Greenbelt, Maryland, March 28—“Whose Park, Our Park” and “ICE out of Greenbelt” were enthusiastic chants as 250 people marched for 24 minutes through Greenbelt Park and past the police station where Federal Park Police detain immigrants for ICE. Several Progressive Labor Party (PLP) members and friends helped the Greenbelt Resistance Network (GRN) organize and guarantee the success of this militant challenge to the ICE machine. As Donald Trump has released police forces throughout the Federal government, even the Park Police have become collaborators with ICE. In this case the Park Police pull over drivers on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, a federal highway. They racially profile drivers and target workers driving pickup trucks. ICE agents often join them at the highway but may also come to the police station in Greenbelt Park.
No such thing as a “good” cop
This march at “No Kings #3” clearly caught the Park Police off guard. With 250 marchers and another 150+ protestors on the other side of the street there was little they could do, although they tried to exert control by telling us to march “single file.” Eventually they called the local Greenbelt police who arrived at the tail end of the event and pretended to help escort the remaining marchers across the street. Already 200 marchers had made it across without a single cop. A comrade gave a speech attacking all police forces and calling for an end to the capitalist system. A couple of people tried to stop him, saying that they love their Greenbelt police who were just trying to help. Others jumped in to support the comrade’s speech. This sharpened the politics within the GRN and supporters and offers us a chance to continue to explain that all police exist to control workers and protect the capitalist class. The idea that local police oppose ICE is a myth being spread in the media to confuse the many new protesters. There are no good cops. The No Kings rallies overall have no political message other than voting for the Democratic Party and opposition to the worst of ICE’s behavior. They do not oppose genocide, and as we have also seen in Congress, have no real opposition to immigrant enforcement or war.
Workers show signs of class potential
The march through Greenbelt Park followed two months of previous rallies against ICE and the Park Police. Weekly meetings of the Greenbelt Resistance Network (GRN) had debated and planned this protest and considered questions of security and safety. In the end, the event went off without a permit, and the numbers made it work! Marching into this federal park with signs and chants is certainly “breaking the law” and shows the potential for the working class to advance with consistent organizing and commitment to class struggle. The rally and march were more multiracial than past rallies. A highlight of the rally was when a Black woman stepped up and said, “We are all in this together” and then led the crowd in singing civil rights songs. Another protestor took the mike to chant “Obreros Unidos no mas seran vencidos” and we translated: “The workers united will never be defeated.” PLP members were able to talk with many residents and make contacts for the party and for GRN. We gave out 30 CHALLENGEs and 50 notices about our ongoing struggle in Hyattsville where ICE is attempting to expand its presence in a local building and where we have given out 50 CHALLENGEs in the past two weeks. PLP has become recognized as a serious organization here.
Winning people to organize with our party for May Day is the next step, as more of our friends learn about our vision of a communist society and the struggle for revolution.
