NEWARK, NJ, June 12—“Asian, Latin, Black, and white—workers of the world unite!” For the first time in decades, a multiracial group of workers chanted Progressive Labor Party’s (PLP)  line down Clinton Avenue in Newark, a predominantly Black, working-class neighborhood with strong ties to the Mayor. Along the march, workers and students were attacked and blocked by Black city officials that work for Big Fascist Mayor Ras Baraka while marching down the hill to protest outside the 5th Pigs Precinct. Big Fascists are members of the liberal, imperialist  ruling class, who pretend to be on the side of workers.
Nevertheless, this march affirmed PLP’s line that liberal rulers are the main danger to the working class. It is our responsibility as communists to tear down the veil and challenge both nationalism and identity politics while pushing for a multiracial, internationalist, communist, working-class leadership under PLP.
The system is violent, we will not be silent
Mayors and politicians around the world are weaponizing their identities as Black, Latin, lesbian, gay and women alike while manipulating the worldwide fightback inspired by workers in Minneapolis in response to the murder of George Floyd. Peaceful protests that show solidarity between the liberal politicians and workers are a cover up to push a Big Fascist agenda towards a war on the international working class. The same workers that politicians recruit to become *insert identity here* cops, judges, and military officials will become pawns to crush the revolutionary fightback of the working class.
Mayor Ras Baraka, son of the late Black nationalist poet Amiri Baraka, is using his community ties in Newark to attack workers and students that challenge his complicity in racism, sexism and anti-working class leadership. Since the ‘protest’ in May led by NJ Senate candidate Larry Hamm’s camp (People Organizing for Progress), Newark has been hailed by the New York Times as a city that has remained “relatively calm” (NYT, 6/1).
The mainstream media has always used the theme of “peaceful protest” to “calm” the potential of organized revolutionary anger and tactically directed violence against the bosses and their cronies. To win people away from the dead end of politicians and voting to a more revolutionary approach, we MUST build a larger base.
Base building for communism
Leaders of the Newark Water Coalition (NWC), a multiracial group of workers and students organizing for clean water in Newark have been brave enough to identify and speak out against Mayor Ras’ politricks. However, the extent of their critique stopped there. While we also had criticisms of Baraka, PLP's goal is to win workers to understand that the capitalist system fails workers, no matter what politician is in place. To do that we build with the working class and win them to understanding the limits of reform work under capitalism.
When NJ comrades and friends asked what we should do as a response to workers of the world uniting to fight against police terror and racism, the first thing we did was build with some of the dedicated fighters in the reform movement. Two weeks prior to the  Mutual Aid March we had a plan to lead a NJ wide protest but realized we had gone about the organizing incorrectly. Veteran comrades of PLP warned newer members that marching down Clinton Ave could leave everyone vulnerable to being physically attacked by the cops and the Mayor’s thugs. We needed to be prepared with a plan and to be accountable for everyone. We also realized that we had not checked in with other friends and PL’ers. Back to the drawing board. We shared this same warning with the Newark Water Coalition that we could very likely be attacked, not just because we were marching toward a police precinct but because Ras Baraka and his family had been base building in the area for the last 50 years and have won workers over ideologically. In the end, they decided to march in that area.
No good mayors in a racist system
From the start of the march, workers from the neighborhood yelled “you know don’t nobody want you here, go somewhere else, we have political power in our city.” When workers who were part of the march tried to hand them water, vegetables and diapers that friends of the Newark Water Coalition donated, many refused. Still, PL’ers pushed the politics further and chanted, “When Black workers are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” to remind workers on the sidewalks and on their rooftops that no matter what we identify as, we are all a part of one international working class.
Chants were used as a tool to push forward and boost the morale of the march when friends of Baraka antagonized us. While some of us chanted, other PL’ers distributed CHALLENGE. About 20 store owners and workers accepted CHALLENGE. Before the march, we made it our goal to push our line with chants and CHALLENGE sales. The final chant was “No good MAYORS in a racist system.”
Baraka shut down the march. By doing so, he sent two messages that protesters must remember
To the workers: don’t come into our neighborhood until you have built a base amongst the working class and are ready to fight.To Prudential, Goldman Sachs, Audible, and the rest of the capitalist class in Newark: stick with us as your political representatives because we can control the working class for you better than anyone.
It is impossible to support the exploiters and the exploited at the same time. Some friends from the Newark Water Coalition are running for local office. This is the same framework that politicians like Baraka, former president Barack Obama and congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez used to become Big Fascist leaders.
How do you build strength and power in the working class? By standing in COMPLETE solidarity with workers and fighting for a communist revolution where workers around the world lead. Anything short of that is a tool to crush working-class power and potential. History and lessons from workers around the world teach us that. Find a study group near you and join PLP today!