July represent to the indigenous people of the Americas who’ve had their land stolen, their homes burned, and their families starved? 

What does the Fourth of July represent to the people of Africa who were kidnapped and stuffed into ships to live an enslaved existence in the US?

What does the Fourth of July represent to the over 200,000 people who were killed by the US atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki during WWII?

What does the Fourth of July represent to a shop owner in Puerto Rico, whose entire livelihood rides on the supply of electricity from LUMA, a private US and Canadian energy company?

What does the Fourth of July represent to a Congolese child, forced to plunder their landscape and to mine for cobalt to power phones and cars for imperialist nations?

What does the Fourth of July represent to Hind Rajab, the six-year-old girl whose cries for help were heard across the globe as the Red Crescent tried to coordinate her rescue after the IOF murdered her family? A girl who was deliberately targeted and executed by the Israeli military.

What does the Fourth of July represent to Liam Ramos, the young boy abducted by ICE while wearing a blue monster hat? 

What does the Fourth of July represent to a grieving mother in Iran, who lost her young daughter in an airstrike on a girls’ school? 

The answer is that the 4th of July, 250 years of empire, represents the brutalities of US imperialism and the American nightmare.No politician will put an end to these brutalities, no policy can undo the web of control that the US has over the globe. 250 years of the US empire is 250 years too many. The truth is, only ridding ourselves of this system altogether will serve as justice to the people of the world. So the task ahead of us as this anniversary approaches is to expand the reach of anti-imperialist political forces in this country and spread anti-imperialist consciousness as widely as possible. 

As Frantz Fanon said, “Each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it.” As the 250th anniversary of the founding of this empire nears, it is our duty to reject all celebrations and to organize people all across the country to show the rulers of the US where we stand. 

And we’re here to flip the fucking table. So, as this historic day marking 250 years of empire approaches, we refuse to participate. We refuse to pledge allegiance to this empire. The only path forward is to treat this holiday for the bloodstained day that it is, because if the greatest criminals call for celebrations, those who stand with the people of the world must declare to our brothers and sisters across the globe: WE CHOOSE THE WORLD!