Firebrand Still Burns after 50+ Years of Local Activism

Arlene Geiger, a retired college professor and UWS progressive powerhouse, has shifted her attention and energy from the recently concluded No Kings Day protests to an upcoming labor-backed May Day strike on May 1.

Under the rallying cry “Workers Over Billionaires,” the organizers of the May 1 protest are asking Americans to say no to business as usual: “No work, no school, no shopping.”

Locally, Geiger is the founder and leader of the Upper West Side Action Group, which works with other grassroots organizations including Indivisible, Swing Left and Hands Off NYC that had participated in No Kings Day that drew hundreds of thousands to the streets of Manhattan on March 28 and an estimated eight million nationally.

She said UWSAG was formed in 2017 after Donald Trump’s first election. She says they are foot soldiers for what she calls the anti-Trump/MAGA resistance movement. As such, they are involved with some of the less glamorous nitty gritty jobs involved with protest movements including, canvassing, writing and phoning voters, as well as turning out on the actual day of the protest.

Geiger taught for 30 years at John Jay College of Criminal Justice until she retired in 2017. Since then, she has been politically active full-time against the Trump administration, which she refers to derisively as a “regime.”

We caught Geiger recently in the midst of a whirlwind of political commitments:

What are the demographics of your organization?

Our group is mostly female. Although we have a fair number of men, I would say it’s about 75 percent women. We range in age from 50 to 85 and are mostly professionals. That’s not atypical. Women tend to be more involved in group activities. Besides that, many women had the experience of the feminist movement, and our cohort was also involved in the anti-war movement. There are a lot of people my age who stopped being politically active and just recently are beginning to be again.

You first started by protesting the Vietnam War. How did that differ from what you seen at the No Kings marches?

One of the things that is taken over is that it’s intentionally joyous and playful. There are some groups for whom that’s not the case, but most of it is singing and trying to be funny in signs and garb. No Kings Day on March 27 was exuberant. The whole playbook of authoritarianism is to make people fearful, isolated and fearful, so the idea is to do the opposite, One of the things that our group is doing now is starting up a singing resistance group. One of our upcoming activities is singing a Resistance serenade in Central Park’s Strawberry Fields on Saturday, April 25^th from 2 - 3pm EDT. [For a full schedule of the group’s upcoming activities, see their website at https://swingleft.org/group/upper-west-side-moveonindivisible-action-group.]

Are young people also getting involved?

Yes, but they’re involved around different issues, in groups that they lead. And it makes sense. Sunrise Movement is an environmental movement led by youth. Then there’s the student-led anti-gun organization March for Our Lives.

I imagine you’ve gotten pushback from some other Jews about your criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza and the current war in Iran.

Yes. “Self-hating Jew.” When we were out supporting Zoran Mamdani, one guy with a yarmulke told me to go f--- myself. That was lovely. He felt very holy saying it. Very righteous. Most but not all in my group share my perspective on Israel and Palestine.

Do you ever just get discouraged by how many bad things are still happening? The marches keep happening and here we are having a war.

It’s beyond belief. As it gets wilder and wilder, the more motivated I get, because there’s more at stake.

How many days a week are you involved in political activities, either organizing or attending?

Five or six. It’s a full-time job. I work harder now than I did when I was getting paid.

How do you afford to do that?

Social security, my pension, and my savings. Trump is always talking about how we [protestors] are getting paid. Well, I’m still waiting for my check from George Soros.

Thoughts yet about the presidential election in 2028?

There’s no one I’m really real excited about, but I like Wes Moore, the governor of Maryland. I also like J.B. Pritzker. I’m convinced he’s a much more decent, sincere person than I originally thought.

Do you think a woman could ever be elected president in this country?

Well, up until she did this stupid thing, I thought Governor Gretchen Whitmer from Michigan was the one. Then she went and visited him, the orange-headed guy, and handled it in a very stupid way. I loved Elizabeth Warren. I was a delegate, but she withdrew. She looked too professorial. To get a wider range of voters, you need to look more like you could have a beer with somebody.

What about AOC?

Not yet. I’m sure she’s going to compete for the Senate race in New York, and I think she could win. I think she’s too young now. She’s not seasoned enough to be talking about president, but I think she’ll make a great New York Senator.

What would you say to New Yorkers who have never protested, but don’t like the direction in which the country is heading?

If you don’t want to live in a fascist country, get off your tuchus!