We are issuing the following statement regarding the theft and defacement of bus stop benches by a local hate group, as well as the confiscation of benches by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) following Commissioner Dane Scalise’s promise to get in the way of mutual aid efforts to provide a place for all to rest. We will also take the opportunity to further contextualize this situation.
A key aspect of Democratic Socialism is the practice of mutual aid, which aims to share resources without seeking profit, build solidarity, and ultimately lead to community self-determination. Repurposing the waste of Capitalism by collecting discarded lumber and paint and inviting neighbors to improve their community is mutual aid. The messages on our benches are an expression of solidarity with the city and people in it. The physical structure is a material good to improve the lives of those living here. Our name is as essential to the benches as anything else. DSA doesn’t dictate the hopeful messages that are painted on our benches as some form of advertising; they come from the hearts of the community members who come to our public bench paints. The benches exist because we believe socialism means working together to give everyone the means to secure their own agency and dignity. This means a right to housing, medical care, education, fast and reliable public transit and yes, the right to a place to sit and rest in public. The benches are not a secret advertisement for Democratic Socialism; the benches themselves are the product of Democratic Socialism.
The bench that was stolen, repainted and then posted online had the following messages: “Socialism is Slavery” and “Socialists want to take everything that you have except your job.” Disagreements aside, we appreciate the irony that the vandals could only display their message on a bench built by socialists which they proceeded to “take” instead of building something on their own. We had no plans to pursue a single bench used in an internet stunt, especially since it did not seem as though the bench was actually left for commuters to use. That serves no one, especially the individuals who used that bench to get to and from work, or around the city. If the bench is, indeed, at a new location, we hope it is able to be used by people who need it.
Following this theft, Dane Scalise, vice-chair of county commissioners, requested permission from NCDOT for the County to remove all benches to avoid “vigilantism” and “lawlessness.” As of this morning, NCDOT has removed many of the benches on state right-of-way. It is noteworthy that Scalise offered no solutions to the transit issues in our city, just the removal of material goods that had been in place for up to 15 months without issue until now. Barely concealing his political motives, Scalise went so far as to suggest he will do everything in his power to prevent Wave from “partnering” with the DSA. He makes it apparent that he’d prefer transit riders to stand rather than sit on a bench built by socialists. Holding up the actions of a small group of fascists as a justification is only punishing the people of Wilmington for the actions of an isolated minority. We want to be clear: these people are not concerned with public safety; they are concerned with denying a service to the community because they’re scared of the theory it is born out of. They are scared of a world where everyone has their needs met, because that is a world where they have no power. This project is not intended to empower either political party, as we are not affiliated with either. We are first and foremost dedicated to empowering the people of Wilmington.
Many of the actors in this situation are claiming to be acting out of genuine concern for community safety. However, any member of the city or county government that lives in Wilmington would have seen these benches. If they had truly been concerned, they could’ve easily learned who made them and reached out. To pretend otherwise is willful ignorance. Our name was on them; we did not hide this program. It was open to the public, advertised heavily, and we wanted the community to participate. Scalise’s actions in particular play directly into the hands of the group that stole the bench. Whether he did this intentionally or through genuine ignorance is irrelevant. He should be voted out as soon as possible, unless he chooses to apologize to transit riders of Wilmington by tendering his resignation immediately so that he can be replaced by someone more willing to serve the people they represent.
We acted because we want to highlight the contradiction between what people can do with small resources and what hasn’t been done by those with ample resources. This city and county have the money and resources for improvements. The state of public transit in Wilmington and New Hanover County is not set in stone. It comes from policy decisions, made by our elected leaders, and carried out by staff. That means it can be changed. Anyone who is telling you otherwise, or telling you they are helpless and that you just need to vote more, is lying to you. If you appreciate our work, please come build and paint benches with us, and join our letter campaign demanding that Commissioner Dane Scalise and the rest of the county commissioners call for NCDOT to allow our benches to be returned to the community or otherwise take immediate steps to provide official non-hostile seating for the people of Wilmington.