MARYLAND, December 19, 2023—Tonight the fight against Zionist efforts to intimidate teachers who have supported Palestinian workers in Gaza took another step forward.  The teachers have not been content to rely only on grievance procedures and lawyers but have continued to organize and speak up. Over 130 protestors gathered outside the Board of Education tonight in the cold to support the “Solidarity Not Silence” campaign.

Parents, teachers, students, and community members vigorously chanted, “When teachers are under attack, what do we do, stand up, fight back!” and  “Jewish, Arab, Black and white, workers of the world unite.”  After several sharp speeches from teachers, members of the Progressive Labor Party (PLP), Jewish Voice For Peace, and Palestinian students, a group of about 50 marched over to the building where the closed meeting was being held and chanted and pounded on the windows. PLP members distributed nearly 50 CHALLENGEs with articles about this struggle and the fight at the American Public Health Association (CHALLENGE, 1/3).

Anti-Zionist teachers attacked
At least five teachers have now been put on administrative leave since  November 15 in this wealthy county on the border of  Washington DC.  A Takoma Park Middle School teacher was charged with antisemitism because of Facebook posts protesting the massive attacks on Palestinian civilians by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Another teacher had a tagline on her email that said, “From the river to the sea” and is being attacked for having something “political”  -- a charge that has not been used against others with a variety of political slogans. One of the teachers at the rally said, “I am not surprised at the attack since the ‘progressive ’ community can’t handle this issue - they separate over Israel.” Indeed the county has a reputation for being liberal but last year the council passed a resolution that “anti-Zionism is antisemitism” and this year the U.S. Congress did the same thing. Students at Towson University were disciplined and the organization, CASA, which serves the immigrant population had its funding cut. Obviously “free speech” does not extend to critiques of U.S. imperialism.

Focus on destroying capitalism
PLP members have the responsibility to move the discussion beyond free speech debates. One member summed up our outlook by stating “This is about the economic system of capitalism that depends on the exploitation and misery of the entire human population to survive. This is about the U.S. government’s desperation to control resources such as oil, pipelines, and sea routes in the Middle East. …Hundreds of thousands of workers around the world say no to the continued genocide of the Palestinians. Hamas, the PLO, these misleaders cannot be trusted to end the exploitation and murder of the workers in Palestine. Only an international movement against capitalism can free the workers of the world.” After this everyone joined in the chant: Same Enemy, Same Fight, Workers of the World Unite!