BALTIMORE, December 8- With huge banners, a group of anti-racist workers and members of the Progressive Labor Party crashed Baltimore’s phony liberal mayor’s holiday parade demanding enforcement of the new law banning gag orders for victims of police brutality. Gag orders prohibit hundreds of victimized families from saying even a single word about what happened, once they sign a financial settlement with the City. However, the gag orders don’t stop the cops and the media from saying whatever they want.
The bosses’ democracy is nothing more than the dictatorship of the capitalist class. They use their state violence to keep themselves in power. This violence includes the 1,100 or so police killings each year in the U.S., with Black workers two-and-a-half times more likely to be killed. It also includes 679 interventions from 1943 to 1990 by federal troops and the National Guard, involving over 681,835 troops. Those military interventions, just like today, have included attacks on workers’ strikes, on uprisings against racism, on student protests, and on prison rebellions.
It has taken two years of struggle, and a victory in court by Ashley Overbey – one of the hundreds of victims of racist violence by Baltimore cops – to compel the Baltimore City Council to pass a new law ending gag orders. After police lies about Ashley’s case were published locally, repeated attacks were made on her character in blog posts. Ashley finally responded, stating publically the truth about what had been done to her. Consequently about half of her settlement money was stripped away by the City. Her court case reversed this. Starting in 2020 gag orders will finally outlawed in Baltimore. The mayor, however, has said he will refuse to enforce the ban.
But, even though the capitalists control the government, sometimes a particular law causes a problem for them. Then they don’t hesitate to break their own laws. That’s what tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt – one of the richest capitalists in U.S. history – meant when he roared, “What do I care about the law? Ain’t I got the power?” That’s also what Baltimore Mayor Jack Young meant when he arrogantly stated that he will not enforce the ban on gag orders.
When the mayor drove by organizers we boldly stepped into the street, holding the banners next to the mayor’s car. That sparked more boldness as several organizers led us to proudly stretch our banners across the entire width of the street, marching right in front of Mayor Jack Young’s car. Very loudly, so the thousands of parade watchers lining the sidewalks could clearly hear, we sang, “Hit the road, Jack, and don’t you come back no more!” We also chanted, “Enforced silence condones police violence!”
The mayor’s community relations flunky repeatedly told us to get out of the march. We ignored him. Later Baltimore’s police chief, Michael Harrison, walked purposefully next to the mayor’s car. Undoubtedly, they were discussing whether to use their kkkops to throw us out of the parade. They apparently decided that wouldn’t look good, and the mayor was forced to endure our bold protest. In fact, when his car stopped in front of the reviewing stand, our loud chanting and singing apparently shut down part of his intended speech.
Although two-thirds of Baltimore’s population is Black, the parade was held in Hampden, a nearly all-white section of the city. The crowds watching the parade were about 95 percent white. It was particularly impressive, when folks – reading our anti-racist banners, and listening to our chants – broke out into enthusiastic cheers and applause!
For days Facebook and Reddit were abuzz with highly spirited comments about our action. Some focused on the Progressive Labor Party banner about the police murder of Tyrone West. That banner says “PUT KILLER COPS IN CELL BLOCKS” and “SMASH RACISM & CAPITALISM.”
Here is a sampling of the social media posts:
“I had to admire the chutzpah of the people marching in the Hampden Christmas parade to protest police violence. They were shout-singing ‘Hit the Road Jack,’ and Mayor Jack was in the yellow car right behind them.”
“The capitalist model, at its core, empowers wealth inequality and disenfranchisement of many. I’m curious …how opposing capitalism is irrelevant.”
“Y’ALL DID THAT THING! Nothing but mad respect for you.”
“I love this!! I love you All for doing this!!”
When fighting against racism and capitalism boldness is vital. As communist Frederick Engels said: “Surprise your antagonists while their forces are scattering, prepare new successes, however small, … rally those vacillating elements to your side which always follow the strongest impulse, … force your enemies to a retreat before they can collect their strength against you; in the words of Danton, the greatest master of revolutionary policy …, de l’audace, de l’audace, encore de l’audace!” which means, boldness, boldness, and more boldness! This is true in the fight against police brutality, against racism, and against capitalism.
It’s also important to understand that the capitalists control state power. Electoral politics cannot defeat capitalism. Electoral politics cannot take us to working class power and communism. After all, revolution is not on the ballot.
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BCC Students: “They say cut back, we say fight back!”
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- 21 December 2019 64 hits
BRONX, DECEMBER 18–As the president of Bronx Community College (BCC) laid out the budget cuts, that he would oversee at the college senate meeting today, a crowd of 30 fired up students and faculty lined the back wall, carrying signs that said “Budget Cuts are Racist”, “Money for CUNY, not for Jails”, and, “They Say Cut Back, We Say Fight Back!” The administration hoped that their racist budget cuts would pass unnoticed, but these militant students fired back shouting “No way!” Members and friends of Progressive Labor Party (PLP) helped organize the small but sharp stand-off against the fascist liberal administration’s punishing cuts.
