¡La autodefensa es un derecho! 12 Editorial Niños perdidos 12 Workers and oppressed peoples of the world unite! workers.org Vol. 62, No. 46 Nov. 12, 2020 $1 Black vote dumps Trump By Monica Moorehead and Louisville, Ky., respectively this past spring. There were also signs saying that Once it was confirmed on Nov. 7 that the election was not about Biden/Harris, the Joe Biden and Kamala Harris ticket but about the defeat of Trump and that had defeated Trump, literally tens of the struggle will continue. thousands of people around the U.S. There was also the recognition of his- spontaneously took to the streets for tory being made with Kamala Harris hours in jubilation and celebration. Not being the first woman and the first only were downtown areas taken over woman of color to become a vice-presi- but also neighborhoods, block by block, dent elect. While describing herself as a where traffic came to a standstill with Black woman of Jamaican heritage, her horns blaring. family roots also come from the Indian While the majority of those in the state of Tamil Nadu. There were thou- streets were young people, all ages partic- sands of women, including Muslims, car- ipated regardless of nationality, gender, rying signs expressing equal if not more gender expression and abilities. People support for Harris winning than Biden. Lead banners of march in Philadelphia Center City, Nov. 7. WW PHOTO: JOE PIETTE could hardly wait to let off steam after While there was a wide gauntlet of waiting for what must have seemed like political views of people who poured out an eternity— if only five days— to see if in the streets of Philadelphia, Atlanta, the four-year nightmare of Trump would New York City, Chicago, the Bay Area, Philly celebrates, come to an end. Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and else- And who could blame them, for he had where, there was one view that united insulted and degraded the dignity and them all— their utter hatred and disgust pledges to keep fighting integrity of so many sectors of the work- for Trump. By Ted Kelly Wallace’s killing, as communities across ing class inside and outside the U.S. These Philadelphia the city condemned the cops for respond- include im/migrants, Black, Latinx, Asian Referendum on police violence, health crisis ing with deadly force to a Black man who and Indigenous communities, women, As soon as the news broke late on the was experiencing a mental health crisis. LGBTQ2S+ people and people with dis- Close to 145 million people cast votes morning of Nov. 7 that the 2020 U.S. Police body camera footage released the abilities— anyone and everyone who in the presidential election with Biden/ presidential election was over, workers day after the election reveals the cops say- has felt marginalized by Trump’s racism Harris winning more than 74 million, the here could be heard cheering the humili- ing “Shoot him” to each other as bystand- and misogyny felt exuberated to be seen most in any U.S. election. The percent- ating defeat of Donald Trump. Soon after, ers— including Wallace’s mother— beg and heard. Even other world imperialist age of eligible voters who turned out was they were in the streets— dancing and the cops not to shoot. leaders, though with a diplomatic tone, 66.3%, the highest since the 1908 elec- banging pots and pans. Strangers greeted On Nov. 7, one part of the city wept as expressed relief at seeing Trump ousted. tion. And more than 100 million votes each other warmly on corners and waved the other danced. The distance between And while many carried Biden/Harris were cast early, compared to 47 million to each other from their cars. these two realities is only widened by the placards and waved U.S. flags, there were in 2016. (CBS Sunday Morning, Nov. 8) Thousands began to assemble at election of Biden, who, when asked prior many carrying Black Lives Matter signs as Biden was able to garner more votes than City Hall, Independence Mall, West to Election Day if he had any response well as carrying the names and images of any U.S. presidential candidate with the Philadelphia’s Clark Park and elsewhere to the murder of Wallace, responded by George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, mur- help of an additional 6 million more vot- in this city, which is credited with pushing condemning the people protesting police dered by the police in Minneapolis, Minn., ers compared to the 2016 election. the vote for former Vice President Biden violence. The “defeat Trump” sen- over the top. The spontaneous jubila- timent was in essence a tion sparked by news of Trump’s ouster Philly United Front: ‘Keep the referendum rejecting his should not be underestimated! struggle in the streets!’ mishandling of COVID-19 Yet at the same time these celebra- Nov. 7 was also the day chosen by the and his white supremacy tions began, a very different event was Philly United Front to stage their first where police brutality is underway across town— the funeral of public demonstration in the city. concerned. For months, Walter Wallace Jr., a 27-year-old Black The United Front, initiated by Workers Trump downplayed and dis- man gunned down Oct. 26 by two white World Party’s Philadelphia branch, is a missed the severity of the Philadelphia cops, Sean Matarazzo and broad assembly of progressive and radical pandemic by speaking at Thomas Munz. Classmates of Matarazzo organizations, including Philly Boricuas, ultraright-wing campaign claim that he is a longtime white the Philly Black Radical Collective, rallies, where his supporters supremacist. Black Alliance for Peace, Black Lives PHOTO: BLACK VOTERS MATTER Continued on page 6 Protests erupted immediately after Continued on page 10 Seattle marches 2 Elections 2020 6-8 Ant Smith released 3 Dancing in Atlanta streets Wallace family: ‘Fire officers!’ 3 Buffalo post-election protest COVID surges, economy sputters 5 Wake-up call China shows way to fight virus 5 Global response Winning ballot initiatives New Jersey: 2,261 released Editorial Get out, 45! 10 San Quentin – Sistas speak out 4 Nigeria 9 Bolivia 11 Page 2 Nov. 12, 2020 workers.org Seattle Anti-racist marches continue during election week By Jim McMahan this week Seattle ◆ In the U.S. Black-led marches against racist Black vote dumps Trump . .1 and economic oppression contin- Philly celebrates, pledges to keep fighting . .1 ued during election week in Seattle. Seattle anti-racist marches continue ............2 Trump’s racism has led more peo- ple to stay in the streets. While the Movement welcomes release of Ant Smith .......3 vote for Biden was big, the election Wallace family calls for firing officers . .3 definitely didn’t take people out of NYC: Workers Assembly against racism .........3 the streets. New Jersey releases 2,261 – but to what?........4 The marches continued to press the five basic demands of the local Sistas With Voices demand mass releases . .4 Black Lives Matter movement: COVID-19 surges while the economy sputters ....5 “Defund the Seattle police depart- Class oppression and the virus.................5 ment— by 50% at least!” “Invest Atlanta ‘Dancing in the streets’ . 6 in the Black community!” “Free all the protesters!” “No new youth jail!” Buffalo: ‘No matter who wins, we lose!’ . .6 and “Mayor Durkan, you resign!” “Count Every Vote— Protect Every Person” rally, Seattle, Nov. 4. ‘We’ve got to see this election as a wake up call’ . 7 On Nov. 4, mainly Black dem- Revolutionaries worldwide on U.S. elections .....7 onstrators marched past the East Voters approve police reforms and more . 8 Precinct on Capitol Hill, carrying Black Lives Matter signs. that deported 4 million people between 2009 and 2017. The cops attacked. Seven were arrested for standing up There were speakers from the Washington State Portland keeps marching . 8 against racist attacks on their community. Kel Murphy- Labor Council, representing 550,000 workers, and the Drug decriminalization: It works! . 8 Duford, a Black trans man, was grabbed by cops. They Washington state Poor Peoples Campaign. The famous slammed him to the ground and “his head hit the pave- “Katie,” organizer of the daily Morning March, also spoke. ◆ Around the world ment,” according to his lawyer, Karen Koeler. This was People heard from the Black Action Coalition, which then Black Lives Matter – from Nigeria to the U.S. 9 witnessed by demonstrators and even recorded on police led the 400-person crowd on a march through downtown. Bolivia: Massive rally ushers in new MAS gov’t ..11 body cameras. The following night the Black Action Coalition led dem- Public officials and the cops have been extremely vague onstrators on an evening march to the massive construc- ◆ Editorial about Murphy-Duford's medical condition. On the evening tion site of a new youth jail. The march was guarded by of Nov. 5, Karen Koeler reported he was “still intubated volunteer car brigades in both the front and the rear, and Get out, 45! ................................10 and unconscious” in the hospital. Murphy-Duford has bike brigades along the sides— a common security set-up. ◆ Noticias en Español been active in the LGBTQ2S+ community and has been a Marchers sat down and blocked the street for over an regular at anti-racist protests since June. hour while a peoples assembly was held in front of the jail. ¡La autodefensa es un derecho! . .12 On Nov. 5 a large rally was held in Occidental Park for People of color spoke bitterness and exposed the racist tor- Editorial: Niños perdidos . 12 Black lives and to “Count every vote— Protect every per- ture and loss of youth they endured in the so-called “Youth son!” A Native Duwamish man from the First People of Service Center.” Seattle spoke and sang a drum song.