On Saturday, June 14, while Trump sat under a drizzly grey sky observing the underwhelming spectacle of his military birthday parade in Washington DC, an estimated  4–6 million people demonstrated across over 2,000 cities. The comrades of the RCA hit the streets in force, bringing a clear message of class independence: Down with Trump, and the Democrats, too! Neither party represents you! Build a revolutionary party!

The “No Kings” protest was politically mixed. Its liberal organizers were clearly linked to the Democratic Party, desperate to claw its way out of the worst polling figures in its history. As a result, many of the protests had a street festival atmosphere, with loudspeakers and plenty of American flags. The overseas wing of the Democratic Party rebranded the event from “No Kings” to “No Tyrants” in an effort to avoid offending “friendly” monarchies. Regardless of the eclecticism and bad politics of the organizers, the crowds that came out were far from a homogenous bloc calling to “vote blue, no matter who.”

After recent scenes of brutal repression in Los Angeles—carried out by a Democrat-run police department, on the watch of a Democrat mayor and governor—the simmering anger of millions is directed against both ruling parties.

Revolutionary communist contingents mobilized in every corner of the country to tap into this mood and direct it toward the creation of a fighting force against the only minority harming the American working class: the capitalists.

Our program met with an eager audience: by the end of the day, 580 people had signed up to learn about joining the party, and 678 left with a copy of The Communist in their hands. The latest reports tally $4,394 in sales—a reflection of our comrades’ success in putting forward the political clarity so many are craving at this moment.

The reports we received from over 30 cities highlight the impact that even a small group of communists can have, when they cut through the widespread eclecticism and liberal confusion with a class-war message.

In Philadelphia, where the crowd swelled to 100,000, comrades sold 55 copies of The Communist and even recruited a new comrade on the spot who signed up for monthly dues of $160. Our Seattle comrades reported being swarmed by contacts, and sold 70 copies of The Communist. In Chicago, our marching contingent of 20 comrades was joined by six new people. This included one young demonstrator who complained about the liberal atmosphere full of American flags, and told our comrades that when he saw our hammer and sickle flags, he thought “Finally! These must be normal people.”

Notably, the warm reception to a bold communist banner was not limited to large coastal cities, but was apparent in the rest of the country, including rural, supposed “red states,” and in the South. In Boise, Idaho, our contingent of six comrades found an exceptional echo, raising $385 in sales and donations, and selling 44 papers. Even in Boone, North Carolina—a town with a population of 19,000 nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains—four comrades worked through the crowd and collected $50 in sales, before boldly leading the nearby crowd in chanting: “From the belly of the beast, hands off the Middle East!”

Earlier that morning, the comrades had shown up to a small rally in the even smaller town of Morganton, NC (population 17,000), only to have the liberal organizers summon the police to escort them out of the rally, claiming that the courthouse lawn was a rented venue requiring “prior approval.” Undeterred by this scandalous undemocratic action, the comrades drove 50 miles to Boone, where they found five people eager to join the RCA. One of them told a comrade they had been a disillusioned member of the soft-left Democratic Socialists of America. “I didn’t know there were any alternatives,” the contact said. “Now you do!” our comrades replied, cheerfully.

In New Orleans, one of the newest branches of the RCA, comrades energetically addressed the crowd with an agitational speech, and recruited five new dues-paying members to the party right after! In Detroit, also a relatively new base for the party, eight comrades brought in $432, selling 53 papers, and signed up 38 contacts eager to get involved.

In every region, the reports sent in by our correspondents indicate the immense potential for class independent ideas to gain traction and become a genuine force. As the crisis of the system intensifies, so does our urgency to build a party that can give this force a real political backbone!

Below is a sample of the reports that have been coming in since Saturday.

Phoenix: “This is pretty based. How do I join?”

Far from a militant atmosphere, the protest featured a bouncy castle and music blaring from loudspeakers on a stage, courtesy of “No Kings.”

Our table received a staggering amount of attention, even in the 100 degree heat. We sold nearly $200 of communist literature and made at least 23 contacts.

Copies of the RCA’s recent flyers regarding ICE flew from hands. We were completely out within two hours. We got stickers from an incoming comrade, and those too were gone within the hour.

Despite the rigorously enforced block-party atmosphere, the underlying turmoil of American capitalism made itself known. People came to our table from all different backgrounds and age groups. The common through-line was hatred for capitalism, hatred for the status quo, hatred for the establishment, and a desire to get involved somehow.

