May day 2023: Cambridge, MA - Smash Racist Police Terror from Cambridge to Ukraine!

Progressive Labor Party marched on May Day here in the city of Cambridge, where Sayed Faisal, a young Bangladeshi man was murdered by the police on January 4th.  Sayed was having a mental illness episode, and his neighbor called the cops for help. Instead of helping, they shot him five times in the chest. Then, distorting the facts, the Cambridge PD claimed he was a threat to the community because he was carrying a knife, even though it was clear he was using the knife to harm himself. Furthermore, the city has put the killer cop on paid administrative leave and is refusing to release his name.  That, plus the exceedingly long criminal investigation, stinks of a cover-up. This is yet another lethal example of how trigger-happy cops handle workers or students with mental health issues. The cops shoot first, blame the victim, and receive all the protection from the city government; meanwhile another member of the working class is murdered, and his family and community are traumatized.

We assembled at a nearby plaza, where college students and workers warmly received our militant speeches, flyers and CHALLENGEs. Some folks joined us as we marched, 30 plus strong, to Cambridge City Hall. There, we formed a picket line and heard more militant speeches from our comrades and friends condemning Cambridge’s liberal politicians for the role they play in pacifying and disarming the working class.They throw a protective shield around the cops and the whole fascist injustice system while they spread illusions that capitalism can be reformed.

Racist police murder is one example of how capitalism destroys the lives of working people here and around the world. As U.S. capitalists give tanks to Ukraine and prepare for wider war to defend their declining profit empire, they cut mental health and housing services at home. That is why the ruling class will need more fascism and police terror at home to quash working class anger.

Our chants of, “Racist cops, you can’t hide we charge you with genocide” resonated with the workers and students on the street. We held our red flags high, and our banner called for smashing capitalism, racism, and borders with communist revolution. To achieve a just and healthy society, we need to destroy capitalism and build the egalitarian communist world that May Day represents. Because we held our event locally, rather than join the larger march in Brooklyn, we organized with increased vigor and now have more potential for growth than we’ve had in the past several years. Our future is bright if we fight for it! Join us!