BROOKLYN—A multiracial, multigender gathering of 150 members and friends of all ages of the Progressive Labor Party gathered to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution, and kick off organizing for this year’s May Day celebration. Organized and led by younger comrades, the event was set up where there was nteraction between participants.
The speakers got things started by describing some of the tremendous accomplishments made by the communists in the Soviet Union from wiping out illiteracy to wiping out the Nazis during World War II. One young transit worker was inspiring, describing how buying chicken for your fellow workers enables a deeper discussion of revolution (see letter, page 6).
There was plenty of discussion in various groups in the audience. Rather than listen to lectures, the event was intended for people to interact and talk with each other.
The two questions were posed for small group discussion: Why did the Bolsheviks need a party, and why do we need an international party today?
Reflections from Participants
Afterwards, a speaker from each group summarized the ideas of the discussion. One woman said we need an international party because we are all workers and we are all suffering at the hands of the capitalist bosses.Another woman said we need a party to help organize the working class to fight against the bosses.
An EMT worker said that we need a party because this system does not care about working class lives. She mentioned her encounter with other working class people who refused medical treatment because of fear of having to pay out-of-pocket because they lacked health insurance.  This is a crime against the working class that would be illegal under communism, but we need a party to organize the fightback and lead the way to revolution.
One young man pointed out that the party keeps us disciplined in our fight. He pointed out that unlike anarchists, we believe the leadership of the working class is necessary to lead us toward a better society where all of us have our needs met. He also said the Bolsheviks needed a party to make sure the working class was organized and following the line of the party.
The reason we need an international working class party today is because we know from studying the history of the world communist movement, especially the Bolsheviks, that nationalism was one of the causes of the reversal of workers’ power.
There was bilingual translation (English/ Spanish) at certain tables, but for the most part the whole event was a bilingual event. We are truly an international party. Money was raised. We had a table of some Party literature and Soviety posters decorated the walls. There was also a silent auction where members and friends bid on framed posters of the Revolution.
The celebration ended with everyone singing Bella Ciao and The International in both English and Spanish.
A final political strength of this event was that comrades inexperienced in planning mass events organized it. Evaluating how we organized for this event is vital, because as a communist Party we understand that collectivity and democratic centralism are needed to ensure our success—from organizing locally, to running a society under workers’ power.
Learning these lessons is a part of realizing and gaining confidence in the strength of the international working class.
With that confidence, the same confidence the Bolsheviks demonstrated one century ago, we can advance and build our international Party and beat the bosses everywhere as they try to run and hide. On to May Day (April 28) and communist revolution!