When we asked, “How do you feel about the Democrats?” We’d be met with responses like, “They’re cowards,” “They don’t do enough,” and “They don’t do anything.”

The most surprising encounter: we were approached by an elderly ex-Navy man who said he thinks communism is good for the people—and is the way forward.

Another younger guy came up to the table, looking at the display of Marxist literature, and said, “I gotta say … This is pretty based. How do I join?”

One young woman passed by the table and nearly didn’t stop, but the front page of The Communist caught her eye. She looped back around and said, “Alright, you hooked me. Whatcha’ got?” We explained that we’re trying to build a mass workers party and recruiting politically advanced workers and youth who are fed up with capitalism.

We also met a DSA member who was unhappy with his liberal-socialist organization, but didn’t seem to understand our party and program. We pierced through this and sparked his interest. Now, he’ll be joining us at an upcoming communist cell meeting.

He was one of countless people we met who understood the necessity of working-class organization, but didn’t know how to do it or what it would look like. In this environment, the RCA’s political clarity stood out.

It’s an excellent time to be a communist.

—Cory, Phoenix, AZ

San Diego: “Down with Trump, and the Democrats, too”

The “No Kings” protest in downtown San Diego is estimated to have mobilized around 60,000 people. The crowd was mostly liberal.

While some on the so-called “left” called for Governor Gavin Newsom “to use his authority” to call off the National Guard and marines, our agitation was aimed at exposing both parties. Only the working class can stop this terror! It’s the LAPD that is cracking heads in LA—and it’s run by Democrats!

We explained that to fight the terror unleashed by Trump, we need to organize the working class independently of the ruling class parties. Workers need our own party to fight back and take control of society ourselves.

We asked everyone what they thought we needed to do about the ICE raids and to Trump. Most people said they didn’t know, and that’s why they were there. No one except the communists had an answer! When asked people if they thought the Democrats were fit to lead the fight, most answered emphatically, “Hell no!”

We led chants like: “Down with Trump, Democrats too, neither party represents you!” “No bosses, no cops, the working class can not be stopped!” “One struggle, one fight, workers of the world unite!” “No war but class war!” These brought us a lot of attention and got an echo from the crowd.

As we debriefed, we were consistently interrupted by people coming up to talk and buy papers. In total, we sold 22 papers for $112 dollars and made 23 contacts. We are now working to recruit them to the only party preparing for revolution!

—San Diego RCA

Detroit: We sold out of ALL papers, past and current issues!

Detroit’s “No Kings” was very liberal, more like a picnic for older Democrats than a protest. However, there were plenty of people hungry for more.

The comrades sold 53 papers. One man paid $50 for a paper in solidarity! Our table was swarmed. We made 38 contacts and sold out of all papers, past and current. We also sold other literature, including every copy of the Communist Manifesto we had on hand, for a total of $432!

Even after we sold out of almost everything, people still lined up at our table, expressing interest in joining the party. The protest may have been a liberal flop, but the revolutionary fervor was palpable.

—Chris, Detroit

Chicago—“I saw the hammer and sickle and thought these must be normal people!”

Far from a protest and closer to a music festival, the “No Kings” event in Chicago attracted all sorts. There was an expected—and rather large—layer of liberals but, more significantly, an equally large layer of disillusioned workers and youth looking for a revolutionary way forward.

When asked why they were attending, nobody responded with the “official” purpose of the march, or even the threat of “fascism.” Instead, the response was simply, “everything.” When we asked what was to be done about it, we got another unanimous answer, “I don’t know.”

How did the official speakers respond? “The times we are living in are scary. We should feel hopeless and afraid, because that is where the will to fight comes from.” Our comrades couldn’t believe we were hearing the quiet part out loud, “You should feel hopeless.”

Luckily, we understood that not only are these times not “hopeless,” but they are, in fact, the most fruitful time for communist organizing. People don’t find the will to fight in hopelessness. They find it knowing what they are fighting for is possible and necessary.

One high-school student beelined to our table and said, “Why are there so many American flags at a protest? I saw the hammer and sickle and thought: these must be normal people.” At just 15, he had already drawn the correct conclusions, and asked to march with us!

As the march began, two more students and a worker asked to join our comrades. Halfway through, a few more students asked to help chant and hold banners, adding six total to our contingent. Throughout the entire march, our slogans of “One solution, communist revolution” and “We declare a class war” were echoed, even among the usually “hopeless” liberals.

