For the last seven months, we have been involved in the fight for justice for Alex Flores, killed by LAPD on November 19, 2019. For six weeks, we protested every night in front of the “Shootin’ Newton” police station. After Alex was buried, we moved to Friday nights and have not missed a Friday yet.
As we continued to get ignored by the police, the DA, the politicians, and pretty much everyone who makes decisions about Alex’s case, anger grew. We surrounded police cars leaving the station. We took over street intersections. The community began to know us through our regular presence and canvassing. More recently, many joined us. When the politicians wanted everyone to stay home, we fought to make protesting this system “essential business”.
George Floyd was killed on a Monday and within days, protests erupted in every U.S. state. On that Thursday, our friends from the Progressive Labor Party called us and asked if we wanted to travel with them to Minneapolis. Our answer was “Hell yeah!”
Two days later, we were on a plane heading into battle, which our seven months of fighting prepared us for. We did not know yet that this would be “the best worst experience” of our lives.
Arriving on the ground, we went directly to the 5th precinct where thousands were gathered. Across the street from the station was a Wells Fargo bank burned to the ground. That hit us because we never saw anything like that before. It was covered in graffiti saying, “You Don’t Own Us” and “F*ck Capitalism”. It clearly represented the intense hatred workers in that city had for this racist system. By this time, the fires that started in Minneapolis had already spread around the globe. It felt great to be a part of that worldwide struggle.
As we looked around the crowd, anyone and everyone was there. It was somewhat surprising because we never saw anything like that before, but also incredibly inspiring. Even though likely no one there personally knew George Floyd, they were still fighting for justice, not just for George, but for all workers. There were men, women, transgender and gender non-conforming workers. There were Muslim, Asian, Latin, Black and white workers. There were young and old. And everyone was hungry; hungry for answers; hungry for fightback; hungry for change. When we started a bullhorn rally, hundreds gathered to listen as we explained that police murder and racism will always exist under capitalism, so we need communist revolution. Workers grabbed for CHALLENGE like they were starving, and it was the only food in sight. Workers screamed our chants, fists in the air. Many asked if the Party had a chapter in Minneapolis.
The sun started to set; curfew was upon us. Hundreds around us chanted, “F*ck your curfew. We’re not going anywhere.” Minutes later a march of about 300, mainly young people, moved quickly down the main street. We jumped in the middle and started to lead chants. We were nervous about what might happen. Would the cops beat us up? Would we be arrested? But we kept going because we had confidence in the people around us and the members of the Party we came with to take care of us. There was so much solidarity around us. People passed food, water, hand sanitizer, goggles to protect from tear gas. And the Party has experience in these kinds of movements, so we continued and left our fears behind us.
The police did not disappoint. They upheld their history of brutality against those who stand against the system and attacked our march with tear gas. We also heard stories that were later verified (NPR) that the police slashed the tires of cars parked near protest meet-up locations. We were not deterred though. That stand-off with the police, while scary, reminded us of the system we are living under and why we so desperately need to overthrow it. Being on this trip made it clear how many of the things we struggle with in our day-to-day lives are caused by capitalism.
In the short two days we were there, a kinship developed. With the unity we saw, we feel like if we continue to fight back, there is no way we cannot make changes to this system. We brought the story of Alex Flores to Minneapolis and they embraced it like he was their family. Alex’s story even ended up live on the Monday morning news in Australia!
Workers of the world unite! During this trip one of us decided to join the PLP and make the commitment to fighting for communism. The other one of us wants to learn more through staying involved. But for both of us, one thing is clear: if the opportunity to take another trip like this comes up again, we will both say again “Hell yeah!”