NEWTON, MA, September 29— In Newton today, Progressive Labor Party demonstrated and leafleted against Israeli Zionist genocide in Gaza, and against the Zionist who shot anti-genocide protester Caleb Gannon in Newton on September 12. Standing up to such attacks is critical, and inspires other antiracist fighters.
By our discipline, a careful plan, and commitment to fighting Zionist genocide, we overcame some initial fears, and sent the message that Zionist intimidation will not be tolerated.
Fighting Zionist terror head on
In heavily Jewish Newton, we got a very positive response. "Thank you for doing this!" "I'm very glad to see you here." "I'm totally with you." People in cars stopped to grab our leaflets, and honked support for our signs. A smaller number were overtly hostile or made threats.
Caleb’s shooting is part of an escalating pattern of attacks pursued by Zionists in the Boston area. It includes attacks on college students who protested the mass bombings of the civilian population in Gaza, attacks on college professors and administrators that refused to support Israeli government fascism, and the attempt to label anyone that criticizes Israel as anti-Semitic. Even more, the media has basically ignored the story of Matthew Nelson who in an extreme act of protest against the genocide, committed self-immolation in front of Boston's Israeli consulate on September 11 (Cape Cod Times, 9/25). We offer condolences to Matthew's family and friends.
Students and workers need to build a multiracial, mass movement for an egalitarian communist society. We must unite Jewish, Palestinian and all workers to defeat Zionism, anti-Semitism and nationalism and reject all capitalists, whether Israeli rulers or Hamas. If we must fight a war, let it be to eliminate capitalism and build an egalitarian world.