NEW YORK CITY, June 5—Protests and demonstrations have shaken the rulers of Colombia (see editorial, page 2). The working-class across the globe has shown a lot of solidarity with the workers in Colombia. In New York City, under the hashtag #SOSColombia, a bus was organized to join a national march in Washington, D.C.
A Progressive Labor Party (PLP) club joined the bus at 6AM in Midtown to support the workers fighting back in Colombia with international working-class solidarity and with the message of communist revolution.
In Colombia, since April 28, millions have marched in the streets, while the ruling class invests millions of dollars in weapons, tanks and police training to oppress the workers. Massacres, police brutality, people disappeared by the police, arbitrary arrests, victims of sexual assault, and more have been part of the conflict in Colombia for decades. Nowadays, the struggle has spread from the rural areas to the cities, initially spurred by plans to raise taxes on the working-class and further fueled by the unbearable conditions oppressed upon our brothers and sisters. It’s becoming clearer that the entire racist capitalist system has to go.
Inspiring bus ride and protest
Speeches, music, chanting, and even dancing revved people up as water and sandwiches were shared. There was never a moment of quiet. The bus ride was full of cheer and anger against President Alvaro Uribe, the imperialist killer of Colombia. We listened to Colombian protest songs, sang a version of Bella Ciao, and prepared for the march.
On arrival, we unloaded signs and equipment to join the group already there. Hundreds of people soon began marching. As we passed the White House, speakers aimed their words at the tourists, telling them that the Colombian government was killing its people using U.S. dollars and training. Chants and singing were constant, alternating spanish and english.
Signs were carefully spread out for display near a tent, where water and supplies were ready and microphones were set up. Speeches, songs, and poetry in spanish and english continued for six hours while many retreated to the shade.
Smash imperialism with international working-class unity
A comrade gave a speech at the rally, attacking imperialism and the role of the U.S. and Biden in Colombian fascism. Part of the political message at the rally was that Colombia needs democracy and that Uribe is an anti-democratic killer. But our comrade listed a few of the countries devastated by U.S. imperialism: Mexico, India, Gaza, Chile and Brazil. She listed a few more of the many that receive funding from the U.S. for military and war: Afghanistan, Egypt, South Africa, Congo (Kinshasa), Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Ethiopia, Kenya.
She listed the skyrocketing atrocities against the working class in Colombia: 3,789 cases of police brutality, 1,248 victims of physical violence by the police, 1,649 arbitrary arrests, 705 violent interventions by the public force, 65 victims with injuries to their eyes, 187 cases of firearm shootings by the police, 25 victims of sexual assault, 45 victims of homicides allegedly committed by the public force and 29 currently under verification (Temblores, 5/28).
There was some nationalism at this protest. In PLP we believe that workers in the U.S. and Colombia are part of one class, separated by borders that were created and enforced by capitalist stooges like Joe Biden, Uribe and Donald Trump. The chant, "el pueblo unido, jamás será vencido" [The people united will never be defeated] was popular on the march. PLP members instead chanted "los  obreros unidos, jamás serán vencidos"
[The workers united will never be defeated]. This was also well received. For the emancipation of all workers we must become united against the capitalist class and that means fighting all their stooges, Biden and Kamala Harris, not just Trump and Uribe. People on the bus saw the connection to the struggle in Palestine. Although there is a thread of nationalism, class solidarity is strong.
The bus ride home was quiet at first,  but after a brief stop, the speeches and music began. A comrade thanked the group for being an inspiration. We had distributed copies of CHALLENGE and made contacts.
Workers: let’s make the world ours
Uribe said on Twitter: “We support the right of soldiers and police to use their weapons to defend their integrity and to defend people and things from the criminal action of the vandal’s terrrorism.”
Throughout history, the capitalists, the ruling class, like Uribe, Santos, Samper, Marta L.Ramírez, Trump, Biden, and their governments, have used nationalism, racism, sexism, other divisions by regions among our country or cities, to divide us and advance their political and economic agendas. They protect their interests, their money, their profits and their wealth.
But no more!
It was wonderful that so many people from all over the U.S. and Canada were able to organize themselves without the need of any politicians. That’s a bit of working class power; a small step toward communism. We need to abolish all forms of discrimination and police brutality. We need to smash racism, sexism, classism and capitalism. We need to organize for communist revolution. Then the world will be ours.