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May Day Speech: ‘ICE on the street, bombs in the air, fight for COMMUNISM everywhere’
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- 08 May 2026 717 hits
Comrades, workers, siblings of the working class, immigrant and native-born, documented and undocumented, union and nonunion, we gather today not just for celebration, but for clarity, for strength, and to celebrate the international working class. We are the ones who keep society running. Our hands build the cities. Our hands heal the sick. Our labor harvests the food, drives the trucks, cleans the buildings, teaches the children, and keeps the lights on. It is our sweat that creates the wealth of the world, wealth that is stolen by the parasitic, capitalist ruling class.
And it is our sweat that will build the Progressive Labor Party (PLP). We will organize the working class until the day comes when we wipe out that parasitic class forever. We will free the international working class from the chains of capitalism.
May Day, International Workers’ Day, is not a decoration on the calendar. It is a living memory of repression, imprisonment and sacrifice. But more importantly, May Day is a reminder that when workers fight back, our power is unbeatable. It is a reminder of strikes, solidarity, antiracism, anti-sexism, smashing borders, and communist victory!
I am a healthcare worker and CUNY student who comes from Haiti. I have been a member of Progressive Labor Party for six years and have been part of many struggles on campus and on the job since then. Most recently, along with thousands of New Yorkers, I supported the nurses during their strike against the hospital bosses. On the picket line I gave out CHALLENGE and spoke with many of my coworkers about the nature of healthcare under capitalism. I spoke about how workers, especially Black and Latin workers, will always suffer under this racist system. I struggled with them to see that healthcare workers and patients are being squeezed to compensate for capitalism’s fascist decay! As workers, we are being attacked so that we cannot serve our mentally ill or unhoused siblings. Healthcare workers are being attacked in Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, and around the world! It is because care itself is under attack. But as the heroic nurses of New York showed, workers will always fight back! And with CHALLENGE as our ideological weapon, we fight for a communist world where everyone has access to good health and healthcare.
The racist, sexist capitalist bosses attack and divide us. They tell native-born workers that immigrants are the problem. They tell white workers that Black workers are the problem. They tell documented workers that undocumented workers are a threat. They want us to fear each other so we don’t focus our attention on the ones truly profiting from our division. Division is the weapon of the capitalist system. Our unity is our revolution—that unity is expressed in this May Day crowd!
Asian, Latin, Black, and White, Workers of the world unite!
But we understand something deeper. The system that exploits one worker exploits all workers. The same capitalist system that exploits workers in Haiti, is the same system that exploits workers in Mexico, workers in Venezuela, workers in the Congo, and workers in the U.S. The same corporations that outsource jobs abroad suppress wages at home. The same bosses who benefit from immigrant labor deny immigrants protection and rights. They use borders as a weapon. They use fear to silence. They use “undocumented status” to push wages lower, to discourage organizing, to keep workers afraid to speak out. Let us say clearly and boldly:
Smash racist deportations–working people have no nations!
We live in a time where fear walks openly in the streets. ICE Agents in our streets. Families disappearing before sunrise. Families look over their shoulders when vans pull up. Children learn the word “deportation” before they learn long division.
And beyond these streets, while armored vehicles patrol our neighborhood, bombs fall in Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza. As U.S. bosses desperately try to cling onto their failing empire, entire cities are reduced to dust, school children are buried under rubble. In their endless thirst for profit, the bosses rain death and destruction down on workers around the world. In Sudan, Republic of Congo, Gaza, Iran, and Haiti we see the true face of capitalism. We see that every boss is willing to sacrifice the lives of workers on the altar of profit.
But, has the working class taken this lying down?
Has the working class EVER taken these kinds of attacks lying down?
Of course not!
PLP was on the streets in Minneapolis helping to fight back against ICE’s racist attacks. We have organized teachers and students to picket and to rally and to plan against ICE. We have packed courtrooms to defend families facing deportation. We have organized mutual aid for migrant workers. We have gone grocery shopping for community members too afraid to leave their homes.
When the working class is under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!
