Fascism is on the rise internationally. As communists we have an obligation to organize to fight back against fascist terror. One aspect of this is strengthening our own and our base’s understanding of how fascism rears its ugly head and how we can fight back. It is with this in mind that we hosted our Fight Fascist Terror forum.
The forum focused on three forms of fascist terror— attacks on the Queer community, anti-immigrant attacks by ICE, and police terror. It was well attended by a group of multiracial, multigenerational, and multigendered groups of members and friends, including the families of two different victims of police violence.
Highlighting gay, transgender worker fightback
One important aspect of our forum on fascism and working class fightback was to highlight sections of the working class that aren’t typically discussed, such as our gay and transgender working class siblings and their relationship to the class struggle, antifascist fightback and the communist movement. The history is complicated, but the first openly gay organization was founded by communists in the CPUSA called the Mattachine Society in 1950. The Mattachine Society had chapters across the U.S. that focused mainly on reformist fightback. But its more radical elements fought militantly against fascist police violence such as in the Cooper’s Donuts rebellion, Blackcat Tavern rebellions in Los Angeles, and the Compton’s Cafeteria rebellion in San Francisco, preceding the more famous Stonewall Rebellion in New York City in 1967.
We discussed the strong communist influence that modeled the Gay Liberation Front off the communist, anti-imperialist National Liberation Front of Vietnam. Clearly these movements were negatively impacted by revisionism and nationalism and would ultimately succumb to reformism, electoral and identity politics. Nevertheless, it is our duty to illustrate the multiracial, multi-gendered working class roots of the anti-fascist fightback that recognized the common enemy: the capitalist, imperialist class.
The second section broke off the forum into smaller groups that discussed stories on current resistance movements against increasing fascist terror. These stories consisted of the connection between Trump ending TPS, as well as ICE shackling Haitian workers with ankle monitors in Springfield, Ohio.
Black workers still key
Organizers of the forum wanted to highlight that Black workers are consistently under the sharpest fascist attacks by the bosses, as well as our line that Black workers are key to revolution. It was made clear by highlighting that the same Springfield, which was a stop along the
Underground Railroad for slaves hiding from slave catchers, is maintaining that strong anti-racist history with residents now hiding their working class siblings from ICE.
The small groups also discussed the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, the oppression and brutal conditions of trans migrants under ICE, and police brutality against anti-ICE organizers. Through prepared questions and discussions, we were able to draw connections among fascist attacks across our class and share our strategy for communist revolution.
The third section of the forum highlighted the strengthening relationship we have worked to build with the family of Bryan Bostic, murdered by the Inglewood Police Department. This part was set up as a Q&A with members of the family so they could share how they are fighting back against fascist police terror.
All cops serve fascist terror
For one question, they offered a particularly inspiring response. “At the weekly protest for Bryan, we all chant No Good Cop in a Racist System. What does that mean to you?”. A family member shared that every single cop in Inglewood PD is guilty of Bryan’s murder. If they weren’t the one who cut off his breathing, they stood by and watched as it happened, or helped cover it up after. Then she got the whole room spiritedly following her in the chant. This ignited the room and was followed by a call for all participants to join the regular weekly protest as well as the National Day against police brutality that we helped the family organize.
The Progressive Labor Party in LA has committed immensely to the struggle for justice for Alex Flores, Bryan Bostic and others murdered by the racist killer cops. The consistent support of the class struggle combined with regular base building has positioned us to unite these two families in the fight back against fascism and also continue to struggle with them for the need for communist revolution as the only solution to police violence.
