On Fri. June 19, a crowd of about 75 people gathered at Centro del Pueblo in San Francisco to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. Attendants viewed a slideshow that showcased the development of the party and the many struggles it has been involved in throughout the last five years.
The Alliance for a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines and the Free Palestine Alliance presented solidarity statements. Dr. Henry Clark of the West County Toxics Coalition, also expressing his solidarity with the PSL, gave a report on their work fighting environmental destruction in North Richmond where the community recently won a victory against Chevron Texaco.
Dr. Henry Clark, of the West County Toxics
Coalition, speaks at the 5th anniversary meeting of
the PSL. San Francisco
The program also included talks on the crisis of capitalism and the struggle for socialism. Richard Becker spoke of the need for a revolutionary working-class party and the achievements of the PSL during its first five years. The program and discussion was followed by a reception including birthday cake and a toast to the struggles of working and oppressed people throughout the world.
During the program, PSL member Cristina Gutierrez reminded everyone that while our party continues to fight for reforms within the system to win gains for the working class, that is not where our final goal lies. We must organize and build class-consciousness as part of the struggle to overcome the capitalist system and lead the working class in a socialist revolution.
As PSL member Nathalie Hrizi closed her talk on socialism:
“In the United States, socialism is not only possible; it is more necessary now than ever. The Communist Manifesto yet again applies 161 years later. To close, the pamphlet Marx and Engels wrote: ‘Communists “openly declare that their ends can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions. Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communistic revolution. The workers have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Workers of the world, unite!’”
Let us remember those words as we march into this next year of struggle.
