Seattle May Day March: Only Communism Can Unleash the Power of the International Working Class here ♦ “Say no to another fascist dictatorship in the Philippines!” here ♦
Seattle May Day March: Only Communism Can Unleash the Power of the International Working Class
SEATTLE (USA), May 6— “I really liked the international outlook of the march,” said M, a young worker. He was part of a large, enthusiastic Filipino contingent. He eagerly took ICWP literature. There were also many Northeast African and Latinx workers and students, many of them first- or second-generation migrants. Youth, with an internationalist outlook, gave the May Day march the spark it needed.
The ICWP boldly declared the necessity of communism to end fascism, wage slavery, racism, xenophobia etc. with signs declaring “End capitalism with communist revolution!”
Many young people who came with socialist organizations were open to the communist ideas of Red Flag. We distributed almost all the papers and immigration pamphlets we brought. The young BIPOC people who led the march carried signs and led chants denouncing fascism, particularly in the US and the Philippines.
Outside a nearby church, people leaving a quinceañera mass eagerly took Bandera Roja. There was a lot of interest in reading about martial law in El Salvador. There has been little in the US press about it or the fightback against it. No other group mentioned this. That won us a lot of friends, including M, whose parents fled martial law in the Philippines.
We met with M a few days later. “It is really important to connect the local issues with the international ones, and the march really did that,” he said. He asked us to leave copies of Red Flag, Mobilize the Masses for Communism, and the anti-racism and migration pamphlets at the coffee shop where he works.
The ruling class would like us to believe that the march was all about union organizing. The Seattle Times headline was “Seattle May Day rally and march tout new union strength.” But most of the rank-and-file who marched were open to our ideas and wanted to read Red Flag.
“Left” politicians push unionization to persuade young people that capitalism can provide a good life for workers. They fear these young workers will decide to fight for the only real solution: communism, a society without money or wage slavery.
M advocates communist internationalism. He saw the contradictions between that and the union chants and slogans. He wants to involve other friends in a collective discussion to clarify the difference.
A migrant from the Tigray area of Ethiopia was outraged at how poorly the US treats migrants from there versus the open arms for Ukrainian refugees. He wholeheartedly agreed that capitalism and racism are the culprits. He took Red Flag and an immigration pamphlet and joined us for a photo, his arm raised in a fist. He recommended our communist literature to his contingent.
A young white University of Washington student was intrigued by our line of fighting directly for communism. While marching, we exchanged contact information and talked for about twenty minutes. We plan to meet with him and some of his friends soon.
The young, enthusiastic marchers demonstrated the potential for communist revolution. They were not fooled into taking the side of one capitalist or another. They recognized the NATO/Russia war in Ukraine for what it is: a fight among capitalist/imperialist fascist rivals.
M later told us that communism is “the ultimate step. I don’t advocate it right away. If you do that in the Philippines, they will kill you.” Comrades explained that socialism is just a version of capitalism, as it maintains the wage system and other institutions that bolster capitalism. So only fighting directly for communism can win a world without racism, sexism, xenophobia. He would like us to get together with his friends to clarify these important points.
To Recruit New Comrades, We Must Have a Plan
Comrades have had success recruiting new comrades and friends from political marches and rallies. Our collective has a three-part plan to consolidate potential comrades. In a day or two after a march or other event, comrades share the discussions they had to write up for Red Flag. As soon as possible, comrades meet with the new contacts. In a month or so, the party organizes a larger social/political event and invites the new friends.
We have already visited M and are planning a BBQ for early June. Several people from an earlier multi-racial May Day potluck missed the march because of COVID and family emergencies. We will invite our new contacts, others who missed the march, and additional workers from Boeing and the schools to discuss the fight for our communist future.
We must take base-building seriously, using the contacts we make as a springboard for further meetings and discussions. Seeing so many young people in the streets and open to communism, a potential generation of new leaders, increases the enthusiasm of long-time Party members and friends. We really do have a world to win!
“Say no to another fascist dictatorship in the Philippines!”
SEATTLE (US), May 10— “Say no to another fascist dictatorship in the Philippines!” This was the angry response to the election of Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. (son of a notorious fascist former president). Friends we met at the May Day march invited ICWP comrades to an emergency protest rally and march. Participants who hadn’t gotten Red Flag on May Day read the paper as a mostly young crowd gathered. A comrade explained to two young women that she had come because she wanted to end capitalism around the world. “Me too!” they responded.
Read our pamphlet: “Fight For the Day When No Worker Will be Called Foreigner” here