Vol. 72/No. 13      March 31, 2008

BY EMILY PAUL  
NEW YORK—Young Socialists for Calero and Kennedy joined other supporters in organizing activities for Alyson Kennedy, the Socialist Workers Party candidate for vice president, during her March 12-16 tour stop here.

On March 12, Kennedy addressed a political science class of more than 50 students at Borough of Manhattan Community College. Ben Joyce, a student at the campus and SWP candidate in New York’s 7th Congressional District, chaired the event.

“Working people are bearing the brunt of the world capitalist economic crisis,” said Kennedy. “We face rising unemployment, inflation, spreading wars, social breakdowns, and attacks on workers rights. ” To fight back, the working class needs its own political party, a labor party based on fighting unions, she explained. That will be a step toward building a revolutionary movement that can end capitalist rule and establish a workers and farmers government.

Kennedy spoke about the escalating imperialist war in Afghanistan, where 3,200 more U.S. troops are headed. She said as commander in chief, Róger Calero, the SWP candidate for president, would immediately withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as from all the other countries where they are stationed. John McCain, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama all support the war drive in Afghanistan, she noted.

After Kennedy’s presentation, Joyce explained that the Young Socialists for Calero and Kennedy is open to all youth interested in campaigning for the working-class alternative. He encouraged those present to organize meetings for the socialist candidates and to get involved in petitioning efforts in the coming months to ensure as many SWP candidates as possible are on the ballot.

Later that evening Kennedy addressed a meeting at Hunter College, which was hosted by the Undergraduate Student Government there.

“I really liked the presentation. I think socialism is the only alternative,” said Camilo Sala after the meeting. “Everything else comes from the same place, from greed. But I will be voting for Obama.”

“This was a very good opportunity. I didn’t know there was a socialist candidate,” said Annie Zheng. She asked when Calero would be in town on a speaking tour.

Young campaigners for Calero and Kennedy also joined the vice presidential candidate at two picket lines of workers on strike against Aramark, which operates several cafeterias in Manhattan. “In 2003, I was part of a strike at a coal mine in Utah,” Kennedy told picketers. She described the successful effort of Utah miners to spread the word about their fight and win broader solidarity

One striking worker, Anthony, took a stack of campaign platforms and flyers for a campaign event. “I’m volunteering at a hospital later today and I want to make sure a few people there see this,” he said.
 
 
Related articles:
N.Y. students hear socialist vice presidential candidate  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home