London, KY, January 25— Progressive Labor Party (PLP) members from Kentucky attended a march to demand justice for Doug Harless, a retired white worker who the killer kkkops murdered in his home in search of a weed-eater that was stolen from a relative of the County Judge Executive. In the same state where the racist kkkops murdered Black woman worker Breonna Taylor, this incident shows how white workers don’t benefit from anti-Black racism and sexism, contrary to what liberal bosses’ tell us. The rulers say the cause of racism is white privilege identity politics, but racism is the lifeblood of capitalism and the rulers can’t get rich making superprofits without it. A multiracial communist revolution will benefit the whole working class!
We came to the march prepared to bring our political message by going out and distributing CHALLENGE and explaining that this incident of police terror is not an isolated incident, but a result of the police’s purpose under capitalism, which is to enforce capitalist relations and keep the working-class under the thumb of the rich. We also helped get this message across by leading chants such as “Killer cops mean – We got to fight back!” and “No justice no peace, no crooked police!” During the march, close relatives to Doug inspired us with the chants “[London Police Department], lower your weapons!” and “LPD you’ve got blood on your hands!”
KKKops lie after killing
Police mistakenly showed up at Doug’s home at night to serve a search warrant for an address different from the one where Doug was sleeping. Upon arrival, the cops from the London Police Department went up to the door of Doug’s house and banged loudly, and shortly after announcing themselves, forced their way into his home and shot him five times. Despite the fact that it would have been wrong to have killed Doug even if he did have the weed-eater, the cops knew that they could not easily cover up their fatal “mistake.” So instead of immediately dispatching that shots had been fired, surveillance footage from one of Doug’s neighbors shows the cops regrouping outside the home and eventually dispatching that shots had just been fired, and then giving a different address from the one which they were at. The address that they reported shots had been fired at, had been abandoned for some time. It is no coincidence that Doug was killed over a weed-eater that belonged to a relative of David Westerfield, the County Judge Executive.
Local bosses, kkkops justify shooting
The purpose of the police is to protect property, not people, and the power imbalance is rooted in the fact that the capitalists own all the property, while workers only own their labor to be sold in exchange for a wage. This has been further demonstrated by the fact that an investigation is being launched by the police to supposedly find out the cause of the incident, but we know what happens when the police investigate themselves. The mayor of London, who was pressed by local workers during a town hall meeting that was arranged to get answers as to what happened, has offered nothing but excuses. He even released a statement condemning those who have been organizing protests and marches for “making this political.” All violence against the working-class is political violence, but to say that this is not political is especially absurd when it was a local politician whose name is directly tied to this murder!
History of racism
This incident in London is not the first clear example of police violence against the working class. Appalachia historically has been the battleground between militant union miners and volunteer armies made up of local deputies and sheriffs who were employed by coal bosses. As early as the 1920s in the events leading up to the battle of Blair Mountain, local sheriffs used everything from revolvers to machine guns to put down strikes, evict miners from their homes, and attack encampments made-up of displaced striking miners and their families. Similar events happened in the Harlan County Coal Wars, a bloody 10-year long struggle between the miners in Harlan and the coal bosses who owned the camps that they lived and worked in. Today, this history has been suppressed in order to make Appalachian workers unaware of their radical history, instead slandering them as “rednecks” a term which originally referred to members of the union who wore red bandanas, signifying their solidarity with the international working-class struggle.
These rednecks represented the most radical section of the Appalachian working-class, as they were the most willing to unite with Black and immigrant workers against the coal bosses who constantly used racism as a tool to divide and prevent them from working together. To the bosses, the term “redneck” was twisted in liberal media and used as a derogatory term to refer to someone as lazy and inbred. Today, this meaning is used to justify the intense poverty that continues to exist as a result of over a century of capitalist exploitation.
Lack of consciousness and efforts by the police to embed themselves in the community and make themselves seem as if they’re there to “protect and serve” has created an illusion amongst many Appalachian workers that the police are not bad. But recent events have exposed that it’s not a few bad apples, it’s the whole damn apple tree.
