Call to Readers

Take up the Red Flag on May First

May First is the revolutionary holiday of the international proletariat--the worldwide class with nothing to lose but its chains, and the class that can lead all humanity to a world without slavery in any form. On May First, the proletariat affirms its internationalist outlook: The proletarians have no country, and a mission to bring about a world where no more borders define relations of exploitation and oppression.

This year, May First also will be marked by immigrants' rights demonstrations in many cities in the US. The fact that these protests are happening on May First presents an exciting opportunity and challenge for readers and distributors of Revolution. We call on our readers to go all out for May First, and relate to these immigrants' rights protests and other events in several ways:

1. Raise the Red Flag!

The red flag of the international proletariat must be boldly and dramatically present at the May First demonstrations. This flag calls on our people to be emancipators of humanity -- representatives of the historic mission of our class worldwide. (See the article “Story of the Red Flag” on the history and significance of the red flag). Bring all the red flags you can make to these protests, get them out to people, along with this issue of Revolution, with its back page poster, “We Are Human Beings. We Demand a Better World. We Will Not Accept Slavery in Any Form.”

2. Connect people with Bob Avakian

In order for people to understand that there is a way out of this madness, what that is, and how they can act now to change things, they need to connect with Bob Avakian. Revolution newspaper, including this May First issue features contributions by Bob Avakian, including the excerpt from his Memoir, From Ike to Mao and Beyond..., and “Resistance, Revolution, and What Should--and Should Not--Be Supported” in the centerspread of this issue.

Especially on May First, we need to get out hundreds, and thousands of a couple of highly accessible audio tracks by Bob Avakian. One is the audio file, “Why Do People Come Here From All Over the World,” from the DVD Revolution: Why It's Necessary, Why It's Possible and What It's All About--in both English and Spanish. Another is the Ghetto Remix--a musical track that includes bites of a speech by Bob Avakian. (The audio from the Revolution DVD can be downloaded at www.revcom.us, or www.bobavakian.net and burned onto CDs. The Revolution... DVD can be ordered from threeQvideo.com. And the track Ghetto Remix featuring Akon, Miles Solay, Koba and Bob Avakian can be downloaded at http://www.nosheetsleft.com/ghettoremix/).

And, get out and listen to downloaded CDs or MP3s of Bob Avakian reading from his memoir, “From Ike to Mao and Beyond--My Journey From Mainstream America to Revolutionary Communist” (download the audio files from www.revcom.us, or www.bobavakian.net).

3. In a number of cities, celebrations of May First will be held at Revolution Books stores or outlets, or at other venues. Check the Contact Us box on page 2 and get in touch with the address or phone number nearest you. Or, organize your own May First celebrations. Play the “Why Do People Come Here From All Over the World” track, and the “Imagine...” track, and the final track, “A Challenge and a Call: Get With the Party” from the Revolution DVD. Organize people to buy, watch, and discuss the whole Revolution... DVD, and to subscribe to and distribute Revolution newspaper. These get-togethers should have a real flavor of proletarian internationalism--celebrating a common international struggle, led by the proletariat, to transform the whole world from the world full of horrors imposed by the workings of the current imperialist system.

4. Involve the Youth

Reach out to, challenge, and involve youth in all this. Where youth are refusing to be chained into their high schools, and accept what the system offers them, the red flag should be a big presence.

5. Correspond with Revolution about your experiences on May First through www.revcom.us, or by writing to us at:

Box 3486 Merchandise Mart
Chicago, IL 60654.

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