Student solidarity vs. raids advances fight for internationalism

BROOKLYN, January 12—As mass struggle against Trump’s racist and fascist words and policies grows, learning to go beyond the limits the ruling class and its minions would like to contain, is the number one job for all workers and students who want to defeat racism and fascism once and for all.
Progressive Labor Party (PLP) is proud to have played a role in a small but potent action launched in response to Trump’s latest anti-immigrant attack: the mass deportation of Latin and Haitian workers as well as raids on 7-Eleven (chain of convenience shops) stores aimed at terrorizing undocumented workers across the country.
Phony sanctuary in schools
Meanwhile the City’s schools chancellor Carmen Fariña has issued toothless guidelines pretending to make schools a “sanctuary” for undocumented students. Her proclamation is that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents may not enter a school without visiting the principal’s office first. Pervasive racist, anti-student, CYA (“cover-your-ass”) and “me-first” ideology shapes decision-making in the schools. Few principals will offer resistance in such a circumstance.
Students and teachers worked to take the fight further in a busy week last month at a Queens high school. Over a thousand signatures were added to an online petition urging ICE to cease deportation proceedings against the parent of a member of our student body. After over a thousand signatures had been added then the school administration took up a petition urging the student body to add more. Then Nazi Trump made his infamous remark calling black nations “shithole countries.” Righteous working-class anger was in the air.
Liberal school misleaders are quick to push empty talk while undermining militant action. But when a call was made for a demonstration, this same administration was quick to throw cold water on the event, as vague threats of “consequences” for students who decide to demonstrate were spread across social media and group chats. In defiance to this intimidation campaign, several students showed up at a nearby 7-Eleven for a solidarity visit that turned into a vigorous picket line.
Young women lead picket
A multiracial group of a 6 high school students, almost all young women (and led by these young women) were joined by a group of teachers. Fighters from a local church, immigrants rights group, faculty from a nearby college and active retirees from a local trade union also joined the rally.
In total, there were 24 people at its height, which may be small, but “we weren’t all”! Especially considering the last minute nature of the demonstration.
We formed a picket circle in front of the 7-Eleven and chanted loudly. Many passersby stopped to watch, raise their fists, and cheer us on. Some chanted with us.
One chant was “Stop racist deportations! Working people have no nation!” Another was “Donald Trump, you can’t hide! We charge you with genocide!”
And yet another popular one was a call and response that had a really great cadence to it: “Deportations mean? WE GOT TO FIGHT BACK! Sexism means? WE GOT TO FIGHT BACK! Imperialist wars mean? WE GOT TO FIGHT BACK!”
High school students came up with their own chant: “Deportations hurt relations!”
Gesture of solidarity
Workers inside the 7-Eleven received us warmly. While they were not able to come out and join our picket line, as we wrapped up the workers inside offered the student internationalists free sodas, a meaningful gesture of appreciation and solidarity.
Everyone left the rally emboldened and determined to organize more of their friends next time. For many it was their first demonstration. It was moving to see militant young women who are Black, Latin and South Asian taking the lead, with support from veteran working-class fighters from the churches, colleges, retiree groups and community groups, all marching, picketing and chanting side by side.
Communist ideas, in the hands of the masses, can become a material force breaking down the divisions the ruling class seeks to impose on our class, whether they be borders between nations or lines that usually separate younger and older activists. We have a world to win!