TEXAS, March 23—A crowd of 100 protested the country’s largest anti-Muslim hate group, American Congress for Truth (A.C.T. for America), who was holding a panel at a church to discuss the prevention of Mosques from being built in the U.S.
Progressive Labor Party organized a small but highly important contingent including a friend to influence the passive and nationalist message of the liberal organizers. PLP distributed leaflets, which analyzed how necessary racism is for the bosses in maintaining racial divisions among the working class and calling for fight back with on the job organizing as the main strategy for fighting anti-Muslim racism.
At first the crowd was silent and organized in a place where cars passing by had an obscure view of the rally. PLP managed to break the silence with our militant chants and relocate the crowd where hundreds of cars passed by and honked in support. As PLP continued with leading the chants two of the organizers approached two PL’ers and told us that our chants were “unfocused” because they were not particular to A.C.T. and that the deportations of immigrants did not have enough to do with banning Muslims. One PL’ers pointed to one chant in particular: “Act for America, KKK, RACIST Nazis go away!” and asked how it was unfocused exactly.
The dispute proceeded for another minute as the PL’er argued that they compartmentalize specific issues and don’t see the broader context. Nevertheless, because PLP pushed to continue the chanting, the crowd continued with us. PLP defied the liberals and pushed the anti-racist message with much support. One woman said to PLP how she liked our chants. The organizers tried to “approve” certain chants but of course we did not listen.
The rally continued until it was time for speeches by the organizers. A handful of liberal local politicians spoke trying to mislead people further into trusting the electoral process and evoke nationalism by citing the first amendment. However, not all were rotten, there was a speaker or two that did say progressive things. Most of the crowd was still won to the liberal message of passivity and using nonviolence and compassion against callous mass murdering racists, a strategy that historically, has failed the working class. The chairman of the democratic party said something to the effect of “we should pray for the racists to go away.”
A friend of PLP said, “Prayer doesn’t work, what else can we do?”
She basically called him out for not providing any real solution. The speeches were also filled with nationalism and the idea that this is not “what America stands for” when in fact it is exactly what America stands for and always has been. U.S bosses have persecuted migrants since the 1790’s when rulers feared French immigrants influenced by the French Revolution.
One comrade put forth an analysis that U.S imperialism has a genocidal presence in destroying and destabilizing the countries from which Muslims are fleeing. In Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan Iraq, Syria all of which have prolonged U.S involvement with racist and genocidal occupations. He also mentioned that the anti-Muslim racism spewed by organizations like ACT justifies the bombing of Muslim countries like Yemen and provokes racist terrorism against Muslim mosques and communities. In the spirit of militancy, he also denounced that we should “love” and “embrace” these racist pigs trying to murder our Muslim working class brothers and sisters.
After the speeches by all the reformists and our comrade we started a picket in front of the church. At first it was mostly the party and some base members, but after a couple minutes the younger part of the crowd started to join us! When it was over a few college students gathered around us and in the end we exchanged contacts from mainly women that liked our leaflet and our comrades speech.
We must work on being bolder and furthering our commitments in the face of growing fascism and capitalist crisis. It is important to oppose all forms of racism by going to rallies and marches and continuing organizing multiracial fightbacks on the job. By fighting back and recruiting people to PLP, we pave the way to a communist future.