May Day: Brooklyn

BROOKLYN, April 26 — Another May Day, another opportunity to fight for revolution! After a year of explosive struggles, from Latin America to East Africa, as well as local fightbacks against General David Petraeus and the racist DC Metro, it becomes easy to get lost in reform. Distributing thousands of flyers and CHALLENGEs, and a special edition of Le Défi in French and Kreole, urging people to fight back against this or that person, or change this or that policy, May Day reminds us what we are here to do: overthrow capitalism! May Day commemorates the actions of valiant workers in the Paris Commune 1871, Chicago 1886, Russia 1917, China 1949. It commemorates the struggle against capitalism, against racism and sexism; the struggle for communism. May Day reminds us that we come from a long history of struggle, and that we must struggle to win!
We began at Parkside and Ocean Avenues, the middle of a very working-class black, Latino, and immigrant neighborhood. As we called for the destruction of the profit system with a sound truck leading us, our march kept swelling. Comrades from around New York City, Chicago, DC, Boston and Baltimore joined us.
‘Koupe Tet, Boule Kaye’
Our call for communism was made in English, Spanish and Creole, reflecting the international nature of PLP. One chant, “Koupe Tet, Boule Kaye” was particularly significant because it got straight to the point. It translates into “Cut off their heads, burn their houses!” and was an order given by Jean-Jacques Dessalines, a leader of the Haitian Revolution, to his army of former slaves. It reflects the attitude that we must have towards our class enemy. This anger is only an appropriate response to generations of genocide, rape, murder and exploitation our class brothers and sisters. It is with this steely determination that we must fight for communism!
As we marched along Flatbush Avenue, now over 500 strong, people began to take notice. Whether they were in barbershops, restaurants, hairdressers, or bodegas, workers took notice. They raised their fists in salute and chanted with us. Thousands of CHALLENGEs were taken by youngsters and grandmothers, black and white workers, women and men.
Next, a new part of our May Day celebration commenced in the assembly hall. We held our first May Day gallery walk! It consisted of three stations: anti-racism; anti-sexism; anti-imperialism. All the performances, skits, and talks reflected working-class culture. Between each station, there were loads of artwork and PLP literature available for donations. The gallery allowed comrades to experience history, to capture history, and to make history.
Cultural Revolution Changed People’s Lives
After the gallery, we had a short centralized program. A comrade from China recounted his experiences living under the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. The spread of the people’s communes decidedly changed the way people lived their lives. Instead of this rancid capitalist competition, there was genuine human collectivity. This is the goal of a communist revolution, and this is the goal of PLP!
Next came the keynote speech. It began with a report of all the struggles, international and local, that have been led this year. As our comrade said: “we need to do more than to know the bosses’ fatal weaknesses; we need to act on them!” Capitalism cannot provide a job, a home or food for everyone. But communism is more than just those material things. Communism is the chance for “real freedom, real justice and real dignity” (see front page CHALLENGE, 5/7). For that, we need to keep growing PLP, keep fighting and keep struggling!
Lastly, there was the “Why I Joined PLP” speech, which reminded every comrade, young and old, of the commitment they made and why they made it. He described his parents’ struggles living on paycheck to paycheck, on the verge of homelessness. How his parents blamed themselves for failing. How the schools were determined to keep him obedient, to hate his class and trust the police (see speech next issue). “And one year ago today ,I did become something that made me happy. I became a communist, and joined the struggle with my working class brothers and sisters.” All over the world, workers are seeking this very confidence, this revolutionary optimism. Let us fight for a communist world! Long live communism, power to the workers!