We WILL be back!
As of right now there are plans for another march to happen in February where we will again stand in solidarity and demand justice for Doug, and hopefully bring greater class-consciousness to the movement.
Today, thirteen workers attended our Progressive Labor Party (PLP) study group, including those who came with us to Springfield, OH, where Trump and Vance launched a racist attack against Haitian workers. There was a lively discussion on the theme, “an attack on any group of workers is an attack on all workers,” with many good questions and comments, as well as a delicious meal that was a collective effort in the communist spirit.
The meeting doubled as a fundraiser for a project to house immigrant families and a larger event coming next month. The main speaker was a recently retired Black Ford worker who we met on the picket lines during the 2023 UAW strike. He is also the pastor of a small congregation, and his church housed a family from Central America for nine months last year. Now, in the face of increased racist terror and ICE raids, he is getting ready to house more families and he can use our help. We are raising funds. He spoke about the necessity to support and build bridges to all working people who are under attack by any oppressive government, especially migrant workers attempting to stay safe from Trump’s racist attacks. Detroit’s Mayor Duggan has said he will cooperate with ICE, but the scapegoating of immigrant workers will not relieve the suffering of
Black workers and youth whether on the assembly line, the unemployment line, or trapped in these crumbling schools.
A PLP comrade also spoke, saying that yes, building these bridges is essential, and that it is our job to ensure that these bridges put us on the road to communist revolution so we can put an end to this sick racist system. Today was a good starting point for the larger event we are planning in March, which can involve more members of the church and some Ford workers. We are fighting to expand the base for PLP and looking forward to May Day.
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Los Angeles: Rooted in communist ideas, youth fight deportations
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- 28 February 2025 1222 hits
INGLEWOOD, CA, February 3—Hundreds of drivers laid on their horns and city residents streamed out of houses and small businesses to throw their fists in the air as one hundred high school students walked out of school in support of the nationwide day of action for immigrants’ rights.
Since January 20th, racist President Donald Trump has used the liberal fascist Democrats’ immigration machine to maximize terror in working class neighborhoods. While the liberal politicians call for a friendlier deportation system, Progressive Labor Party (PLP) members and teachers in Los Angeles are planting the seeds for a brighter future, providing communist politics to unleash the power of our class, reminding them that we must smash all borders. "This bold pro-student-worker action follows an advisory lesson, led by a PL’er, on fighting deportations and resisting Trump’s racist agenda (CHALLENGE 2/12). It is part of PLP’s ongoing effort to build a culture of resistance in the schools where we work, rooted in communist principles of antiracism, internationalism, and solidarity."
Young workers lead the way!
A nationwide call went out through social media to make February 3rd a “Day Without Immigrants.” Students at one high school in Inglewood jumped into action to plan their participation in this fight back. The social justice club at the school had members who played an instrumental role in strengthening the politics and organization of the action. They reminded other students that although the school is majority students whose families are originally from Mexico, it is critical to broaden the scope to an international perspective as workers across the globe are impacted by the attacks on immigrants. This was messaged through conversations and the chant sheet created. Social justice club members also were able to struggle for a plan that included collaborating with other schools.
Within a day, the plan was set. Students would either stay home and then come to school at the first break of the day or attend school, but walk out at the same time that the first group arrived. Administrators got word of potential walk outs or sit outs and sent messages to families and students that although they understand how the community feels, the goal was still to have 95 percent attendance or better. This did not deter students from their plan. If anything, it enraged them further because it became clear that the school leadership didn’t really care about their well-being as they claim.
The first period classes that morning were about half full. The impact was stark. Many teachers allowed the students who were there to use the first period of the day to make signs, write speeches, practice chants, and continue to organize others to walk out. At the first break, one hundred students streamed out of the front door of the building with eight teachers joining them in support. A second wave of students joined shortly after.
By the middle of the day, only 50 of the 600 student population remained in the building.
