“I haven’t heard from any of my family in Gaza since they shut the power off. It’s basically a litmus test for being a self-respecting Communist of any kind to support the Palestinian people, but remember… you have more of a voice than any of the two million in Gaza who have been cut off… use it wisely.”
These were the solemn words offered by a member of the Louisville Club of the Communist Party U.S.A. (CPUSA) on October 11th, just four days after news of the war in Palestine broke. Three days later, on October 14th, the Club, along with the Young Communist League (YCL) of Louisville, participated in a joint solidarity rally at the Big Four Bridge along the Ohio River, proudly proclaiming their unwavering support for the Palestinian people and their struggle against Israeli apartheid and Western imperialism.
Louisville CPUSA and YCL rally on the Big Four Bridge, Kentucky, October 14th, 2023
“The fight that the Palestinians wage for their liberation is the same fight that the Haitians waged in centuries past, the same that the indigenous peoples of this country are still fighting to this day.” said Tariq, an organizer with the Young Communist League of Louisville, in a speech he delivered at the rally. “And yet the narrative is so viciously spun as to create an enemy out of the innocent. But don’t be mistaken: this is by design… The settler-colonial State of Israel has made their genocidal stance towards the Palestinians abundantly clear… The Young Communist League of Louisville stands in unwavering solidarity with Palestine and all working and oppressed peoples of this world.”
“We use our voices here, across this country, and the world over, to demand an end to the apartheid regime of the State of Israel. We demand an end to the capitalist imperialist destruction wrought by the United States and its regime allies.” said Benjamin, an organizer with the Louisville Club of the Communist Party. “We stand in unwavering solidarity, as working people, with Palestine and all oppressed people. And we struggle, together, for the day when the chains of capitalist imperialism, colonialism, oppression, and exploitation are relegated to the dustbin of history where they belong, when working people, the world over, may live in peace!”
People everywhere, but especially young people, are firmly standing in solidarity with those under siege in Gaza. Those in Louisville, Kentucky have certainly been no exception. Partnering with Louisville Students for Justice in Palestine, the YCL of Louisville has participated in numerous rallies, demonstrations, and protests in support of Palestine, providing security, material aid, and participants at each event. Student organizers have faced doxing, surveillance, and threats for their activism.
CPUSA member Benjamin A. Berry speaking at a pro-Palestine event near the Big Four Bridge, Kentucky, October 14th, 2023
The Louisville Club of the Communist Party has been equally active in the realm of solidarity with Palestine. From a statement released by the Club on October 7th, the day the war broke out in Gaza:
“Our Party firmly believes in the principles of self-determination, justice, and equality for all peoples. The Palestinian struggle is emblematic of the broader global struggle against capitalist imperialism, colonialism, and oppression. We acknowledge the right of oppressed peoples to use all available means, including armed resistance, to secure their freedom and sovereignty… We pledge our support to those working tirelessly for a just and lasting peace in the region… We will continue to stand with our Palestinian comrades, amplifying their voices… Together, we can build a better future for all.”
The Club provided members to assist with a Labor Supports Palestine coalition, through which local union members have been pushing their labor organizations to call for a cease fire. The Club has also partnered with the Party for Socialism and Liberation-Louisville in numerous demonstrations, providing security, march marshals, speakers, material aid, and participants. Additionally, members attended an event, “Black Solidarity with Palestine,” organized by Community Control Now (CCN): Louisville, a police abolition group, on November 12th.
The ties between capitalism and the current conflict in Gaza cannot be ignored. Both the Louisville Club of the Communist Party and the Young Communist League of Louisville have been unrelenting in their education and organization around this dilemma. The current crisis in Gaza, brought about by Western imperialism and Israeli apartheid—combined with growing Labor militancy, economic downturns which have been devastating working people throughout the country, and the rise of far-Right attacks against the most oppressed and marginalized in society—has radicalized the youth of Louisville and has raised the level of class consciousness, swelling the ranks of socialists throughout the area.
Facing the threats of global devastation by war and climate change, young people are taking up the legacy of revolutionaries before them and are organizing for a new society which will be built upon the foundation of meeting the needs of human beings. As 2023 comes to a close, these young organizers are preparing for further actions, demonstrations, and protests which will boost and amplify this rising tide of radicalism and will target the very system which perpetuates the suffering in Palestine, here in Kentucky, and the world over: capitalism. Only through international solidarity and the unflagging work of revolutionaries can this system be abolished and then replaced with one which will finally bring lasting peace to the suffering and oppressed of the world.
