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May Day Around the World

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May Day 2015 In El Salvador

“Neither reformism nor capitalism, let’s fight for communism!”
“Neither reform nor elections, the masses need revolution!”
“The struggle continues Communism lives!”
These were some of the slogans chanted by the International Communist Workers’ Party (ICWP) contingent in the May Day march on this International Workers’ Day.
ICWP’s advance stands out more each May Day. Comrades from different parts of the country mobilized to march and distribute our communist literature.  Our contingent reflected the unity of the working class:  city workers, farmworkers and students.
More than 2000 Red Flag newspapers and 3000 leaflets were distributed among the thousands of workers in two marches that were carried out this day.  Big banners with the symbols and slogans of the Party were unfurled from early in the morning by the comrades of the maquilla factories. 
“This is my day, and I could not keep from coming!” exclaimed, with much excitement, a farmworker who is an ex-guerilla fighter of the fmln. He was participating in this contingent of communists on May Day for the first time. 
A worker who had just received the Red Flag newspaper from the hands of a comrade said, “If we don’t join together in this struggle against the capitalist system, we will not achieve victory.”
Every May Day march is an experience in which the working class shows its class hatred against the old and new capitalist bosses. The ICWP boldly carries out new forms of participation each year, so that the working class realizes that a new option exists. The electoral parties only use the working class and do not represent any solution to improve the conditions of workers’ lives.
Returning from the march with the satisfaction of having fulfilled our expectations, we understood that it is always necessary to carry out a meeting for criticism and self-criticism of this activity, to discuss how we can improve the work and expand the number of comrade participants next year.
The comrades of ICWP stopped at a famous truck stop and got out of the trucks and buses to talk and eat a delicious lunch of barbecue.  All enjoyed comradeship and euphoria, knowing that the International Communist Workers’ Party is advancing in the concrete struggle to establish communism.

Massive Marches in Celebration of May Day in Honduras

HONDURAS--Tens of thousands of workers, teachers, peasants, the unemployed, and other sectors of society, marched in all major cities. The slogans were generally the same, pointing out all the calamities suffered every day by the working class, especially those that deal with mass unemployment, oppression, discrimination and ruthless exploitation.
During the celebrations last year, it was thought that at this stage and within the framework of reforms that the working class fights under archaic leadership. For the first time our class here would choose to have a single labor organization. This was confirmed by the Confederation of Workers of Honduras (CTH), the General Confederation of Workers (CGT) and the Confederation of Workers of Honduras (CUTH). Together, their members encompass nearly all unions.
But such development has not been possible. Many of the unions in these confederations have become pro-boss and conservatives. They are no longer interested in liberating the working class from exploitation and discrimination to which it has been subjected for many years.
Since the 2009 coup, the trade unions have dedicate much of their activities to see how they put their struggles under the leadership and protection of “FREE,” a right wing electoral party. This party participated in the last elections of 2013 and became the second-largest political force in the country. It is led by former President Zelaya, ousted in the 2009 coup.
Notwithstanding all this, one of the strongest and largest trade unions is the STENEE union, from the National Electrical Company. Upon learning that politicians from “FREE” would participate in the march, in protest they left the march and marched along their own route.
From the conversations and interviews which some comrades had with several participating workers during the route of the march, we could again see the desperation of the working class. Every day it deepens and generally it does not see this capitalist neoliberal system as an alternative solution to the serious problems it faces, not even for subsistence.
Facing this impasse, they are already forming proletarian class consciousness by recognizing the antagonism of capital to labor. They see how the national and international capitalists increase their profits at the expense of our labor power. Meanwhile, workers’ salaries are not enough even to buy their basic needs as human beings.
Thus, we comrades in Honduras see, with great hope, that qualitative and quantitative changes in favor of the working class are coming soon. These, however, can only occur under the banners and ideas that we communists must put forward. The economic reforms for which the working class struggles  today, only serve to stop or delay the real struggle for total emancipation. We need to shake off the yoke of exploitation and fight for a communist society.
During the march, ICWP comrades participate, distributing some Red Flags and pamphlets “Mobilize the Masses for Communism,” as we have done in the past few years. We made contact with many workers with whom we discussed the plight of the working class, the need to go beyond reformism and make a qualitative step, which is to fight to destroy capitalism and usher in a true communist revolution.
Workers of the world unite! Fight for Communism!

May Day 2015 in Los Angeles, USA

“I carried the red flag and did not ever let it fall,” said a young comrade proudly.  She was happy to have participated in the May Day march with her working class brothers and sisters.
The International Communist Workers’ Party mobilized close to 50 workers and students.  Many marched with us for the first time and some distributed Red Flag for the first time.  Later they described how much they had loved it.  Many of the youth took leadership on different levels.
The reformist march organizers chose a route where there was almost nobody to see us, and the march was on the small side.  Still, we distributed 900 copies of Red Flag along with a lot of leaflets and pamphlets to the marchers.
We got a great reception! One worker insisted on carrying a sign that said, “Workers, unite! For a communist world without borders, wars, or private property.” She carried it for the whole march.
The youth bus arrived at the march after a slow journey that seemed forever. On the way we divided up the tasks and practiced the chants.  We got there after the march had already started.
As we started marching towards it, we were shouting “Fight for communism! Power to the workers!” A cop stopped us and said we had to wait ‘til the end of it.  But a worker intervened, saying, “We will make space for them.”  And they did.
There were numerous groups in the march. They were marching against things capitalism causes, like racism, sexism, and poor wages.  “If they want to see a real change then they need to realize communism is the solution,” said a student comrade.  “Even though some may be against it and the government abhors it, it’s the way to go.”
With communism there won’t be any racism, sexism, or even wages. There won’t be any racist murders because the material basis of racism will be gone.  The workers on the march, even though they do not know it, are potential members of our party – just like many of the students who marched with us.
A young student comrade said, “The march was an unforgettable event. I had never been to a march but I made it possible this year and it was an incredible experience.  I was amazed with how the working class united to celebrate the Worker’s Day, a very important day for all of the working class internationally.”
Another added, “In the moment of carrying the banner, passing out Red Flag and shouting out the chants, I felt like there were no borders, no racism, nor sexism.” 
Some young people marched with their hard-working parents in mind.  They marched because they see the struggle their parents face as wage slaves.  This is the struggle that capitalists make our working class go through for their own wealth and privilege that rest on our backs.
We all, student and worker comrades alike, marched knowing that our comrades all over the world — in Spain, Central America, Mexico and South Africa, and elsewhere—were all marching for the same thing:  to mobilize the masses for communism.  One world, one party, one flag!
The enthusiastic participation in our communist contingent this May Day bodes well for our upcoming Summer Projects.  Young adult comrades will give leadership to younger people, helping them learn how to carry on the building of a new communist world.

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