First Published: Canadian Worker, Vol 2, No 10, December 1970
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Malcolm and Paul Saba
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NEW YORK – The October 24-25 Weekend of International Solidarity was a political victory of historic importance. Revolutionary Communist fighters of the Puerto Rican Socialist League, U.S. Progressive Labour Party and Canadian Party of Labour marched with arms linked against U.S. Imperialism and for socialism, working class rule. This event left no doubt about the growing strength and unity of these three fraternal Marxist-Leninist parties.
On the Saturday morning, a street rally of over 2,500 in New York’s Lower East Side was addressed by Juan Antonio Corretjer, Secretary General of the Puerto Rican Socialist League, and leaders of PLP and CPL. The massive group included over 600 black and Latin fighters, over 100 French and English Canadians, and the PLP high school Challenge Corps – more than two-thirds were working class people. We marched and chanted under red flags and colourful banners and signs proclaiming, “FIGHT FOR SOCIALISM”, “POWER TO THE WORKERS”, “FIGHT NATIONALISM”, and “SMASH U.S. IMPERIALISM”.
The working men, women and youth of the mainly black and Latin district we marched through, greeted us with applause and clenched fist salutes. Many joined us for the march of several miles to the Canadian Consulate in the centre of Manhattan. The militancy and very tight discipline of the communists made the hundreds of riot police in the area decide against attempting any provocation. The demonstrators circled an entire city block at the consulate chanting “FIGHT WAR MEASURES WITH CLASS WAR”. The afternoon’s events were concluded by a militant CPL speech attacking the repression by the Canadian Ruling Class and the nationalist terrorists who are also enemies of workers.
That evening revolutionaries from the three countries exchanged experiences and tightened the bonds of unity, at seven socials held all over the city. Hundreds of dollars were raised to help with the huge expenses of the weekend. Everyone was happy and excited by the march and eagerly discussed the banquet on Sunday.
Over 2,200 people packed the Riverside Plaza Ballroom on Sunday afternoon for a great chicken dinner and revolutionary songs, plays and speeches. The crowd even included GI’s who have been fighting back against the racist army brass. Addresses by Juan Antonio Corretjer, CPL’s Gordon Lefevre (speech published in this issue of CW) and PLP’s Milt Rosen, clarified the significance of the Weekend and explained the necessity of international working class solidarity. A huge red star was suspended over the stage and illuminated by spotlights – under it songs and plays, with the enthusiastic participation of the ’audience’, portrayed the courageous fights of workers and oppressed people against their class enemies, and exposed the traitorous role of union misleaders, liberals, nationalists and sellouts,. The climax of the Solidarity Weekend came as we rose with clenched fists in the air and sang with one voice ’The Internationale’.
The scale and militancy of the march and banquet, the comradeship, the clear line of revolutionary communist internationalism and the organizational skill and discipline throughout made that weekend a tremendous step forward for our parties. It was a great communist victory. It will not be forgotten. Our revolutionary greetings go out to our fine comrades who made this possible, who provided such a fine example, who inspired us to fight harder than ever, with more confidence than ever, to destroy the vicious exploitative classes and build world-wide working class dictatorship.
SMASH NATIONALISM
POWER TO THE WORKERS