We are one international working class and around the world we see the same fightback against fascist oppression. In Haiti, neighborhoods have united in groups like Bwa Kale to fight off the gangsters. In Congo, miners are fighting back against the Chinese imperialist mine owners. In Gaza, health care workers refuse to leave their patients even when Israeli bombs rain down.
Everywhere you look you will see that workers understand that an attack on us anywhere diminishes us everywhere. This is what it means to be a worker. We are tied, through our labor, to one another, and all of the bosses’ attempts to divide us are destined to fail. Workers in Minneapolis:
Black, white, Asian and Latin, rebelled against ICE storm troopers. In a true show of working-class spirit, they put their bodies and— sometimes their lives – on the line for fellow workers that they didn’t even necessarily know! Imagine a world where this kind of ferocious working-class solidarity determines the shape of society. That’s communism and it is the future for workers in Minneapolis, New York, Beijing, Mumbai, Kinshasa, Port-Au-Prince, Mexico City and all over the world!
Let the fight back of the working class inspire you in this dark night! We know that it will have an end. This working-class spirit, combined with revolutionary communist politics will create capitalism’s most deadly enemy, one that will not rest until we smash fascist deportations, smash borders, and win a communist world.
ICE on the street, bombs in the air, fight for COMMUNISM everywhere
The struggle against the bosses’ racist system extends to workers wearing the uniform of imperialist armies around the world. Sailors aboard the USS Gerald Ford, currently in the Middle East, have sabotaged their ship to slow down the U.S. war machine. Russian soldiers in Ukraine have mutinied against their officers. In Minneapolis, we met members of the National Guard who expressed solidarity with workers rebelling on the streets. Even in Israel, some soldiers have refused to participate in the genocide against Palestinians. These examples prove that soldiers can be won to revolutionary politics. Just like in Russia in 1917, soldiers and sailors can lead the fight to shoot this racist system down!
On this May Day let us never forget what a privilege it is to fight for the working class! Being a part of Progressive Labor Party means dedicating your life to smashing racism and capitalism. It means joining the red line that stretches through the history of class struggle. It means grasping every opportunity on the job, in the neighborhood or classroom to advance the interests of the working class. Being a member of PLP means growing your confidence in your working-class siblings, relying on one another and struggling together against the toxic training that this racist, sexist system gives us all.
Anyone here who is not yet a member of PLP: today is the day for you to join!
We are here today, on May Day, to make a stand against fascism against capitalism, against oil wars, against the spectre of World War III. Workers of the world, teachers, nurses, transit workers, soldiers, students, we run the world and must seize it. Raise your head, raise your words, raise your fist, raise your flame! A communist future is coming and we need you to fight for it! We will not continue to tolerate a system that crushes the dreams of workers around the world! We will stand together and change it!
Fight for Communism, Power to the Workers!
LET’S CELEBRATE
CHICAGO, IL, MAY 2—“Asian, Latin, Black and White, Workers of the World Unite!” “The only solution is a communist revolution!” These were some of the chants heard on a sunny May Day celebration as 100 Progressive Labor Party (PLP) members and friends marched through the Back of the Yards neighborhood in Chicago. The chants were taken up by workers on the street who were watching and some of the workers joined the march! Hundreds of CHALLENGE newspapers and fliers were distributed to the overwhelmingly positive workers along the route.
Taking it to the streets
Our ambitious plan for the day: a rally and 1.8 mile march through the neighborhood where we regularly sell CHALLENGE followed by lunch and a program at a Parks Department fieldhouse. We chose this neighborhood because Black, brown, and immigrant workers make up the majority of the residents. Over the course of the 3.5 hour day, we had over 90 workers (not including the many children we brought with us) join in the action and festivities. One obvious strength of our May Day was that we brought together a multiracial, multigenerational, and multigendered group of workers.
