Bring Back the WITCH

On Oct. 31, 1968, 13 young women dressed in pointy hats and black cloaks walked Wall Street to protest capitalism’s enforcement of sexism. Today, in an era where it’s all too normal for the federal government to ignore the wishes of local elected officials, it’s time for young women to once again don their witchy wardrobe and make their voices against an oppressive patriarchal system loud and clear.

Women’s International Terrorist Conspiracy from Hell (WITCH) was the premiere branch of a second-wave feminist organization that gathered on Halloween night, 1968, to perform poetry and “hexes” as a form of theatrical protest called “zaps.”

Originally based in New York City, more covens — what they called different branches — of WITCH appeared around the United States as more women came together and found the need to share their dissatisfaction with the decisions of their local and the federal government. 

A coven in Chicago formed to place hexes on the Chicago Transit Authority when fare prices rose. Another group at the University of Chicago threw nail clippings and hair at the sociology department when they fired a female lecturer. 

While the meaning behind the WITCH acronym changed multiple times in the couple of years it was active in the late 1960s, the symbolism of the witch was constant among every group. It represented people, especially women, who weren’t afraid to go against societal norms.

In 2025, the specter of discontent has been heard around the globe. It was present when the members of Gen Z in Nepal overthrew their government, and Kenyans of similar age led anti-government protests.

The second set of “No Kings” rallies this year took place Oct. 18 in cities around the U.S. as Americans showed how they exercise their first-amendment right to free speech.

The resurgence of these rallies came after the deployment of the National Guard by President Donald Trump to major cities, such as Chicago and Portland, located in states he lost to former Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential election.

In the past month, hundreds took to the streets of Chicago to protest the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the National Guard in their city.

For those who are fed up with actions the federal government has taken to target them and their undocumented neighbors — who fear detainment by ICE agents — seek inspiration and guidance from activist groups like WITCH. They too had to fight to be seen as humans deserving equality.

WITCH called young women — and all others who agreed with their mission — to use their talents to fight against patriarchal systems and white colonial society. During President Trump’s first campaign in 2015, people heard this calling from the past and, while short-lived, new covens emerged to place hexes on him. 

When active as an organization, WITCH showed protest didn’t need to be complicated. They rebelled through poetry, art, music, chanting, magic and enjoying what society said they shouldn’t.

Those who fear the repercussions of using their voice or aren’t sure how effective theirs will be should look to WITCH and see how simple it is to be defiant.

Joining together is crucial for people who are tired of seeing their community members stripped away from their families and livelihoods.

In collections of individuals pulling power from their personal strengths, WITCH can be reignited, and this time it can stand for “Women (enbies & men) Interrupting Trump’s Childish Hysteria.”