When liberals encourage hopelessness, our comrades intervene to show what’s possible.

—Austin, Chicago, IL

Denver: Energy, commitment, confidence, and clarity  

Our comrades returned from the RCA’s Second National Congress several weeks prior with renewed energy and commitment, and that was reflected in the confidence and clarity we brought to our work at “No Kings.”

The event drew nearly 10,000 protestors disenchanted with the system. It was largely liberal in character, but our comrades worked to provide a clear revolutionary alternative, rooted in the party’s program and ideas.

Our literature table was busy. We raised $276, selling 30 copies of The Communist, pamphlets, The Communist Manifesto, In Defence of Marxism magazines, and books. A new record for the Denver RCA!

We noticed the effects immediately. There were four new faces at our communist cell meeting the next day! Another new contact wrote into the RCA website saying, “I’ve been a silent creeper of the theory for a long time, but I’ve never taken the step to actually join. Then I met someone at the ‘No Kings’ protest, and it inspired me to finally do something instead of just reading about it.”

—Nick, Denver, CO

Seattle: Leading Chants at No Kings

On Saturday, 30 comrades attended Seattle’s “No Kings” demonstration. We weren’t sure what to expect. We approached the event with clear political perspectives, arming ourselves with The Communist’s recently published articles on ICE and LA, BLM, and Trump, as well as the latest RCI bulletin.

The turn out was massive, 70,000 according to the Seattle Times, making it one of the largest protests in the city’s history. People immediately saw our comrades as offering something different than the milquetoast politics professed by the liberal and soft-left speakers, including a representative from the office of the state Attorney General— Washington state’s “top cop.”

We found ourselves selling papers at a rapid clip. Comrades began running out quickly, as we’ve already had a successful run of paper sales since returning from the Second National Congress.

A couple of comrades led chants of “One struggle, one fight! Workers of the world unite!” Marchers and bystanders joined in cheerfully.

The march stretched for well over a mile, pushing down Pine to 4th Ave, before heading to the Space Needle. Once we got there, we posted at a major choke point, agitating, holding up the paper, and making our presence known. By the end of the day, we’d sold over 70 papers, collected $352, and got 60 contacts!

It’s clear that this summer will be one of energetic activity and growth for the party in Seattle. Our task now is to take these contacts and turn them into recruits, get our ideas into their hands, and train them to be the Bolshevik party-builders we need to help us reach 10,000 communists in the US.

—Rose, Seattle, WA

New Orleans: Five recruits in one day!

New Orleans comrades arrived early for the protest, which put us in a position to talk to everyone as they arrived. Our first recruit of the day was made within the first hour! It also allowed for us to feel out the political mood of the protest. It was a liberal movement for the older protesters, who were simply calling for a change in the oppressor from Trump to any available Democrat.

The liberal organizers seemed shocked that younger people were there. Signs stating “If Kamala won we would be at brunch right now” showed that the main political current was a resurgence of lesser-evilism.

Before the protest march started, a comrade delivered a political briefing on our job as communists at the “No Kings” protest. We reinforced our political program perspectives, so we could introduce them to sympathizers, many of whom agreed to march alongside the RCA.

Once the march started, the lack of professionalism from the liberal and liberal-socialist organizations was apparent. The protest seemed like a joke. There were no class-conscious chants. Instead, the liberals and soft lefts used New Orleans’s Mardi Gras culture in an attempt to make this protest into a party.

We decided to use some of the chants we learned at Congress: “Fight Trump, and the Democrats too, neither party represents you,” and a crowd favorite “Down with the elephant down with the ass, build a party of the working class.” These chants changed the atmosphere. They were first met with anger from the older liberals. But as we continued, the younger people began to chant. Many came over and joined our contingent.

While the liberal leaders gave speeches that bored most people, we talked to as many workers and young people as possible. When the “official” speeches came to an end, one of our comrades gave an “unofficial” speech, which we’d workshopped in advance of the rally.

While he spoke, a crowd formed around him. He drew parallels with the George Floyd movement of 2020 and the betrayals of the liberals. We immediately approached anyone in the audience who looked like they agreed, and invited them to a nearby cafe to continue this discussion. Seven contacts came!

Comrades focused all of our attention on these contacts, and we recruited four of them! Another three contacts are coming to communist cell meetings this week.

