Building a revolutionary Marxist party in the heart of world imperialism is the aim of the PSL. Our ultimate goal is a profound transformation of society from parasitic capitalism to true liberation—socialism.
From its inception in 2004, the PSL has engaged in every facet of the ongoing class struggle in the United States. In
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Taking a moment to review some of what the PSL and its allies have accomplished in the past year illustrates what a dedicated group of revolutionaries can do and gives us a path for action in the year ahead.
Spreading socialism
A central task for a revolutionary party in non-revolutionary times is to become an organization of spreading socialist ideas. The PSL took great strides in developing its agitation and propaganda apparatus in 2007.
Liberation newspaper, the new biweekly organ of the PSL, hit street corners and newsstands in June. Since then, tens of thousands of copies have been distributed on subways, in the streets, and at demonstrations, political meetings, schools and workplaces throughout the country. Liberation is a manifestation of the PSL’s political program. It is a dynamic news source and provides a Marxist analysis of world and domestic events and struggles.
With the transition to a regular newspaper, Socialism and Liberation magazine became a quarterly publication, taking a more theoretical approach to pressing political issues. The fall 2007 issue tackled Venezuela’s unfolding Bolivarian Revolution. The winter 2008 issue is a book-length examination of China—from the 1949 revolution to now.
The Party’s website, pslweb.org, has grown in popularity, drawing an increasing number of readers for articles on issues important to workers in the United States and across the world. Updated at least twice weekly, pslweb.org has become a source for working-class people to find out about the ills of capitalism and how to fight them.
Our publications are written, edited, designed and distributed by PSL members and friends.
Anti-war struggle
Some of the PSL’s most visible work in the past year has been in the movement against the war. The PSL is a National Steering Committee member of the ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism).
We have encouraged more and more people to join the anti-war and social justice movement and continued to forge a principled and broad-based grassroots opposition to the government’s war for empire.
On March 17, 2007, the PSL helped ANSWER organize the March on the Pentagon, marking the 40th anniversary of the historic “From Protest to Resistance” march during the Vietnam War. Hundreds of veterans, active duty servicepersons and their families led tens of thousands who marched despite a massive snowstorm that hit the Northeast. Tens of thousands more marched in Los Angeles, San Francisco and other cities, marking the fourth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.
This demonstration illustrated the promise of drawing new forces into anti-war activism: students and young workers, families and labor as well as the growing participation of Iraq veterans, active-duty personnel and their families.
In the late spring, ANSWER issued a call which posed the question: Can a people’s movement in the United States overcome the commitment of the White House, Congress and the Pentagon to authorize, extend and finance the war and occupation in Iraq?
This strategy guided plans for the protests on Sept. 15 in Washington, D.C., and on Oct. 27 around the country.
On Sept. 15, the day that Gen. Petraeus’s report on Iraq was due, ANSWER joined with Veterans for Peace, National Council of Arab Americans, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Code Pink, Cindy Sheehan, Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation, U.S. Labor Against the War and many others to sponsor a march of 100,000 people from the White House to Congress. Thousands joined a dramatic “Die-In” surrounding the Capitol building. Around 190 people were arrested by Capitol riot police who tried to stop protestors from taking their anti-war message to Congress.
We heard from people from all over the country who said that this was the first demonstration they had ever participated in and that for each it was a significant shift in their political lives.
In an assessment, PSL member and ANSWER national coordinator Brian Becker wrote: “The Sept. 15 March on Washington was unique. When the large crowd, with so many high school and college students in attendance, poured into the streets, the excitement and buzz was palpable. People knew they were part of something very special, something different from the earlier anti-war marches. This may be a harbinger of an even greater unity in the anti-war movement among Iraq war veterans and military families, the Arab American and Muslim communities, students and youth, the immigrant rights movement and other oppressed working-class communities.”
The very next month, the PSL played a major role in organizing the Oct. 27 National Day of Protest against the Iraq war. ANSWER initiated the Oct. 27 demonstrations in San Francisco, Los Angeles, South Florida, Seattle and Chattanooga, Tenn., and joined fully in mobilizing for marches and rallies in Boston, Chicago and other cities.
The Jena 6 case
In the midst of organizing 2007’s nationally significant anti-war actions, the case of six young Black men in Jena, La. came to public light. The PSL responded. PSL leaders at Howard University organized 2,000 students in a rally to support the Jena 6. Organizers from around the country traveled to Louisiana on several occasions to help foster activism around the case, culminating in the Sept. 20 march for justice of 50,000 people.
