Partisans of the Militant and PM are selling more copies of the two publications and more Pathfinder titles in response to other political developments as well, such as strikes, other labor actions, and rallies in defense of immigrants detained by the U.S. government under the banner of fighting a war against terrorism.

The Militant circulation drive starts April 13 and goes until June 23, a change from eight weeks to 10. This will enable the communist movement to use a longer period of campaigning with the socialist press to respond to the resistance among workers to the bosses' offensive against our rights and living standards. The Militant urges participants in the sales effort to rediscuss their goals for selling subscriptions to the Militant and PM as well as Cuba and the Coming American Revolution to reflect this change, and to send them in by April 21 to be printed in the chart for the next issue.

A central aspect of the circulation drive is building the Militant Labor Forum series. This is a key part of recruiting workers and youth who buy subscriptions and Pathfinder titles off tables in workers districts, on campuses, at plant gates, or at political events.

Socialists who work in the coal mines, at garment and textile factories, or in meatpacking plants have discussed using the sales effort to campaign against the detention of prisoners at the U.S. prison camps in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and Afghanistan, and to build support for the five Cuban revolutionaries imprisoned in U.S. jails.

Political developments unfolding today provide a "multitude of chances to talk socialism on the job," said socialist coal miner Brian Taylor. "Two of the five Cuban prisoners are incarcerated in coalfield states--Colorado and Pennsylvania. The Militant coverage on the fight against the frame-up of these five heroes of the Cuban Revolution will be of interest to miners."

Several areas have mapped out plans for the first week of the drive, which include participating in political events such as forums and protests against the Israeli war machine, joining the upcoming demonstration by widows of coal miners defending black lung benefits, selling the socialist press in workers districts and on the job to co-workers, and setting up literature tables on college campuses.

"There is a hunger among young people and workers for a political explanation on the nature of the Israeli state," said Dan Fein, who joined with some 1,300 people in a march in defense of the Palestinian people April 6. "I sold a subscription to a young Palestinian man who wanted to read the literature we had on the conflict," said Fein. "He agreed that the Israeli government needs to be overthrown, and we discussed the support revolutionaries give to the fight for a democratic, secular Palestine."

Fein said socialist workers and young socialists sold two Militant subscriptions, 125 papers, and $187 worth of Pathfinder literature at the march. At a rally in Times Square the previous day they sold 38 copies of the Militant and Pathfinder titles totaling $55. A hotel worker from Bangladesh who stopped by the rally at Times Square purchased a Militant along with a copy of New International no. 7 that features the article "Opening Guns of World War III: Washington's Assault on Iraq."

In Pittsburgh a demonstration in defense of the Palestinian struggle attracted 200 people, said Chris Remple, a garment worker and member of the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees. "I sold 12 papers and one Militant subscription at the protest," said Remple. "One guy liked the Militant headline, 'U.S. must end all aid to murderous Israeli regime,' so much that he bought six copies and went through the crowd passing them out at the rally.

"A Palestinian activist we've been working with bought a Militant subscription after having some discussion about the slogan 'for a democratic, secular Palestine.' It takes some discussion to get at what this means, but you get a hearing from people," he said.

Ellen Berman, an auto worker in Detroit, teamed up with socialist workers in Cleveland to participate in a March for Justice April 7 in Cincinnati that commemorated the one-year anniversary of the cop killing of Black youth Timothy Thomas.

"Many people were eager to discuss a range of political questions as they looked over the books and the Militants we brought," said Berman. "We sold 13 copies of the Militant and four subscriptions. One new subscriber also purchased Cointelpro: The FBI's Secret War on Political Freedom and Women's Liberation and the African Freedom Struggle."

Below is a report by socialists in Sweden describing their preparations for the subscription campaign. The Militant has yet to receive goals for the drive from a number of areas. Participants in the circulation effort are encouraged to send in reports and pictures of sales activities, especially at plant gates.
 

At one school in Angered, many Palestinian youth and others went on a school strike April 3 in response to the Israeli regime's brutal offensive in the West Bank. Many of them joined with other students and went to another school in central Gothenburg to confront Swedish prime minister Göran Persson who was giving an election campaign speech. Persson has stated his support for Tel Aviv many times and refused to accept the Palestinian scarf these youth wanted to give to him.

Their actions reflect the growing opposition in this country and elsewhere to the Israeli military occupation. Some 5,000 people demonstrated in Sweden in support of the Palestinian people April 7.

We sold 12 copies of the Militant, two Militant subscriptions, and three copies of Cuba and the Coming American Revolution through our participation in the demonstration and building the Militant Labor Forum on Cuba and the communist movement. We also sold $160 worth of Pathfinder books.

For the first week of the drive we have mapped out a plan for several days of political activity, including going door-to-door in a working-class area near Angered and a visit to Gislaved, 150 kilometers from here, where workers at the Continental tire factory have been fired. Their fight against the layoffs has included traveling to Germany where more than 100 workers protested outside Continental's main offices. Austrian workers facing the same situation also participated in the demonstration.

We will also set up a literature tables at a high school where a student has asked us to come, in different working-class districts in Gothenburg, and outside the university here during the week.  
 
 
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