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Los Angeles: Liberal Rulers Organize Mass May Day. Young Marchers “Wide Open” to Communism
LOS ANGELES (US), May 1— May Day here is a mass event organized by the liberal rulers and their organizations, community groups and unions. This year an enthusiastic group of at least two thousand, led by young workers and students, Latino/a, white, Black, Asian, immigrant and native born, marched down the almost-empty streets of a gentrified downtown to City Hall.
The International Communist Workers’ Party (ICWP) contingent raised red flags with the slogan “Mobilize the Masses for Communism.”
Comrades were inspired, seeing that the masses were more political than in previous years and were wide open to our communist ideas. We distributed 900 newspapers (all we had!) and 200 pamphlets “Fight for The Day When No Worker Will Be Called Foreigner.”
A young comrade offered the pamphlet to a worker wearing a “Destroy the Borders” T-shirt. She told him, “We will destroy the borders with communist revolution.” At first the worker said he didn’t want the pamphlet, but he finally took it home to read.
At the beginning of the march, we practiced the chants we had prepared, including the main point of struggle: “We will have a Communist World! A world without borders, without sexism, racism, money, cops, bosses!” A comrade who helped lead the chants said, “Our slogans were different from the rest because we are international communist revolutionaries.”
Several comrades, women and men, led chants and gave short speeches throughout the march. Some young people affiliated with the (non-revolutionary) “Communist” Party USA were surprised by our communist slogans. We had a good conversation with them about why we fight directly for communism. They said they would check out our website.
A comrade said, “I really felt proud to march with my comrades. It reminded me of the May Day marches I attended when I was in high school. But this time I felt the urgency to be there, amid various political groups. As I gave short speeches on the need to overthrow capitalism, people listened and nodded in agreement.
“The slogan ‘!Este puño si se ve, los obreros al poder!’ (This fist you can see, Workers to power!) made our contingent stand out by our call for communism instead of reform,” he concluded.
A young comrade added, “Every year the ruling class sanctions workers’ agitation through the May Day March, as long as we are organized on the basis of particular interests, such as race, gender identity, immigration status, or better working conditions.
“As I distributed Red Flag, I discussed nationalism and how identity politics will not lead to a real revolution,” he reported. “The ICWP works to unite the working class to abolish the capitalist system that oppresses us all. Many workers enthusiastically took our newspaper as they saw we want unity, not division.”
A veteran comrade said, “I had tons of political conversations and struggles about communism. About socialism not being the solution since it kept money and it is in essence state capitalism. That money is the chain that binds us to the capitalists and must be eliminated to end forever capitalism’s wage slavery: the material basis that perpetuates racism, sexism, xenophobia, and all the poisonous ideas that weaken, divide, and keep us enslaved.
“About the need to destroy capitalism worldwide to have an environmentally healthy world without borders or nations,” he continued. “About the need for an armed revolution led by communist workers, soldiers and youth.”
It bodes well for the revolutionary future of our class that so many marchers gladly took communist literature. Organizing for next year’s May Day march begins now, with plans in every party club and concentration for everyone who marched with us and our wider circles of friends.
With a more intentional collective plan, we can turn this enthusiastic response into a larger and more committed International Communist Workers’ Party, which can truly mobilize the masses for communism.
Capitalism has nothing to offer our class but misery, exploitation, and war. We will have a communist world if we fight for it.
No More Illusions! Fight for a Communist World!
Los Angeles, U.S.-More than 40,000 people are currently at the U.S.-Mexico border waiting to cross legally into the U.S. through a temporary political asylum permit. Hundreds more are transiting Mexico.
Meanwhile, everyday hundreds of people are deported by plane to Latin America. Their hands and feet are shackled as if they were criminals.
The illusion of many is that when Title 42 (blocking immigrants from seeking asylum at the US Mexican border during Covid 19) ends this May 11, political asylum and working legally in the US will be easier. Unfortunately, it is only an illusion.
Homeland Security Chief Alejandro Mayorkas said, “We will implement Title 8”, which is also used to immediately deport immigrants seeking political asylum. It prohibits an immigrant from entering the US for 5 years the first time they are caught, and 10 years the second time, with possible jail time.
Also, the Biden administration plans to send 1,500 active-duty troops to the border as “administrative support,” added to 2,500 national guard troops supporting the border patrol. During the Trump administration, 5,000 soldiers were sent to the border to do the same thing.
Millions of our class internationally migrate from one place to another in search of a job to survive. They are fleeing poverty and war, caused by capitalism’s exploitation and competition. The current crisis and imperialist struggle between the U.S./NATO and Russia-China has forced more workers to migrate in search of safety and work.
In communism, there will be no borders. There will be no need to go out in search of being exploited in order to survive. Society will collectively produce and distribute according to each person’s needs. This fight is worth dedicating our lives for!
The system of immigration laws is one more way to terrorize and exploit the working class. We cannot depend on capitalist politicians or illusions about reforming this system of oppression. The bosses and liberal politicians are asking the same oppressors to legalize immigrants. They want to divert us from the communist revolution we need to end their racist terror.
Hundreds of mainly Latino immigrants here, working in the garment, construction, cleaning, hotels and other industries, demonstrated on May Day against the US bosses’ racist immigration policies. Along with them were hundreds of white, Black and Asian native-born workers, many young.
In the garment industry hundreds of these workers already receive Red Flag. We plan to redouble our efforts to reach out to more workers in the factories and mass organizations.
The potential shown in the march and previous activities shows that many of these workers can become leaders of the working masses with a vision of a communist world without borders.
Immigrant Comrade
The Working Class Has No Borders
Los Angeles, May 1st, International Workers’ Day, I came to celebrate another year with the International Communist Workers’ Party. Many comrades welcomed me, and, you know, I felt like I was home again. After so many years I have returned. I never forget the teachings of my comrades.
I took the microphone and was nervous, but I began to organize with a comrade, with what slogan we were going to start, and we started, “See this fist, Workers to Power!” After a few chants I gained more strength and continued as other workers followed us and repeated our chants.
Today was a very good day. Surprised people turned around to look at us when we shouted that workers’ struggles have no borders. At the end, a comrade gave a speech, and we sang the Internationale. Then we said goodbye.
When I got home, my wife asked me how it went. I told her that some comrades sent her greetings. My son asked, “Dad, how did it go with your comrades?” I told him it went well and that they sent him greetings. I know he felt good.
More than 20 years ago, the comrades were analyzing a confrontation between the US and China and today that analysis is being fulfilled. I want to be in the right place in my life. I am not just one comrade more. I am part of an international family of workers who feel and fight together for a road to communism.
Rejuvenated Comrade in Los Angeles (US)
Read the ICWP Pamphlet:
“Fight for the Day When No Worker Will Be Called Foreigner” here