Street Talks Reveal Protesters’ Revolutionary Side

CHICAGO, December 6 — I went downtown to the shopping district to join a march against the racist cop murder of 17 year-old Laquan McDonald and the racist cover-up by the politicians running the city. It was advertised on the evening news the day before, so it was probably being used to lead angry working class people back into the fold of pacifism and politics as usual.
Sure enough, Jesse Jackson the famous misleader was there. About 200 marched, mostly Black men and women, young and old. For a while I concentrated on being a part of the march. I am a white worker and wanted to help create a multiracial force marching down the street. The chants were fairly liberal like, “Sixteen shots, stop racist cops, “No justice, no peace, and “Rahm Emanuel [ the mayor] has got to go.”
A comrade and I got out a 50 CHALLENGEs along the march and used the cover of the paper “RACIST TERROR MEANS FIGHT BACK” as a poster. We both got out 100 papers more at the closing rally of the march.
People are interested in communism. I stressed that everyone agrees it takes a community to raise a child. Then I add that it will take communism to make a world fit for everyone to live in. Both “community” and “communism” basically means the same thing: we will all pitch in and meet people’s needs.
When I told another protester it was a communist newspaper, he asked, “What was wrong with socialism?”
I showed him the sidebar on page two that says, “Capitalism returned to Russia and China because socialism retained many aspects of the profit system, like wages and privileges.” We talked awhile and then I continued distributing the paper. He later returned for another paper because he had given the first one to someone else and wanted his own copy! A few people said, “Give me that CHALLENGE.”
One fellow specifically said that he was familiar with the paper. So CHALLENGE sales and everything we do for the Party does make a difference!
A young non-Black woman had made sandwiches and put them in a bag with fruit for the marchers! Free! I accepted and told her what she was doing was what communism is all about: helping each other meet our needs. She didn’t take the paper, but it was a good feeling to see a worker being selfless to support a rally against racist murder.
Also, I met a woman whose son had been shot several times by the police on her front steps. He had survived but is disabled. She struggles with him to get up and do things for himself and not solely rely on disability benefits. I agreed that this is what is important in life — to be able to contribute to the functioning of society, in whatever manner they are able to, and tie ourselves to co-workers¸ friends, family and neighbors. I mentioned to her the angry young people I had met in Ferguson, MO. Their most spirited chant went, “They think it’s a joke, they think it’s a game.” These young people are angry at the endless joblessness, the few opportunities and constant harassment brought down on them, and they are supposed to sit on it and accept their fate. And the bosses and politicians play with working-class lives like it’s a game.
I told her of a PL’er who had lost a nephew in a supposedly gang shooting, but he had lots of friends that came out in his support. She said that she cries for all the deaths dealt to the young people.
I invited her to a holiday gathering we were having in a few weeks. We exchanged phone numbers, shook hands, and hopefully she’ll come.
At the end, somebody called for a cheer for pacifier Jesse Jackson. It was very weak! We should cheer the workers and youth who made it out here today and want to fight for a world without racist police killings. The Party will stay in this fightback and win some new members to a lifetime of struggle for workers’ power: communism.