CHICAGO, July 18 — “Brizard, you can’t hide, education cuts cause genocide!” rang through the streets of downtown Chicago on July 6. (Brizard is Chicago’s new schools CEO.) Students and teachers marched against Chicago Public Schools (CPS) bosses and the banks that steal millions from the education system.
The march was the closing event of an all-day National Conference to Fight Back for Public Education, organized by various “progressive” caucuses and union leaders.
PLP Exposes Fascist Assault on Public Schools
PL’ers participated on different levels. They advanced the Party’s politics, charging that the assault on public education is part of the bosses’ plan to step up fascist attacks and prepare our class for larger imperialist wars.
Many conference participants called for an “end to corporate greed” and to have the bosses pay “their fair share.” But workers have no “fair share” when it comes to their exploitation by the bosses who grab as much of the value produced by the working class as they can.
The Party exposed the fact that the cuts in education and health care were racist — falling most heavily on black and Latino workers and students — a product of capitalism, not just “bad capitalists.” Students from Farragut H.S., who are close to the Party, really brought this point to the fore as they led the chant, “How do you spell RACIST?!... CPS!”
Marchers Free Student
From KKKop Attack
These students, guided by the leadership of PLP, were finally given the vehicle to express their anger and frustration at the system. They were so good at it that a kkkop pulled one of them from the march for chanting “FIGHT BACK!”in his ear.
Immediately the marchers chanted “Let him go!” and he was quickly released. Even after the harassment, the student was not intimidated and led the marchers to chant, “They say cut back, WE SAY FIGHT BACK!”
This march was the final event of a week-long Summer Project here, followed by a PLP-hosted “reflection dinner.” Two students and one youth worker from Farragut spoke at the dinner about their experiences. The students thanked the Party for the “love and support” during the march, one saying he was happy not to be in jail.
The youth worker told a PL’er who he works with that he “felt at home.” He went to the New York Summer Project the following week and, after months of struggle, has now joined the Party. Five students now want to be in a PL study group.
We didn’t get the banks to stop robbing the working class, but we recruited a new comrade and brought more people closer to the Party. Building PLP and the movement for communist revolution is how we measure success within our activity in mass organizations.
The bosses can always take away reforms, but the might of the working class led by PLP fighting for a communist society is the only way to gain the life our class deserves. The more we recruit to our revolutionary army, the more we can defend our class from the bosses’ attacks now and prepare ourselves to take the offensive in the future.