Three hundred gathered for this May Day march and celebration. They embraced each other with hugs, smiles, and exchanges of “Happy May Day!”
Future leaders of the international working class, newer workers and students being introduced to the Progressive Labor Party got the opportunity to meet many courageous communist workers as we all strengthened our ties as working people.
For communists, May Day is both a historical reminder of the relentless brutality of capitalist oppression, and a source of revolutionary optimism showing workers glimpses of what is necessary to destroy that same system of vicious inequality.
May Day marks a new year of fightback
“One World, One Class, One Party” was our theme of this new year. This message was embodied in every aspect that shaped this militant demonstration. Families with children, older workers, couples, classmates, co-workers, individuals of different genders and races marched alongside each other and embraced the energy of each other and the workers who witnessed along the streets.
Dancing and chanting in the streets
We went through a mainly working-class Caribbean, Latin, and Black neighborhood. All along the march, participants and observers were electrified by the chants being led by PLP with their conviction and enthusiasm.
Combined with some infectious beats, the lines of these political chants were a tool of mass popular education to clarify for those within reach what we mean when we say “Fight For Communism!”
Passersby stopped along the sidewalks, came out of stores, looked out the windows of their apartments, turned in our direction from within buses and cars, and listened to the youth on the sound truck encourage workers everywhere to overthrow capitalism through communist revolution!
Many workers danced on the sidewalks as they watched us pass by. Many working-class people put their fists up with us when we called for “Workers’ Power (Este Puno Si Se Ve, Los Obreros Al Poder)!”
Many nodded with their fists in the air, moving to the beat of the music, when we chanted, “Fight Back!” against all the crimes bosses inflict on us as their wage slaves. Others were compelled by our energy to join us. Two thousand workers received CHALLENGE, our revolutionary communist newspaper. We also distributed almost 500 copies of a special edition of Le Défi, our newspaper in French and Haitian Creole.
At a moment mass culture encourages individuals to take digital videos and photos of distinctive significance in their lives. A critical mass of workers that encountered our demonstration took out their phones and captured and shared our call to join PLP and struggle to emancipate all workers from capitalist exploitation.
Bosses’ terrified of workers’ potential
Imperialist bosses everywhere are terrified of losing their domination over workers as they steal the surplus value (profit) that we produce. They will do everything in their power to hide or distort the historical significance of May Day for our future—the need to liberate the force of all production, the international multiracial working class, from capitalist domination.
All of the militant demonstrations being waged by PLP around the world this May Day, such as the one in New York, demonstrate that bosses can only do so much to stop workers from organizing against them as violent oppressors.
No matter where you are, join us not only on May Day but also in PLP in developing the courage and confidence of all workers in uniting and fighting for a communist future!