The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-02-21
The Organization of Mass
Demonstrations
BY J. WILLIAMSON.

TO carry thru the political tasks and CAM
1 paiens. necessitated in the present situa-
ton, it was necessary that the Psrty conscious
IL direct its activities to the shops to win the
masses of workers for struggle IN support OF
the political campaigns of the Party. without
lessening this activity, it is necessary that the
Party, particularly thru roofing itself IN the
factories, mobilize the workers in open mass
demonstrations on the basis of the burning
political issues affecting the working class.
The very conditions impelling these mass
demonstrations, also impel the government to
become more vicious in their attacks on u.s. 1t
is therefore necessary that our Party must
% learn how to mobilize the masses most
successfully on short notice, ~ learn how to
organize the Party membership and organiza-
lions quickly and effectively and {3) learn how
to organize the workers to defend themselves
against the attacks of the police and the extra
legal forces of the state.
Although American labor history is rich in
struggle and militancy, this has been generally
spontaneous and has lacked organized leader
ship. The Communist Party itself, as well as
the workers during this same period, have had
little experience in developing and organizing
mass demonstrations. The largest mass DEM
constructions on a national scale were the Sacco-
Vanzett but these were not under direct Party
leadership, but generally of united front COM
mittees, with liberals and anarchists in key
positions, who, instead of developing and eX-
tending them, tried to limit their size and
dampen their militancy. The most successful
mass demonstrations under the leadership OF
our Party, were International Red Day and
MAY of last year. Even these did not mobi-
ize sufficient masses direct from the factories
as we'll as many other shortcomings.
nj
In recent years there have been organized
under Party auspices, or through the influence
of the Communists working within non-Party
mass organizations, numerous small demonstra
lions on various political issues (China, Mica
ragua, Porter, Rakos, Cuba, etc.. While con-
mending the holding of such demonstrations,
today we must also examine their weaknesses,
so that we will be able to organize mass poll
teal demonstrations more successfully.
These latter type of demonstrations were
usually arranged with the knowledge of only
the membership of the Party sometimes only
the leadership. Suddenly, few hundred Par
ty members would appear at noon time, before
the White House, National City Bank or some
consulate, and picket back and forth, thus
demonstrating" before the office workers and
few laborers in the vicinity, instead of mobiliz-
ing the workers in the factories thru system
attic agitation to participate in a demon
stration on the basis of the political issue in
voved. Too often the Success" of this type
of demonstration measured by the amount
of publicity and pictures printed in the morn
ing scandal sheets. In fact, we paid more
attention to modelling the photographers and
newspaper reporters than the masses of work.
ers.
Recognizing these shortcomings of the past.
our Party has recently called for abrupt
{laI. 1,,z
constructions. Instead of demonstrating before
the workers, we must openly call upon the
workers to demonstrate under the political
leadership of the Communist Party, on the
given political issue. In addition to issuing
an open call, it is necessary that the Party
conduct the necessary mobilization work in the
factories, unions and mass organizations. With
the rising tide of mitancy amongst the work.
ers, we must have confidence in the responsive
ness of the masses. The first application of
this line, such as in the New York Haiti and
the Katovis demonstrations, proved the cor
rectness OF this change in policy.
Mobilization Necessary.
The carrying thru of successful demonstra-
tions, necessitates the complete mobilization of
the entire Party and its machinery. The men,
bership must be modified thru the nuclei, to
arouse the workers in the factories, thru leaf
lets, pamphlets, Daily Workers, personal agita-
ton, factory gate meetings, shop papers, etc,
to respond to the call of the Party for the
particular demonstration. Similarly every de-
partment of the Party must be put into SIM
ultaneous motion, to mobilize the1workers in