March heats up
Initially students planned to march a short way to the stadium nearby. Adrenaline took over though and they snaked through neighborhoods for hours on end, stopping at schools and major intersections across three different cities. At the school stops that were made, students chanted, “Walk out, walk out”. Dozens of additional students at two different schools headed that call and joined the protest, growing to double its size. Additionally, cars started following the march, supporting with honking, music, and sharing water. This eventually grew to a caravan of 15 vehicles stretching the length of the march. When all was said and done, we marched for nearly six hours totaling eleven miles. Students clearly felt empowered and immense pride in the action they took. The next day in the hallways, there were glances, smiles, and nods of approval shared amongst all those who participated.
This walkout was the first student-led response in L.A. county to Trump’s attacks on immigrants. For two weeks following this day, walkouts continued to be held at schools around the county. It was clear the live streaming of this event had a broad impact on our local area.
Struggle is just beginning
Members of the social justice club met immediately after to plan next steps and continue to build on the momentum developed. Students are shooting for a forum on the history of immigration in March and another action uniting the three schools on May 1st. They reflected on struggle, noting the positives and areas where we need growth. The bravery of the students was celebrated, but we also recognized the need for sharper politics through the use of planned speeches. This will be something they will include in future actions.
The school district has cracked down on student actions and teacher support since the walk out. They tried to pacify the students by offering “safe spaces” to voice their concerns during lunch, while also threatening anyone who continued to organize future actions. It was clear to students that administrators and those who run the district will not have their back in this fight. To highlight and honor the students’ bold action, a Party member created an advisory lesson that the entire school presented recognizing student organizing with pictures and video of the event and a chance for students to learn about tactics used in historical examples of student-led struggles (Soweto uprisings, San Francisco State student strike, and more).
The social justice club has grown as a result of the walk out and more students are getting CHALLENGE. Also, members have been invited to a Party forum on immigration coming up in a few weeks. Students from both schools where Party members work will present about their role in organizing the walkout at this event as well. The sustained Party work in the schools here over the last decade strengthened this inspiring event.
Continuing the work here will lead to recruitment of the future gravediggers of capitalism - the system that thrives on using borders to divide and exploit workers. While there is a long road ahead of us, it is the day to day struggle that leads to larger fightbacks, which then lays the groundwork for future revolution to bring about the only world good enough for the working class - communism. With working class youth learning their power and place in that fight, the future is bright!
NEW YORK, February 17—On President’s Day, thousands of protestors took to the streets of lower Manhattan as part of nationwide calls to resist fascism and reject President Donald Trump and Musk. About a dozen comrades joined the protest, took leadership, and pushed the militancy and politics of the march beyond its otherwise pro-America and pro-democracy tone.
The march, which was mostly attended by white, older workers, centered around stopping Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s actions and the importance of preserving U.S. “democracy.” Unfortunately on brand, the crowd was somewhat littered with American flags, nationalist rags soaked with the blood of millions of our class siblings from around the world. Many protest signs focused on getting rid of Musk and Trump, while other sharper posters demanded a free Palestine and an end to deportations. We pushed the political line of the march by chanting “It’s not just Trump, it’s capitalism” and “Republicans mean / we got to fight back! And Democrats mean / we got to fight back! ‘Cause capitalism means / we got to fight back!” as well as “Smash racist deportations / working people have no nations!” Many workers in the crowd responded to our electric militant energy by chanting along and taking a copy of CHALLENGE. One young worker turned the paper down, but for a good reason; he has already been receiving copies from a retired PL’er, whom he met at a City University of New York school, for years now!
As the march closed out at a park, we stayed in the street, chanting, “Together we will / fight back, Across all borders / fight back.” We were surrounded by enthusiastic chanters, who accepted CHALLENGE by the hundreds, and we closed out with a short speech. We distributed 800 newspapers in all and got the contact of a college student who marched with us the entire route. We met up with the student after the march, and they plan to go to an upcoming study group.
