"Que viva, que viva, que viva el comunismo!" rang through the streets of Flatbush, Brooklyn as the Progressive Labor Party (PLP) continued our tradition of bringing communist ideas to the masses during our annual May Day march. Behind the backdrop of intensified imperialist war and the rise of fascist attacks on migrant workers around the world, almost 200 members and friends of PLP marched loudly to show that a communist world is the future for millions around the world. This year's theme was "ICE in the streets, bombs in the air - fight for communism everywhere!"
Internationalism essential to building revolutionary movement
Workers and students gathered on foot, trains, and buses from around the NYC area. On one of the buses, members practiced chants with first timers. Then passengers shared what they love about May Day. One person spoke about the support from the workers watching the march and waving in solidarity. The students, as young as seven, talked about how they hate racism and are glad to see workers fighting back. One veteran comrade mentioned how PLP members used their belts to beat up the racists at the 1975 May Day in Boston. Another comrade gave us a short history about how PLP brought back May Day marches in 1972 after the sell-out Communist Party USA and other groups abandoned the workers' holiday decades before. On a second bus, participants discussed the history of early communist movements, the birth of May Day, and the origins of "The Internationale."
After arriving at the march start location, the PLP truck pulled up with our red flags, Our emcees immediately began to get the crowd pumped up. Recognizing the history of May Day, they recalled how the original May Day demands were for better working conditions and the eight-hour workday. We in PLP carry on the tradition of fightback, but the history of our movement has taught us that reforms, regardless of how hard they are fought for, are always temporary. The bosses will always find a way to take them back. That is why the only solution is the fight for a communist world run by the working class.
We heard international greetings from East Africa, India, Pakistan, Colombia, Brazil, and Haiti, an inspiring reminder that our fight is far, far larger than Flatbush Avenue. These speeches also show the progress that our Party has made over the years in our commitment to one international, revolutionary communist Party. While the exact conditions of the class struggle might differ, our comrades around the world are testing the line of the Party and using it to guide their work.
Then, a health care worker from Haiti gave a rousing speech about her fightback on the job and ways that workers are standing in solidarity with their fellow workers around the world rather than happily going along with the bosses' bidding. The speech was filled with the revolutionary optimism necessary to defeat this dark night (read it on page 8). She highlighted the role of soldiers and sailors in leading the fight to shoot this racist profit system down.
March for workers! March for communism!
After the speech, we took the streets and brought our revolutionary line to the workers of Brooklyn. From chants that recognized the significance of the Haitian Revolution "Koupe Tet, Boule Kay" to the classic "Whose Day? Our Day! What Day? May Day!" and "Raise Your Red Flags High - The Communists Are Marching By," our line, accompanied by new beats, resonated with many workers. Young people showed their love by dancing along and making videos, while workers on the sidewalk eagerly took CHALLENGE. We distributed over 2200 papers. One first-time May Day marcher who sold CHALLENGE during the march said afterwards, "This is the closest I've come to joining the Party." While he hasn't joined yet, he did take 12 Challenges to distribute at work.
On the buses back from the march, passengers shared their favorite moments from this year's May Day. One comrade realized that this was his 40th May Day celebration. A very young student shared his favorite chant: "When the working class is under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!" At least three new people committed to joining the Party.
Fight! Grow! Build a movement!
This is the way we are going to bury the bosses once and for all. Although we always struggle to bring more workers and students to May Day, how we move forward with confidence inspires our base to have confidence that a communist future is possible. We look forward to working with these new recruits during our annual summer project and helping prepare them to lead future May Days and class struggle in their jobs, schools, and neighborhoods. If this year's May Day inspired you, commit or recommit to fighting for a more just future world without exploitation, racism, or sexism. Join Progressive Labor Party!