Wed, December 27, 2023
Commentary
The Berea Torch
By Benjamin A. Berry
“I haven’t heard from any of my family in Gaza since they shut the power off. It’s basically a litmus test for being a self-respecting Communist of any kind to support the Palestinian people, but remember… you have more of a voice than any of the two million in Gaza who have been cut off… use it wisely.”
These were the solemn words offered by a member of the Louisville Club of the Communist Party U.S.A. (CPUSA) on October 11th, just four days after news of the war in Palestine broke. Three days later, on October 14th, the Club, along with the Young Communist League (YCL) of Louisville, participated in a joint solidarity rally at the Big Four Bridge along the Ohio River, proudly proclaiming their unwavering support for the Palestinian people and their struggle against Israeli apartheid and Western imperialism.
“The fight that the Palestinians wage for their liberation is the same fight that the Haitians waged in centuries past, the same that the indigenous peoples of this country are still fighting to this day.” said Tariq, an organizer with the Young Communist League of Louisville, in a speech he delivered at the rally. “And yet the narrative is so viciously spun as to create an enemy out of the innocent. But don’t be mistaken: this is by design… The settler-colonial State of Israel has made their genocidal stance towards the Palestinians abundantly clear… The Young Communist League of Louisville stands in unwavering solidarity with Palestine and all working and oppressed peoples of this world.”
“We use our voices here, across this country, and the world over, to demand an end to the apartheid regime of the State of Israel. We demand an end to the capitalist imperialist destruction wrought by the United States and its regime allies.” said Benjamin, an organizer with the Louisville Club of the Communist Party. “We stand in unwavering solidarity, as working people, with Palestine and all oppressed people. And we struggle, together, for the day when the chains of capitalist imperialism, colonialism, oppression, and exploitation are relegated to the dustbin of history where they belong, when working people, the world over, may live in peace!”
People everywhere, but especially young people, are firmly standing in solidarity with those under siege in Gaza. Those in Louisville, Kentucky have certainly been no exception. Partnering with Louisville Students for Justice in Palestine, the YCL of Louisville has participated in numerous rallies, demonstrations, and protests in support of Palestine, providing security, material aid, and participants at each event. Student organizers have faced doxing, surveillance, and threats for their activism.
The Louisville Club of the Communist Party has been equally active in the realm of solidarity with Palestine. From a statement released by the Club on October 7th, the day the war broke out in Gaza:
“Our Party firmly believes in the principles of self-determination, justice, and equality for all peoples. The Palestinian struggle is emblematic of the broader global struggle against capitalist imperialism, colonialism, and oppression. We acknowledge the right of oppressed peoples to use all available means, including armed resistance, to secure their freedom and sovereignty… We pledge our support to those working tirelessly for a just and lasting peace in the region… We will continue to stand with our Palestinian comrades, amplifying their voices… Together, we can build a better future for all.”
The Club provided members to assist with a Labor Supports Palestine coalition, through which local union members have been pushing their labor organizations to call for a cease fire. The Club has also partnered with the Party for Socialism and Liberation-Louisville in numerous demonstrations, providing security, march marshals, speakers, material aid, and participants. Additionally, members attended an event, “Black Solidarity with Palestine,” organized by Community Control Now (CCN): Louisville, a police abolition group, on November 12th.
The ties between capitalism and the current conflict in Gaza cannot be ignored. Both the Louisville Club of the Communist Party and the Young Communist League of Louisville have been unrelenting in their education and organization around this dilemma. The current crisis in Gaza, brought about by Western imperialism and Israeli apartheid—combined with growing Labor militancy, economic downturns which have been devastating working people throughout the country, and the rise of far-Right attacks against the most oppressed and marginalized in society—has radicalized the youth of Louisville and has raised the level of class consciousness, swelling the ranks of socialists throughout the area.
Facing the threats of global devastation by war and climate change, young people are taking up the legacy of revolutionaries before them and are organizing for a new society which will be built upon the foundation of meeting the needs of human beings. As 2023 comes to a close, these young organizers are preparing for further actions, demonstrations, and protests which will boost and amplify this rising tide of radicalism and will target the very system which perpetuates the suffering in Palestine, here in Kentucky, and the world over: capitalism. Only through international solidarity and the unflagging work of revolutionaries can this system be abolished and then replaced with one which will finally bring lasting peace to the suffering and oppressed of the world.
Republished from Berea Torch.
https://bereatorch.com/2023/12/27/louisville-communists-stand-in-solidarity-with-palestine-amidst-global-struggles-against-imperialism-and-apartheid/
The Berea Torch
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