Capitalism Is ruling class dictatorship
A few participants attacked our chants by shouting in our comrades’ faces, “You need to be more pointed!” “Be more unifying!” and “Stop the coup!” In capitalism, there are two classes–the ruling class and the working class. The ruling class uses violent suppression to stay in control of the working class. Getting rid of Trump and Musk and “stopping the coup” will not end the inherent nature of the ruling class dictatorship. As long as we live in a capitalist system, we will always live in a dictatorship of the ruling class. Only when we, the working class, take state power will we be free from their rule. We call on the entire international working class to unite and smash this racist, sexist profit system. What’s more unifying and pointed than that?
It’s not just Trump, it’s capitalism
Fascism is a stage of capitalism, not a system imposed by one individual. As China’s imperialist power ascends, the U.S. ruling class’ once-unchecked imperialist power over most of the world is becoming less and less of a given. As U.S. imperialism descends further into crisis, the ruling class has no choice but to take on more and more extreme fascist tactics to discipline themselves and suppress the working class. In fascism, the veil of liberal democracy is removed to reveal more and more of the ruling class dictatorship that has always been underneath.
Trump is currently the figurehead of developing fascism in the U.S., but it is capitalism in crisis that is driving the ruling class’ need for intensified racism and nationalism to maintain control.
No good presidents
Another participant held up a photo of Kamala Harris and exclaimed “This is what a president looks like!” She is right, but probably not in the way she meant it. All presidents and vice presidents serve the ruling class, and Harris did her best to do exactly that. As vice president, she oversaw a genocide in Gaza and the deportation of millions of workers. As a presidential candidate, she repeatedly promised to be tougher on the border than Trump.
As overtly racist and terrifying as Trump is, the liberal ruling class, at least for now, remains the main danger to the working class. While hundreds of thousands bravely fought back in the streets and on college campuses against the genocide in Gaza during Biden’s administration, some protestors are marching in the streets again for the first time since Trump’s last presidency. Liberal politicians spread the lie that they are “lesser evil,” all while pacifying workers and undermining fightback. Democrats paved the road for the fascism that Trump is currently the face of.
Presidents? We don’t need ‘em!
The U.S. empire and its liberal democracy are crumbling before our eyes. We do not mourn its demise: This is the same empire that was born from genocide and chattel slavery, manufactured eugenics ideas that inspired the Nazis in Germany, and forced Japanese workers into concentration camps. It’s the same empire that continues to incarcerate more people than any other nation in the world and fund the bombing of children around the world.
The international working class deserves far more than this murderous profit system has ever provided. We know that the ruling class will not go down without a fight, slaughtering workers in tantrums of fascist terror as the empire clings onto dear life. We, the working class, must fight even harder than they do. In the wake of this decay, there is an immense opportunity for us to build a new world, a communist world free of exploitation. We don’t need presidents. We need a society run by and for the working class. Join us in the fight for communism!
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KCC’s fightback season: Build worker-student alliance & antiracism
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- 28 February 2025 1248 hits
BROOKLYN, NY, March 1— While the long winter break for our CUNY campus usually means less political activity since we’re not on campus, this year we made a resolution to push our limits and build a year-round mass presence. Our Progressive Labor Party club has been busier than ever attending pro-migrant worker rallies, building our base and inviting our friends and coworkers to our biweekly study group. And we are holding regular CHALLENGE sales with bullhorn speeches at a busy transit hub. This is a collectively written article reporting our winter preparations to hit the ground running once the spring semester starts.
Student-worker alliance = internationalism & multiracial unity
Our struggle to build a student-worker alliance continues. This winter, student and faculty PL’ers attended a City University Of New York (CUNY) faculty meeting of an opposition caucus. The caucus organizes against the fake leftist, sellout leadership of the CUNY faculty union, the Professional Staff Congress, who recently negotiated a bogus labor contract (see BOX). The following is a student’s account of the meeting:
“As a student guest at this union meeting, I was welcomed by professors who are committed and willing to fight for the most vulnerable, like the adjunct professors and graduate students, that the union leadership isn’t representing. They seemed antiracist and pro-fighting, and the meeting successfully organized the pro-strike opposition union caucus. I didn’t notice any other students there though, and also, I was the only Black woman in the room. As communists, we want to win them to fight for the whole international working class, and we must struggle with faculty to tune in and organize with students.
