BRONX, NY, May 19 — Since NYPD’s killer cop, Richard Haste, murdered black teenager Ramarley Graham in February, the family and residents of the Norwood neighborhood here have continued to fight this fascist killing. Various organizers have mobilized weekly Thursday vigils in front of the Graham residence, followed by a march through the neighborhood and ending with a demonstration at the 47th Precinct. PLP members and friends have joined this struggle, organizing others to participate. CHALLENGE and our leaflet entitled, “Racist Killer KKKops, You Can’t Hide! We Charge You with Genocide!” have sparked good discussions with workers and students.
However, the politics and tone of the march changed when teachers from a neighborhood Preschool Day Care Program joined it, carrying a PLP banner emblazoned with the above “Genocide” headline. One of these teachers had attended PLP’s May Day March and Dinner. The other two are regular CHALLENGE readers.
Two teachers from this school have organized several friends, parents of former students and co-workers to attend the events. One who helped organize for a Thursday action asked a PLP comrade to remember to bring the PLP banner, saying, “We don’t want to forget that; it’s precious cargo!” The same teacher organized a former parent to help distribute leaflets to over 150 demonstrators preparing to march to the 47th Precinct.
Initially the chants at the Precinct were enthusiastic but primarily had a more reformist tone: “What do we want! Justice! When do we want it? Now!”; and, “I am Ramarley!” This resulted from liberal politicians’ influence.
While it may seem that Al Sharpton and other liberal misleaders are attempting to “lead a struggle,” in reality their role is to diffuse our anger! These politicians try to dazzle us with calls for “justice,” “independent investigations” and “sensitivity training.” But history shows that essentially nothing will be done to punish the brutal NYPD.
The entire judicial system is racist to the core! U.S. prisons contain 2.3 million inmates, 70% black and Latino workers and youth, two-thirds for non-violent crimes. Ironically, the black and Latino youth victims of racist murders are the very same people the racist rulers target for recruitment to fight and die in the Middle East, killing other workers who the oil bosses exploit for billions in profits. Many more workers and children have been brutalized and killed since then and, as this latest killing shows, will continue.
The cops have proven once again to be hired goons of the rulers who rely on racist terror to try to prevent workers and youth from fighting back. Racism is used by the bosses to divide all workers and reap billions in super-profits from the lower wages paid to black, Latino and immigrant workers.
PL’ers have raised these ideas with workers and students every Thursday. One member of the Graham family is beginning to see the contradictions of the liberal politicians, stating, “In the beginning all of these politicians were out here giving us hugs and making speeches. Now where are they? Nowhere to be seen!”
One PL’er who attended the rally approached a Graham family member and asked to lead some different chants. They enthusiastically embraced our offer and the chants added more militant ones: “NYPD You Can’t Hide! We Charge You With Genocide!”; Racism Means, Fight Back!”; “Capitalism Means, Fight Back!”
These PLP-led chants have become part of every Thursday march, and now outnumber the more reformist ones. Most importantly, a few of the organizers and Ramarley’s parents have approached PL’ers and friends asking to participate in the weekly organizing meetings. We plan to do that soon.
We’ve made several contacts with workers and students and won teachers from this Preschool to read CHALLENGE, distribute it to their friends and family and organize for the weekly Thursday events.
But convincing workers to march to militant chants isn’t enough. Currently, the family and march organizers continue to advocate voting for “good” politicians. PL’ers have exposed the true role of the police: instill fear among, and control over, the working class, preventing us from fighting the capitalist system as a whole.
We continue to support the Graham family while simultaneously challenging these reformist ideas. “So that’s why you guys call the cops fascist!” commented one CHALLENGE reader. Another worker commented, “We understand it’s the whole system, but don’t you want justice for Ramarley and set a precedent so this doesn’t happen again?” Another worker said, “It’s gonna happen again because it’s not just a few bad cops. It’s all of them!”
This same worker challenged some organizers in front of the 47th when she started yelling repeatedly at the cops guarding the precinct, “They’re all guilty!” Others joined in, causing a disagreement among demonstrators and some Graham family members. This brought some demonstrators closer to PL’s politics. Several offered to help distribute CHALLENGE and PL leaflets.
Struggles like this will continue. We’ll persist in doing what’s needed in this fight while raising the idea that we’ll never get rid of Killer KKKops until the entire capitalist system is smashed and rebuilt with a society led and run by the international working class. We call this communism!