Our goal is to use every opportunity to organize students and workers on campus to not only take on the small-fry administration of our college, but the whole racist capitalist system, and use campus struggles as a springboard for our politics, winning students to the idea that we need to fight for communism– the only system capable of educating and providing the working class with a life of dignity– because we will ultimately be the ones running things.
The budget cuts at BCC are happening against a backdrop of even more racist attacks coming from the CUNY Board of Trustees, who have plans to raise tuition by $200 per year, including a $120 “health and wellness” fee. These racist politicians and CEOs show their utter contempt for a student population already suffering from capitalist oppression – 50 percent of CUNY students are either food- or housing-insecure, in what is sadly the poorest congressional district in the country.
As we left the meeting, we chanted “Get the Budget Right or Expect a Fight!” and nearly all of the other faculty and students at the meeting applauded and cheered. The fight of students against racist budget cuts and tuition increases is the same as the fight for decent wages for adjunct faculty. This solidarity position was clear to everyone there.
After our spirited show of student-worker solidarity, we gathered outside the meeting room to reflect on the demonstration. There was lots of excitement from students, more than half of whom had never been to a demonstration before. We noted the applause from faculty and how our fight is really the same. Another student reported the administration wasn’t clapping, but rather sitting there quietly.
A PLP member congratulated the students for fighting back, not only against the budget cuts at BCC but against the whole racist system. Finally, we asked the students who would be returning in the spring (which was most of them) whether they were ready to continue to fight next semester. All of them responded enthusiastically.
BCC students declared they will back next semester to carry on the fight against these racist budget cuts and tuition increases. PLP members will be there every step of the way, helping to lead the fight, helping to build confidence and militancy, and helping to make communist ideas a primary part of the working-class struggle at CUNY. We have a world to win!
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Colombia Strike against Uribe; workers need to build a communist movement
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- 21 December 2019 63 hits
Bogota, December 18–On November 21, Colombia started experiencing its most massive mobilizations of the last several decades. These demonstrations have filled the streets of the big cities and all of its municipalities. They have continued in the form of “cacerolazos” (workers demonstrations where they bang on pots and pans) that sprout everywhere. Many of these are led by female students and workers. This demonstrates the massive rejection of the sexist government of Duque - Uribe, its corruption and economic policies.
The workers also demonstrated against the government for its complicity in the selective killings of more than 600 social leaders, indigenous extermination and widespread racist violence.
The day before the mobilization there were dozens of raids on the homes of strike participants. This strategy of intimidation ultimately only served to further stoke the rebellion and increase the flow of protesters. ESMAD’s (the Colombian riot police) strong clashes and attacks on women and protesters left more than 800 detainees, 50 raids, 4 murders and more than 300 wounded. The rulers increased their tried and true criminal policy: create fear and sell security.
During the first night of the national strike in Cali and the second night in Bogotá, the bosses imposed a curfew. This fascist measure had not been taken in the capital in more than four decades. Cities were militarized and an atmosphere of panic was created for alleged looting of residential complexes. People reported having captured some looters who said they received 50 thousand pesos to loot. The objective was to show the military as heroes, saviors, while sowing fear and relating it to the strike.
In other neighborhoods of the city, the cacerolazos defeated the curfew in practice. On the third day, workers retook the streets overcoming their fear. This served as a great experience since the workers need to get rid of their fear in order to face these bosses’ attacks.
Peace between social classes, serves criminal bosses! This was the Progressive Labor Party (PLP) slogan that we chanted and that was well received by the masses. The media, trade union bureaucracy and reformist politicians insist on pacifism as a principle of the strike and a large majority of protesters have accepted it. But the fact that these protests are peaceful does not mean that we must remain passive in the face of continuous aggressions, detentions and beatings. In order to defend ourselves against the criminal attacks of our class enemies, we must organize mass revolutionary violence. These attacks will not end as long as capitalism exists. The bosses need to minimize our living conditions because they need to maximize their profits.
As long as they have the power they will continue to fire us, cut our wages, our pensions, and our health care and educational services. The workers will continue fighting against these cuts. That is why we have the urgent need to organize ourselves in a revolutionary international communist party, the Progressive Labor Party (PLP). Then workers can lead a communist revolution to abolish capitalism. In that way, we can form a new communist society where what we produce will serve to meet our needs and not to enrich a handful of criminal bosses.
PAKISTAN, December 18—Thousands of students marched with red flags on the streets in fifty-one cities across the country demanding to form student unions. Progressive Labor Party is striving to bring more people close to our communist politics. A worker-student alliance is a building block of a pro-communist idea.
Progressive unions banned
General Zia ul Haq banned the right to unionize in 1984. Before that, union activities were managed by the state to spread unrest and a war-like situation among the different student’s organizations in mid 80s. This was to show that students were creating unrest in the campuses therefore it was imperative to ban their politics. Religious and pro-capitalist student organizations were used to attack the members of progressive student organizations. At that time, these religious student organizations used to spread fundamentalism in the campuses to produce the support for the U.S. in Afghanistan, which was difficult for them in the presence of the strong progressive student’s organizations. This ban was just for progressive students organizations because rightists were functioning in the campuses and also using all the resources of universities for their own activities.