The program showcased art from comrades and friends, including moving poems performed by the authors and a 12 year old playing “Bella Ciao” on the violin. A rap inspired by PLP’s “Fight back” chant was also performed and hyped up the crowd. Interspersed in the program were three speeches. One was from a Nipsco worker who was recently locked out—he shared the struggle amongst his coworkers to fight back against forced overtime (see previous CHALLENGE articles on this). He shared the PLP's work and support in this struggle. Because of the Party’s work with the Nipsco workers, some of the Nipsco workers came to the march! The main speech was delivered by a Party leader and, while it laid out the dangerous and chaotic state of worldwide capitalism and developing fascism, it also pointed out the working class’s power to change the trajectory through international solidarity.
The closing speech was from a newer comrade on why she joined PLP. One of the things she highlighted was accountability being built into the structure of the Party and how this helps us achieve our goals and continue moving forward. She spoke about the value of CHALLENGE newspapers in winning her to the Party. She also appreciated the Party’s honesty in pointing out the dead end that is the Democrats: “From Parkland to Palestine Democrats had been funding genocide, tearing apart families, raking in billions, and making false promises my entire life and I was fed up with it.” Her speech was honest, heartfelt, and inspiring.
Future is bright
At least two base members found the day so impressive that they want to find out how to join our Party! And we are looking forward to a post-May Day BBQ as well as being involved at the Labor Notes conference in June, a local summer project in July, and participating in the Socialism 2026 conference over Labor Day. Workers know that capitalism is a dead end that does not help us. PLP needs to continue struggling with our coworkers and friends that the only solution is a communist revolution. Onwards comrades!
On May 2nd, Progressive Labor Party members in Kentucky held a May Day rally at a local park in celebration of international workers’ day. This was our first ever PLP May Day in Kentucky.
We invited friends and comrades from our local university, workplaces, and communities, as well as from May Day events in the area that we had attended the day prior. As we set up our banner at the park, a passerby noticed and came over to talk to us. She told us she encountered our paper, CHALLENGE, in Chicago! After this more workers who we had invited started showing up one by one and conversations about politics and conditions in Kentucky ensued.
After we shared our experiences and made contacts with new acquaintances, a comrade gave a speech about the history of May Day, connecting it to struggles today and the need to fight for a communist future (see page 6). This was well received. Another comrade had written an english version of the song “Bella Ciao” with an added communist flavor, to which we sang collectively, being led by a comrade who we struggled with to bravely step up and lead us in song. The lyrics’ powerful message sparked inspiration to take to the sidewalks and distribute CHALLENGE to the cars driving by.
Happy International Workers Day
Two women who have been organizing with PLP for over a year led the charge to bring May Day to the streets. We started shouting “Happy International Workers’ Day!” to passing cars and asking them if they’d like to take a newspaper, to which many gladly did. Taking leadership, they told the rest of us to come out to the sidewalk with them and lead chants. While cars passed we chanted “Asian, Latin, Black and White! Workers of the world unite!” and “Who’s day? Our day! What day? May Day!” We got several honks, raised fists, and supportive messages from those driving by. Some even decided to stop by and talk to us. A friend of PLP from an immigrant family showed up and joined our chants after we gave them a Spanish edition of CHALLENGE. “LAS LUCHAS OBRERAS NO TIENEN FRONTERAS!!!”
Many workers were unaware of the significance of May Day, which showed how important it was for us to bring awareness of workers’ history and struggle to a poor rural community that desperately needs it. The park had statues and a plaque dedicated to an abolitionist who founded the first integrated school in the region back in the mid 1800’s. Working-class and anti-racist history is all around us, but workers are not taught about these things in schools, especially in Kentucky where slavery and the civil rights movements are taught reluctantly and often watered-down.
The bosses here try hard to keep workers divided through racism and nationalism, suppressing the history of multiracial solidarity and always avoiding the topic of class.
Democrats and Republicans deadly for the working class
Many workers here associate communism with liberals and the identity politics of the Democratic Party. We try to break through this illusion by bringing militancy to our rallies and calling out both the Democratic and Republican parties as serving the interests of the ruling class. With Donald Trump bringing us closer to WWIII and gas prices skyrocketing, workers who supported Trump as an anti-establishment, anti-war figure are starting to realize that the whole ruling-class is rotten and that it’s not just a few bad eggs. But there’s still a lot of work ahead of us.
