ANAHEIM, CA, July 9—The Anaheim 3, who stood up to Ku Klux Klan in February 2016, won the day in court this morning! The injustice system was forced to back down.
Multiracial organizing forced the bosses’ hand
For the fourth time in this battle, anti-racists rallied outside the courthouse. This morning’s picket line was 30 strong. We led militant chants and distributed CHALLENGEs and leaflets. “Wherever racist scum spew their hate, the PLP and other anti-racist fighters will be there to smash them.” Passersby honked their horns, stopped to take pictures, and offered support.
After the picket line, we packed the courtroom. Our upbeat and unapologetic multiracial unity was a stark contrast to the somber atmosphere in the room. When it was announced that two of the defendants were having their charges dismissed, we exploded in applause and cheers. The last defendant pled no contest to the two misdemeanor charges of battery and resisting arrest. The no contest plea can be expunged after a year.
This victory is not without complications. We know that the capitalist criminal injustice system is racist; the defendant whose charges were not dismissed is a Black man. True “justice” can only be found through communist revolution. Under communism, racism and all other anti-worker ideology and policy will be illegal. Nonetheless, this is a victory for workers and anti-racist fighters. After being attacked, we were able to organize and fight back.
The ripple effect of fightback
As we left the courthouse, other defendants in the courtroom for unrelated cases congratulated us and said, “Keep up the fight back.” This is significant because it shows the power of multiracial organizing. Workers will always rally in defense of antiracist communists and fighters against the KKK, the racist cops and courts who protect them, and this racist, capitalist system which creates all of this.
Out in the hallway of the courthouse our base raised funds to help cover the court fees for the day. While a PL’er began to deliver a “thank you” speech to one of the lawyers who worked hard to defend the Anaheim 3, he turned it into a “thank you” speech to the crowd. He heralded the brave antiracists who came from afar to ensure that the Klan was not allowed to spread their racist filth. The lawyer said he was proud to represent these courageous fighters. He and many others will celebrate with us at our upcoming victory party.
Lessons from a two-year battle
Organizing in the churches, schools and on our jobs is what made this two-and-half year battle possible. On the road to communism, fighting these charges was a tiny pothole, but we learned valuable lessons to prepare us for future struggles.
We must continue to build long-term, deep ties in mass organizations. Without a decade worth of work in our mass organizations, this fight back effort would have been very difficult. These ties helped us with fundraising, widespread circulation of a petition, hosting speaking events about the case to a larg base of people, and keeping significant numbers at the court appearances we had to make over the last few years.
When we fight, we can win. Other people were arrested and charged that day in Anaheim. Although, we encouraged them to fight the case with us, they chose to plead guilty. They were coerced into accepting multiple charges, exorbitant fines, and lengthy probations. We battled both inside and outside the courtroom and showed why it is so important to fight back.
Working class wants to join
The working class wants to join us on this road to freedom. Today a young Black worker appeared seemingly out of nowhere. She had heard about the court date when the Anaheim 3 spoke at a Unitarian church nearby and felt compelled to show her support. After watching us rally in the morning and reading our literature, she joined the PL crowd for the rest of the afternoon.The worker was interested in attending upcoming antiracist activities. In the future, when we continue to organize, we are sure to meet many more workers like her.
Our class understands that we live in a racist world. We see, live and breath this every day. What the Progressive Labor Party and communism offer are the tools to end racism once and for all. With a class analysis, we can see how capitalism requires racism for its survival and therefore racism can only be eliminated with the destruction of this rotten system. We will continue to battle the gutter racists whenever they appear, but we will win the war when masses of workers understand communism is the only solution. Join us.