On Nov. 7, when the last of the six African American high school students was back in court on trumped-up charges, the PSL mobilized for and organized demonstrations in 10 cities, including New York City, Washington, D.C., New Haven, Conn., Chicago, Sioux Falls, S.D., Miami, Los Angeles, Reno, Nev., Seattle and San Francisco. In New York City, PSL members and friends petitioned on behalf of the Jena 6, collecting thousands of signatures in Harlem.
The PSL also defended targeted African American youth in the similar Palmdale 4 case in California.
Around the country, and the world
PSL offices around the country are centers of activism and theoretical study. In San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, Seattle, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and elsewhere, the PSL has full time offices filled with volunteers working to deepen the struggle for socialism. Organizers are working to end the war, doing community organizing and outreach, fighting against racism, sexism, anti-LGBT bigotry, immigrant bashing and police brutality, and holding socialism conferences and workshops, public forums, teach-ins, cultural events and film showings.
In Los Angeles, the PSL mobilized thousands for a massive April 7 rally for immigrant rights organized by Latino Movement USA, Hermandad Mexicana Nacional and the ANSWER Coalition. PSL leaders in nearby San Juan Capistrano led the struggle against a racist gang injunction, mobilizing the largest protest in the city’s history. A Regional Conference on Socialism brought over 150 people to Los Angeles.
In New York City, PSL members organized support rallies against CIA intervention in Venezuela. The NYC branch organized a highly-successful Socialist Women’s conference.
In Washington, D.C., the PSL organized against the record fare increase for public transit. PSL members also helped lead the struggle to win justice for DeOnté Rawlings, an African American youth killed by D.C. cops.
In Chicago, PSL members helped organize and participated in rallies against police brutality and LGBT bigotry.
In New London, Conn., PSL members provided leadership in an ANSWER-organized protest against President Bush outside the Coast Guard Academy where he delivered the commencement address.
In Miami, the PSL has lent support to the Immokalee Farm Workers’ struggle.
These are just a few examples of the vibrant organizing going on every day out of PSL branches and organizing centers around the country.
The PSL is growing. New layers of committed activists and organizers have entered our ranks. Branches were founded recently in Baltimore, Md., and Sioux Falls, S.D., and members have joined in Boston, Tennessee, Reno, Nev., and elsewhere. We are meeting people interested in revolutionary Marxism in cities and towns across the country.
Branches located in other cities like Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Miami, Chicago, New Haven, Conn., and Washington, D.C. have experienced significant numerical growth.
The PSL is also very active in the movement in solidarity with socialist Cuba. Defending Cuba’s socialist revolution is a key part of our internationalist work.
In April, the PSL mobilized for demonstrations demanding the extradition of the CIA-sponsored Cuban right-wing terrorist Luis Posada Carriles who has been harbored in the United States and who has organized attacks on civilians, including the bombing of a Cuban airliner in 1976 which killed all 73 people on board.
On May 11, the day that Posada was due to appear in court in El Paso, Tex., demonstrations were held in that city, New York City, Washington, D.C., Albuquerque, Pittsburgh, Charlotte, N.C., Miami, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston and other U.S. cities; Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal, Canada; and cities across Latin America, including Buenos Aires, Argentina, Santiago, Chile and Mexico City.
PSL members provide leadership to the work of the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five. We also have initiated and participated in many activities in solidarity with other political prisoners, including Leonard Peltier, Mumia Abu-Jamal, the Angola 3 and the San Francisco 8.
The PSL also has continued to work with its ANSWER allies to support the Palestinian national liberation struggle. PSL members in California and across the country are building for the May 2008 Convention hosted by Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition. We have continued to raise the right of return as a fundamental principle in support of self-determination for those oppressed by racist colonialism.
In December, the PSL sent members to represent the U.S. anti-war movement and speak at the World Against War International Peace Conference in London. PSL delegates have traveled to Venezuela, Cuba, Japan, Korea and Canada over the past year to participate in anti-war and other international solidarity events.
As we move forward in 2008, it is imperative to build working-class consciousness as we continue to forge a new, vibrant movement for socialism. Our activism and organization will only increase in the months ahead.
Join us in the fight for socialism. Join us in the movement for revolutionary change.