As a student, CUNY isn’t just about the teachers. It’s the students and staff and students are under attack and facing deportation threats. So, how can you go on strike without organizing the majority at CUNY? On the bright side, loud applause came for a proposed CUNY-wide student-worker alliance connecting strike demands with ICE watches, and students are invited to attend future meetings. There’s potential here.”
Red ideas spur excitement over CHALLENGE
Another student reports: our weekly CHALLENGE sales are at a busy transit hub, an area home to a diverse population largely made up of Black workers, immigrants and transit workers. Recently, our experience there was eye-opening. In windy, below freezing temperatures, we used a bullhorn to give speeches and we distributed and got donations for almost 250 copies of CHALLENGE in one hour! Then we delivered 200 more on our paper route of the corner delis, laundromats and public housing where CHALLENGE is welcomed and read. But today wasn't just about distributing papers. It was about the conversations, the reactions, and the shared sense of hope that we encountered.
This is a bustling area. Everyone is rushing home, to work, or shopping and running errands. But the moment we started bullhorn speeches and connecting President Donald Trump, racism and local gentrification to capitalism and calling for communist revolution, people stopped. The diversity of those who took the paper was striking. Black, Latin, Asian, Russian, everyone. We all seem so different, but we are all connected looking for solutions to our struggles!
One moment stands out: One lady began reading the paper right there while waiting for the bus while another woman, juggling children and several heavy bags, initially declined the paper politely. But she heard our speech, stopped, and sent her daughter to grab a copy. Then a group of college students asked for extra copies to share with their friends. Meanwhile, on the other side of the street, a crowd of women who heard our speeches crossed over excitedly. Some even began to chant along with us! A transit worker took a paper shouting "Fight Back! Fight Back!" raising his fist. Solidarity was in the air.
The energy from the crowd was palpable. And this was just one neighborhood. Imagine this outreach around the world!
Forward to spring and May Day
Our preparations for the spring semester are in full swing. Connections are being made on our club’s campuses to form Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) watches and student-faculty committees to defend immigrant students. We’re also fundraising for students at risk of deportation. As life gets more expensive, fundraising even more urgently builds solidarity and class consciousness. These are opportunities to enlist our base and expand our solidarity networks – and practice to eventually demonstrate solidarity in even bigger material ways. With International Women’s Day and May Day around the corner, we’re digging in for the fights ahead. JOIN US!
Historical context:
For decades, the bosses have launched unrelenting attacks on student-worker alliances, ever since the mass, communist-led student-faculty antiracist strike that shut down City College of New York (CCNY)) in 1949. In the 1960s, the bosses rigged the anticommunist-led United Federation of Teachers and Professional Staff Congress over the communist-led unions. The Communist Party by then fully retreated from fightback and revolution – and Progressive Labor Party (PLP) formed to carry the red flag forward.
At CUNY today, one way segregation continues is the separate unions divided by job title and race, by mental and manual labor. The PSC for mostly white faculty, and District Council 37 for the laborers and custodial staff. DC 37 is the largest union in New York City, and the most racially diverse.
Separate unions based on labor only benefit the bosses, who use the division to screw us and prevent a repeat of the communist-led 1930s and 40s: for example, the city negotiated a wage-cut contract with DC 37’s sellout, pro-Mayor Eric Adams misleadership first. This established “pattern bargaining,” which the city then used with each separate city union. The PSC misleadership used this excuse, saying they “broke the pattern” — only marginally, and only through major concessions hurting adjuncts.
There is no “fair” contract under capitalism. Communists fight for maximum contract demands while exposing that until workers seize state power, no contract with the bosses’ state can protect us from fascism and imperialist war. Only organizing a mass PLP can students and workers strike against and smash the capitalists who slash our pay, let our campuses collapse and allow rabid ICE and NYPD kkkops to run wild.
