Arman E, Minneapolis, MN
On February 5, protests against Trump and Elon Musk took place at state capitols all across the country, as part of the “50501” movement (50 states, 50 Capitols, 1 Day). The movement started from an online subreddit page r/50501, and ballooned to 88,000 followers.
Hundreds joined the protest in Minnesota. Twin Cities comrades participated, and were met with plenty of enthusiasm. There were chants of “Eat the Rich!” “Deny, Defend, Depose!” and “No More Billionaires!” reflecting the growing class anger across the country.
There were also liberal chants like “Impeach Trump!” and “Deport Elon Musk!” reflecting the heterogenous nature of the movement. Some brought American flags to display their patriotism, while others brought the same flag but flew it upside down!
The movement has no leadership, and anyone could get on the microphone to speak. Our comrade did just that! He explained that the Democrats failed to stop Trump, and that we can have no faith in either billionaire party. Both parties defend a deeply corrupt system, the system of capitalism. He pointed out that we can’t ask the politicians to be kinder. Instead, we have to mobilize the working class to shut down production and strike the capitalists where it hurts! Once mobilized, we can carry out revolution against the capitalist class.
The crowd reacted enthusiastically to each of these points. When talking to participants in the crowd, we asked “Do you think we need a revolution?” and just about every person said yes, allowing us to have conversations about what it will take to depose the billionaires. RCA comrades and sustainers handed out leaflets, sold The Communist, and made contact with 14 potential recruits to the party. There was a mood of “this is just the beginning,” and further protests are sure to come about!