LOS ANGELES, January 29—Friends and members of Progressive Labor Party joined thousands of protestors at Los Angeles International Airport to demand the reversal of Trump’s fascist travel ban on Muslim workers. We were energized that so many workers responded quickly and militantly to fascism. It confirms our confidence in the working class that when workers are attacked, they will fight back! Now more than ever, we need to be talking to our friends and building relationships in mass organizations so that we can channel working class rage into war against the bosses and their capitalist system.
The politics of the masses was mixed, often with a patriotic and nationalist line. There was virtually no talk about how five of the seven countries on this travel ban have been indiscriminately bombed by Obama’s drone program, killing thousands of our sisters and brothers, many of them women and children. The mass migration from these regions is directly due the instability created by U.S. imperialism and the decades of slaughter in that region. However, many workers recognized the fascist intent of the ban, referencing the Holocaust and chanting militantly, “No Trump, No KKK, No fascist USA!” In spite of the nationalist bend, there was mass support of our chant, “From Palestine to Mexico, All these walls have got to go.”
A couple of Party members came with several base members from the church and college campus where we are in mass organizations. One young Muslim woman and future medical student was part of a team that helped the lawyers translate for our working-class sisters and brothers being held by immigration at the airport. She also gave spirited leadership, making new friends quickly and leading chants. She attempted to get the crowd to chant, “Asian, Latin, Black and white, Workers of the world unite!” and “Fascism means we got to fight back!” The crowd was reluctant to chant these, but they were also reluctant to chant the national anthem as a couple of people tried to get us to do.
Reluctance to chant the national anthem and support for international chants shows us that workers recognize that borders and nationalism are partially responsible for racism like this Muslim ban. It’s our job as communists to bring more militancy to these struggles and sharpen workers’ internationalist side.
With all the political weakness and seemingly headless leadership, the mass militancy of the group and openness to our anti-fascist line further exemplifies the importance of mobilizing our base within mass organizations, on the job and college campuses to fight for every member of class! We have a long way to go but we will be inviting our friends to participate in a study group and also start a campus group aimed at defending our immigrant and Muslim sisters and brothers.