BROOKLYN, April 14 - An intergenerational, multiracial crowd of nearly 120 workers and students gathered for Sunday brunch in preparation for May Day or International Workers Day. Each year, Progressive Labor Party (PLP) invites the working class to marshall under one flag, the red flag for the communist revolution.
The international working class, particularly students, is publicly exposing the duplicitous nature of the liberal ruling class. Since the 2020 elections, U.S. President Biden has folded on his promises to support reparations for slavery, address rampant police murders, create pathways for citizenship for migrant workers, and erase student loans. Instead of serving the needs of the working class, the ruling class is sending $95 billion toward Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan’s militaries. Bosses also stamped sanctions against China, Russia, and Iran. This package demands that TikTok creators sell their stake in the company or face a ban in the U.S. (Reuters, 4/20). As one of the event's first speakers, a Black woman comrade, said, “The U.S. ruling class is continuing to leave millions dead, homeless and starving…our supposed leaders are more concerned with protecting profits and winning the public to blame rivals like China or Russia for the crises under capitalism.”
PL’ers continue the momentum and victories of the past year
In reforms, misleaders often push us to put communist ideas and building the Party for revolution, on the back burner. The international fight against genocide in Gaza is no different. Some workers believe that fighting for a Palestinian state and exchanging the war budget for money for health and jobs is the solution. We challenge that even if workers from Iran to Palestine-Israel were to be freed from Israel and the U.S.’ grip, the horror of capitalism and racist divisions that affect us all would still exist. No matter what immediate gain we seize from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or U.S. President Joe Biden, they have the state power to turn around the victory, and bosses like them always do it.
PLP is involved in active militant fightback to affirm that eliminating the profit-driven system is the only way to break out of this prison. We need a mass multiracial, antiracist, antisexist communist party with deep roots in the working class to break free. Unlike individual reforms and pushes for nationalist sovereignty, developing and sustaining an internationalist party that makes class politics primary is the hardest victory for the ruling class to overthrow. Hosting social events like the recent Sunday brunch, paired with militant, collective actions like our May Day march, is a tactic we use to deepen our roots and our understanding of communist ideology.
Turn reformist fightback into revolutionary wins
Each table contained a bowl with printed guided questions. One question read, “What is the difference between communism and socialism?” Another Black woman comrade explained that communism at its core is equality and community. Following this discussion, one veteran comrade took the stage and reminded us that what we do counts. “People remember what you do; you might not always agree with friends politically, but what you do in the face of struggle counts.” Workers and students also shared the history of May Day, ranging from comrades in Chicago being murdered for organizing workers in Chicago to fight for the 8-hour work day in 1887 to the Soviet Union, where workers turned the imperialist World War II into a class war for workers to run one-sixth of the earth’s surface. We solidified that we stand on the shoulders of great movements and have the opportunity that they didn’t to learn from the past.
During the brunch, we lovingly remembered our comrades who passed and reflected on their commitment to dedicate their lives to building the party. We sang Bella Ciao with these comrades in mind and lifted comrades who recently battled attacks. One teacher spoke about openly supporting students who wrote a letter to demand the school administration take a stance against anti-Jewish racism AND anti-Muslim racism. In retaliation, this anti-racist worker was held for 100 days in a room akin to solitary confinement. Days after this comrade was removed from his school, over 100 students, with their parents' support, immediately sent letters of protest to the school administration, superintendent, and school chancellors. This fight, amongst others, proves that we, as workers, have the stamina to forge a communist world when we have confidence in the working class and commit to building a fighting party. What we do does count.
We have nothing to lose but our chains
As members of the Progressive Labor Party, we carry with us a rich legacy of 59 years of struggle. Throughout the decades, our unwavering dedication to empowering the working class in the fight for communism has defined us. Our ongoing mission is to mobilize the working class, challenging capitalist elites' dominance and resisting oppression across every facet of our existence. Our journey is etched with tales of resilience in the face of adversity, victories hard-won, and the somber acknowledgment of setbacks endured.
As workers and students, May Day is our day to raise our red flags unabashedly and unafraid. May Day is our day to declare the need for an internationalist communist party in the face of Israel-U.S. sanctioned ethno-nationalist genocide, sexist terror, and racist murder from NYC to Haiti. May Day is our day to stress and cement the wins of our struggles. We must build the foundation and a long-range outlook toward communist revolution and egalitarian world-building to win the world we deserve. Progressive Labor Party is organizing May Day marches in Brooklyn, D.C., L.A., and Chicago this year. We are marching with our friends, united with us in smashing racism, smashing borders, and building an internationalist communist Party under the banner of PLP. From all the rivers to all the seas, communism will set us free.