Anti-progressive, anti-communist
More than 12 student organizations decided to hold rallies, including the Progressive Students Collective and Student Action Committee.Their demands include the restoration of students unions, raising awareness about the persisting educational crisis in Pakistan and against the harassment at the campuses, tuition fee hike, lack of hostel and laboratory facilities, and religious fundamentalism in the campuses. Overall, students are demanding a conducive educational environment, which cannot be a possibility under a system that is based on exploitation and inequality. Capitalism can never provide that.
Anti-progressives are not happy. Among many allegations leveled against the fighting students was that they were “driven by foreign powers” and were “being misused for someone’s vested interests.” Eyebrows were also raised over how people from all walks of life turned the country red—red clothing, holding red posters, raising full-throated slogans against the system, and waving red flags.
Red Scare is still prevailing in Pakistan; after the march, all the TV channels (mouthpieces of bosses) are talking to curb these reds.
Student-worker solidarity
In these marches, we saw a unity between workers and students, which is threatening to the bosses. A united working class can that rise up against unemployment, exploitation, and terrorism, and can organize to build a revolutionary communist movement to destroy the capitalist system.
It is up to PLP to recruit workers and students to a communist outlook and a lifetime of communist organizing. These student struggles to unionize can be schools for communist politics. Read CHALLENGE as part that schooling.
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College Conference: educate to organize and fight back
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- 21 December 2019 66 hits
NEWARK, NJ, November 9 — More than 40 multiracial friends and members of the Progressive Labor Party (PLP) in the greater New York City area gathered for the annual College Conference. The conference aims to bring students, workers, faculty and staff together each year, and the main topic this year was the growth of fascism on campuses and how to fight it.
Speakers and workshop discussions were organized so that all conference participants could learn from one another how to build a mass movement across our campuses uniting, students, faculty and workers. And that means building a mass, fighting PLP on every campus to fight back against increasing “austerity” and to smash racist and fascist repression with communist revolution!
Envisioning communist education
The conference began by inviting participants to think about what education might look like if the working class ran the world under communism. Participants were inspired by the idea of a system that could help everyone to succeed, and questioned how differently universities would be structured in a world run by the working class — or if they would exist in their current form at all. Ideas flowed about breaking down the racist and sexist divisions between mental and physical labor, the power of education through collective working class struggle, and what apprenticeships and collaborations might look like among workers with different experiences and skills sets.
While we recognized that we could not know how the needs of a worker-led communist world would change education, this stimulating discussion revealed many of the problems working class youth face fighting for an education under capitalism. This set the stage for the panel of speakers discussing struggle and fightback on their campuses.
What we do counts!
A State of the World speech from a PL’er then set the tone of struggle and fightback from workers around the world in the midst of a period of sharpening inter-imperialist rivalry among groups of capitalists and the growing reality of deadlier wars. The panel of speakers gave inspiring and detailed reports of struggles on New York and New Jersey campuses — from the strike movement at Rutgers University to the struggle to defend undocumented students from deportation at the City University of New York, struggles documented in previous issues of CHALLENGE.
These reports were also connected with the State of the World speech in that the conflicts within the capitalist class of the U.S. and around the world framed the significance of each struggle within an international context. They showed the potential of how building a fighting PLP on these campuses can eventually influence the course of global events, and put emphasis on the reality that each new CHALLENGE reader we win, each antiracist struggle, each fightback on each campus that we organize today — they all count. Each one counts because they build a Party that will move millions to build the mass revolutionary movement we need to smash capitalism.
Workshops: education to
organize and fight back
The workshops that immediately followed focused on these questions: who are our class enemies on campus? How do we fight our class enemies on campus? New friends of the Party stepped up to help each workshop group collectively analyze the roles of local politicians, campus administrators, disciplinary rules for students and faculty, financial aid, and campus police. These are all a part of the capitalist state, and they exist to control students and faculty. We discussed and applied the philosophy and science of dialectical materialism to connect our individual and particular experiences and struggles with the systemic and general pressures our working class sisters and brothers collectively face.
A big part of the workshop discussions focused on selling and building a mass readership of CHALLENGE on each campus. CHALLENGE is not like any capitalist newspaper; it is our collective organizer. It summarizes and shares the experiences of working class fightback around the world, and teaches us all how to build a PLP capable of destroying this capitalist state dictatorship, not only responsible for every racist and sexist attack on each campus, but also for every imperialist war and every forced migration of workers around the world.
By the time we reassembled as a large group share out what we learned, it was clear that everyone, from our new friends to the veteran fighters, were inspired and educated. We concluded with sharper plans for continuing the struggles on our campuses, and many of those present left to join other friends and comrades at the celebration dinner of the Bolshevik Revolution in Brooklyn. The struggle to build a mass communist movement on our area campuses continues!
