Trump Election Sparks Harlem Protests

HARLEM, December 10—A multiracial group of  over 30 people protested racist harassment of Black, Latin, and Muslim workers following Donald Trump’s election. Protesters included Columbia, CUNY, and Fordham students, members of the church sponsoring the action, neighborhood residents, and PLP members and friends. People are angry and afraid of the gutter racism, sexism, and fascism Trump has encouraged. We had a rally to show solidarity and give confidence to all workers that we can fight back against attacks. Our energetic chants electrified people on this cold wintry day and people eagerly took our fliers as we marched.
One PLP member took the bullhorn and angrily denounced racism’s effects: inferior schools, poor health care, no jobs, and inadequate or no housing. One member of Columbia’s Student Worker Solidarity (SWS) organization spoke about being arrested during a militant $15-minimum-wage action. Other SWS members spoke about their campaign against payroll lag time for student workers. CUNY students demanded NO tuition increases and NO budget cutbacks. Another speaker talked about the ongoing work to end police violence and to demand that no killer cop can remain anonymous. A PLP member led us in a song about  Ramarley Graham and Deborah Danner’s murders and  Eric Garner’s lynching.
It is no coincidence that police terror, tuition hikes, and other attacks are all happening now. As the bosses prepare for more wars in the Middle East and beyond, they need to terrorize workers to keep them in line. They also devote less money for education so that they can fund their wars. Whether we’re fighting for a living wage or against racist housing practices, we need to make the connections that these problems are all caused by capitalism.
Feet to the Ground
We then marched to the State Office Building (SOB) with energetic drum beats and militant chants. Neighbors noticed  us and one CD vendor even shut off his loud music so that we could be heard. Several people joined the march as they read our signs and heard our chants. With hands and feet frigid from the cold, we stood  before the SOB as  church choir members led us in a militant, anti-racist version of “Go Down Moses.”
We ended with a PLP speech where the comrade called for an end to the vicious attacks on our working-class brothers and sisters by the kkkops. She also spoke of the  murderous steam heat burning of two babies who died in a New York City apartment for the homeless  even though the building’s landlord is on a list of the city’s worst slumlords.
Given the bitter cold weather, we had a great turnout and made our demands heard. We were very heartened by the  church members and leaders who participated, including the pastor. Going forward, we must make the issue of racist police violence even stronger. As important as these actions are, we must not forget that as long as capitalism exists, we are not going to end racism and sexism. Only communism can end all of these capitalist-caused problems. With patience and boldness, we are finding more are open to revolutionary communist ideas. Stay tuned for more fightback!