Disillusionment with Trump or the current establishment is not enough on its own to lead to communism. It takes educating workers on communist politics and past revolutionary movements to win them to the fight for a better future. We’ve been organizing here for only three years but have grown from just a couple of comrades to over 20 cadre in the state of Kentucky, and we plan to keep struggling with our neighbors, coworkers, friends, and classmates to take the fight from the coal mines, auto plants, and universities to the shutting down of the fascist imperialist war machine that they serve.
Kentucky has a strong history of militant fightback. Starting with “Bloody Harlan,” where Black and white workers went on strike and engaged in skirmishes against the coal bosses for roughly 10 years during the Great Depression, to the several strikes and more sporadic battles throughout the 60s and 70s, to today where workers are fighting for tenants rights throughout central and eastern Kentucky.
We shared sandwiches and fruit with both our comrades and those just passing by. We shared with members of the community the work we had been doing with local free meal programs and told them they should come join us for a free meal again in the future.
LOS ANGELES, CA, MAY 2—In a pocket park in South Los Angeles, dozens of comrades and friends gathered to celebrate May Day as a playlist of militant songs filled the air. We decorated the space with red flags, banners, signs, and posters depicting the history of May Day. Everyone brought something for our potluck dinner but we began with a rousing march.
Workers are waking up
Together we marched to the local police station, the homebase of the KKKops who murdered Alex Flores in 2019. We hyped up the neighborhood for about a month before with Saturday rallies every other week leading up to May Day. This, along with our seven years of struggle alongside the Flores family, has built our reputation in the area. As we marched, cars honked, pedestrians and bus riders raised their fists, and a couple hundred CHALLENGEs were distributed. Chants of “Asian, Latin, Black, and white, workers of the world unite!” and “La migra, la policia, la misma porqueria” accompanied by cowbells echoed along the route with passersby joining in. At the police station, a new comrade gave a rousing speech about our ongoing struggles against police violence.
By the time we returned to the park, our ranks had grown to over 50. Before the rest of the program we participated in a “get to know you” activity. We discussed what we hated most about capitalism, why we came to May Day, and what roles we might play in the revolution. This led to lively discussions about how to combat mental illness, the emerging militancy of young people, and the importance of a long-term outlook on organizing.
Another highlight of the program was an updated rendition of “Masters of War” and a young comrade’s personal speech about their family’s connection to another song, “Deportees.” This bookended another speech on base building during growing fascism which was humorous but also emphasized the importance of Progressive Labor Party (PLP) and its line on discipline, commitment, and having confidence in yourself and the working class.
The keynote speaker led with a quote “When people talk about traveling to the past, they worry about radically changing the present by doing something small, but barely anyone in the present really thinks that they can change the future by doing something small.” They went on to talk about how small actions can add up and the importance of collective, organized actions to building a communist, revolutionary movement that can change the world. We ended the day singing “The International” in both Spanish and English. Our message was clear: we fight not just for reform, but for a communist world free of racism, sexism, exploitation, and borders.
2026 is the fourth International Workers Day also known as May Day that I will call myself a Progressive Labor Party member. Every year I see new changes in myself and in this very special community. I really trust this Party to lead the revolution. All of my comrades here in the Party are understandably impatient for this day. I include myself in that category.
If I could give one piece of advice I would say look internationally, to the international Party and to the international working class. We have all been in the position of experiencing a local triumph. We overcame the resistance of reformists to lead a militant and ambitious struggle and won the admiration of the working class and oftentimes a reform. But the revolution still seems so far off.
Look to the international working class. Talk to them about your criticism and self-criticism. Talk to them about their experiences. Ask for their advice, ask "What should I be doing? What do you think of what I am doing?" Like we say: build a base in the working class.
If you don't know anyone personally, read about the situation and when you meet someone from a place you read about, be sensitive to how they might be personally affected but then talk about politics with them. I grew a lot this way. Every area should have international connections, and every member should be involved in international work.
- With Revolutionary Sincerity