Our ability to win over some of the advanced workers and youth at the protest shows why we need political preparation and a bold approach to recruitment.

—Ethan, New Orleans, LA

Morganton and Boone, NC: Liberals called the cops on us

Today, comrades attended two contrasting “No Kings” protests in North Carolina, one in Morganton and one in Boone.

In Morganton, we were met with hostility. Liberal organizers stared us down, and before we could set up, police escorted us out at the organizers’ request, claiming the courthouse lawn was a rented venue—though no such information was available publicly. We were told we needed prior approval, yet no form or process was ever shared. It became clear this was more of a branded liberal event, complete with $60 merch and a stage, than a genuine protest.

Disappointed, we returned to Boone. Despite the late start, energy was building. Wearing RCA shirts, we engaged with attendees, distributing The Communist and making valuable connections. A young DSA member expressed deep dissatisfaction with her chapter’s lack of direction and political education. She showed interest in joining the RCA and attending our meetings.

Another DSA member echoed similar frustrations and was energized by our call for a revolutionary cadre organization. He eagerly purchased a paper and wanted to stay involved. We also spoke to a student journalist, whose questions allowed us to clearly state our goals: to organize the working class for real change. After our conversation, he said it was his best interview of the day and wanted to come to our communist cell meetings.

By the end, we’d sold $50 in papers and made five strong contacts. It’s increasingly clear that many youth are disillusioned with both major parties and are searching for a revolutionary alternative.

—Spencer, Boone, NC

Philadelphia: New member recruited on the spot at $160 dues! 

Thousands of people gathered in and around Love Park until we couldn’t see where the crowd ended. The bourgeois press claimed 100,000 in attendance. The demonstration was full of American flags and signs about “democracy.”

The RCA contingent stood out with our red flags, and our signs and slogans about smashing ICE through class war and how we need to fight Trump and the Democrats, too. This drew strong contacts interested in what we had to say. One sign illustrating ICE funding under Trump and under the Democrats drew a lot of attention throughout the event.

We were the only ones in hearing distance consistently leading chants during the march. For a section of the crowd, our chants garnered much more enthusiasm than the liberal “This is what democracy looks like” chant which halfheartedly sprung up on occasion and died down just as quickly.

The main messages of the speeches were in support of non-violence, respect for the rule of law and Constitution, and how Trump is contrary to the tradition of American “democracy.” We know that all three of those messages are misguided. The call to action at the end of the event was to text a message to a number to get updates on the “movement.” Because we were in Philadelphia, there were a lot of liberal appeals to the history of the city and how it has led the fight against tyrants and kings in the past.

One contact came up to us enthusiastically, saying he was a “baby communist” who had started to study Marxist theory on his own and was eager to join the party. One told us, “The speakers don’t get it, it’s the Constitution and how this country was built that’s the cause of the problems.” Another contact joined on the spot with $160 dues!

Others we talked to expressed discontent with the current political organization or local union they are a part of, which gave us a great opportunity to convince them of the need to build the RCA.

We agitated from beginning to end, which was worth it, because we got a rush of paper sales and a few strong contacts at the end. Overall, we made 36 contacts and sold 55 papers.

—Matthew, Philadelphia, PA

Texas: Communists hit the streets

Communists hit the streets across Texas. We had communists in Fort Worth, Dallas, Denton, Arlington, Austin, Houston, and even the small town of Sherman. In all of our interactions, the same sentiment was there: anger against Trump and ICE, but also no confidence in the Democrats.

The communists brought forth the need for class independence, an injury to one is an injury to all, lessons from the George Floyd uprising, and the need for organization of the movement. This message resonated with many we interacted with. We made 66 contacts in all the various cities and sold 68 papers.

Boldness and clarity in our ideas allowed us to make a splash wherever we were! Now is the time to boldly reach out to these contacts and continue to build the party.

—Jaybre, Dallas-Fort Worth, TX

Boston: Our preparations paid off

Boston comrades intervened in the city’s “No Kings” rally, which coincided with the city’s Pride parade. The night before, we strategically postered around the location of the parade, which helped people take notice of us. People also previously knew of us through our social media, including two from Western Massachusetts who said they were “happy to see us in real life.”

