Millions of us worldwide celebrated May Day – the international Labour Day – by protesting massively against the attacks on our working class by imperialists and other capitalists.
Amidst sharpening economic crisis and growing imperialist conflict, many marches were the largest in years. A comrade in Los Angeles (US) reports, “The masses were more political than in previous years and wide open to our communist ideas.”
Inflation sparked anger from Japan and South Korea to Lebanon, France, and Spain. “The price of everything has increased except for our wages. Increase our minimum wages!” shouted an activist in Seoul. But capitalists from the US to Japan intentionally use inflation to make the working class pay for their global economic crisis.
As Marx said in 1865, “Instead of the conservative motto, ‘A fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work!’ they ought to inscribe on their banner the revolutionary watchword, ‘Abolition of the wages system!’”
Comrades in South Africa explain, “We fight for communism to end exploitation, mass starvation, crime, violence, wars, disasters, and poverty that are ensured by the continued existence of capitalism.”
Immigrant workers and supporters from Beirut to Los Angeles marched against super-exploitation. In Indonesia, marchers demanded repeal of a job creation law that would benefit businesses at the expense of workers and the environment. In cities across France, hundreds of thousands marched against anti-worker “pension reform.” Many fought cops in Toulouse, Lyon, and Nantes.
Capitalist governments banned or restricted – but could not stop — May Day protests in Pakistan, Turkey, El Salvador, and elsewhere. The Russian rulers cancelled the traditional parade in Moscow.
But rulers elsewhere counted on trade union officials and opposition party politicians to divert the masses’ anger into a reformist rut. Union officials in Spain threw Red Flag distributors out of one march, but not before many workers eagerly took copies.
ICWP comrades in India report that “among several dozen trade unions, we were the only party openly calling for communism as the only solution to capitalist elections, wage slavery, communalism, casteism, and attacks on women.”
Everywhere that ICWP comrades went, we found workers and youth in large numbers ready and eager to break the economic and ideological chains of capitalism. Ready and eager for serious discussion of why we mobilize for communism – and only communism.
As the May Day report from Seattle stresses, the potential exists everywhere for significant growth of one International Communist Workers’ Party in the coming year.
Our world is growing more dangerous by the day. War in Sudan and Ukraine, sharpening imperialist currency conflicts, mass shootings in the US, rising seas, violent racism and sexism… all are direct or indirect results of the global capitalist crisis.
The stakes are high. Our only hope is the growth of ICWP internationally into a party that can lead revolution and build a new communist society on the rubble of capitalist destruction.
That requires close relationships with co-workers, classmates, family, old friends and new. Relationships that build trust and allow for sharp political struggle over communist ideas and ways of living.
Relationships that flourish and grow as we immerse ourselves in mass struggles – as comrades in India are showing the way.
Relationships that continually enlarge the circles of Red Flag readers and activists. That spark the growth of existing communist collectives and establish new ones.
Communist relationships, especially, with industrial workers and soldiers who are key to communist armed revolution.
The network of communist relationships we build today will become the fabric of communist society.
Everyone who reads this has a part to play in winning the communist world we desperately need and richly deserve. Talk to a friend, or discuss in a collective, what more you can contribute!
Read the ICWP manifesto:
“Mobilize the Masses for Communism”
here
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