Washington, DC, August 12—A pathetic count of 24 white supremacists showed up at the “Unite the Right” rally. Thousands of antiracists came to oppose them. This morning was the one-year anniversary of the Charlottesville rally where Heather Heyer was murdered by a white supremacist. Progressive Labor Party and friends interjected the mass liberal politics with the communist idea of “no free speech for racists.” Many followed the Party’s multiracial lead.
Transit workers blast the Klan
A multiracial PLP continent of 50 met up with several Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) union workers and other members of labor unions in front of the AFL-CIO headquarters. One transit worker from Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) gave a speech attacking the racist ideology of the Ku Klux Klan. Another protester read a statement of solidarity with the anti-racist Metro workers (see page 3).
The transit union knew the mainly Black workforce would be, to say the least, unwilling to transport the white supremacists. So, the ATU put out an official statement saying they would refuse to give the racists any type of special treatment and would not be driving any trains to get them to the rally.
However, a union member was forced into driving a train. The police commander took over a single car for white supremacists and the press. Union misleaders were present yet did nothing to stop the transport of racists. The driver of the train was an ATU 689 member and the union officers present did not intervene. The Metro police protected and allowed for the racists to have a secure, heavily guarded ride in an empty train car. So much for the “leadership” of the Metro union.
There was a follow-up protest by ATU 689 in the aftermath of the August 12 rally demanding, “General Manager, Paul Wiedefeld’s termination for breaking the public trust and giving special accommodations to white supremacists on Sunday.”
Communist-led antiracists would have been able to effectively shut down the trains and busses to ensure that no racist rides on public transit. The city spent  $2.6 million protecting these fascists and their freedom of racist speech. (Yet, They want to raise fares, cut service, cut workers’ benefits and freeze wages. It shows Metro’s priorities.) This is the equivalent of promoting hate speech and racist violence. PLP knows that racist speech leads to racist violence.
No free speech for racists
The PLP communist contingent marched over to the rally at Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House. Fencing lined the park, with a 75-yard gap in the middle to keep the racist scum safe and to keep the counter protesters far enough away so that no brick or bottle thrown could hit its intended target. This sizable distance also kept the Nazis from being heard by anyone except the cops and members of their own group.
In the blazing sun, we distributed over 600 CHALLENGEs and had a welcoming and encouraging response. When the racist Nazi scum finally showed up, we led chants and were joined by those around us. Later, a liberal woman attempted to silence our bullhorn when PLP led the chant, “The cops, the courts, the Ku Klux Klan, all are a part of the bosses plan!” She was unsuccessful.
One protester took the lead in confronting some stray Trump supporters who were against “left-wing violence” (see bottom photo, page 1). The crowd and PLP followed his antiracist lead. The racists eventually left the park, despite being protected by a team of “de-escalators”, who believed that all views (racist or otherwise) should be allowed. The argument for free speech is one that allows, promotes, and protects racists and fascists. No free speech for racists!
After much chanting and a timely rainfall, PLP, friends, and many protesters departed, knowing that we had successfully suppressed the racist message of the Trump supporters.
More fights to come
For the past 40 years, DC has never been a hub for racist and fascist groups. This is largely due the city’s history of beating, chasing, and drowning out racists every time they come, many times led by PLP. Today, many restaurants had signs refusing service to white nationalists. Uber and Lyft drivers also refused service. There is clearly a history of antiracist consciousness among workers here. It’s up to communists to turn those antiracist actions into an international class-consciousness.
There are still many battles to come, and we must be prepared for them. We have our work cut out for us. We must take a stand wherever and whenever a racist or fascist rears its ugly head. We will shut them down and chase them out. Fighting back against racism and fascism isn’t a choice to be taken lightly; this is about the survival and well being of the entire working class. Fight for communism, power to the workers!