We stood out from the crowd with our flags and “Class war, not culture war” signs. Our interactions also showed the importance of political preparation by studying Marxist theory, including the contents of our most recent issue of The Communist. We brought up the connections between the anti-ICE protests in LA and the George Floyd movement, explaining how only through a mass revolutionary party can we avoid the mistakes of five years ago.

Our preparations paid off as we signed up 36 contacts, one of whom signed up immediately afterwards as a sustainer. We sold $157 in political literature, including 17 copies of The Communist!

—Anthony, Boston, MA

Boise, ID: RCA makes a splash at “No Kings”!

A contingent of just six Idaho communists intervened at the the “No Kings” anti-Trump protest at the capitol in Boise. We held a brief political discussion on Trumpism and ICE. Connecting constitutional crisis, immigration, and state repression to the broader crisis of capitalism equipped our comrades with the tools to provide rallygoers with answers.

The rally was one the largest gatherings Boise has ever seen, where thousands of demonstrators chanted and marched under the liberal organizer’s demands to “restore democracy,” or to kick Trump from office. The political vacuum in the American left confirms the need for a mass, class-independent worker’s party disciplined in Marxist theory.

Our perspectives resonated with many. Undeterred by the overwhelmingly liberal crowd, we conveyed that only an organized working class can defeat Trumpism and smash ICE by overthrowing the capitalist system. In total, we sold 44 copies of The Communist, 25 booklets, two IDOMs, and a copy of Colossus, raising $385!

—Carson, Boise, ID

Atlanta: “Proud Boys” booed and forced out

Nine Atlanta comrades attended the “No Kings” protest at the Georgia State Capitol. At first, it seemed like the crowd might be exclusively older liberals. However, the makeup shifted as more young people arrived.

We emphasized that it’s the capitalists, not the workers, who benefit from crackdowns on immigration. These crackdowns stoke fear into the hearts of undocumented workers, causing them to accept lower wages and thus enabling wages to be driven down for the entire working class.

Right before departing, we witnessed rightwing “Proud Boys” get booed and forced out of the protest by a large cohort of demonstrators.

It seems clear that a significant portion of the American working class is ready and searching for an alternative to the capitalist parties. We made 29 contacts.

—Parker, Atlanta, GA

Los Angeles: Building a battering ram to smash capitalism

Liberals called the “No Kings” demonstration in downtown LA, but it was the enraged working class which turned the protest into a march of 30,000 people.

Conversations about the need for a working class party went especially well, as many had the hypocrisy of Newsom and Bass’ handling of the protests fresh in their minds. Instead of immediately discussing weekly communist meetings in an apolitical manner, we explained that the RCA is building a battering ram to smash capitalism, which made people’s eyes light up.

The crowd seemed to move on its own, with no coordinated chants or speeches, which gave us full control over the mic in our section of the march.

We led chants like “Down with the elephant, down with the ass! Build a party for the working class!” and “From the belly of the beast, hands off the Middle East!” Afterwards we gave agitational speeches and talked to nearby people. By the end of the day, we left with 26 contacts, as well as 30 papers sold.

—Mia, Los Angeles, CA

NYC: People Looking for Answers

30 comrades from across NYC intervened in the heavy rain at the “No Kings” anti-Trump rally in Manhattan. Before the march, we held a thorough political discussion covering the recent ICE raids and deployment of National Guard troops in Los Angeles, connecting the struggle against Trump and ICE’s attacks on immigrant workers with the general struggle against capitalism itself. Comrades sharply detailed the abhorrent role the liberals have played, exposing their hypocrisy and making it clear that the Democratic Party and reformists cannot be trusted to fight in the interests of the working class.

During the rally, our contingent roused the excitement of a section of the 50,000-strong crowd with politically sharp chants and energetic speeches full of militant class politics. Our comrades were a point of reference, with rallygoers capturing footage of the speeches. More importantly, many wanted to have political conversations with comrades on topics we were more than prepared to provide clarity on with our revolutionary program.

There were many signs and chants calling for the removal of Trump and abolition of ICE, but the liberal organizers couldn’t provide a coherent method or plan to wage an effective struggle. This illustrated the vacuum we would be able to fill if we were a mass party.

Our bold revolutionary perspectives and appeals to build a revolutionary communist party made an impression. We made it clear that only an organized working class can overthrow capitalism and uproot the basis of all forms of oppression. An injury to one is an injury to all! Our comrades made 51 contacts, and sold 49 papers raising $245.

—Wesley, New York, NY