Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-05-08
Force Down Swastika, Raise Red Flag
as 1900 Meet in Portland May First
$500 WORKERS CARRY sANNERss
THROUGH PoRTLAND'S
BUSY STREET

Portland, Ore, May MAY Day
in Portland marked the passing OF
one OF the most exciting, militant
demonstrations ever witnessed in
this city. Before the demonstration
was scheduled to start IL was re-
ported that the swastika was flying
from the German consulate. A COM
mlttee of workers was organized by
the lid and went TO them and de-
manded that they remove the flag
from the building. Their demand
was refused. The committee then
went to Mayor Carson, and de-
manded that he take steps TO re-
move II, and his answer was, IF
the Federal Government recognized
the right for the German Consulates
to fly the Swastika ON German holt
days, then he as mayor of Portland
would not take any stops against
It, The mayor was told by the COM
mittee that the May Day demon
stration would take action against
the Swastika and he would be held
responsible for anything that hap
pened.
Red Candidate Heads Committee
The demonstration was promised
the use of public address system
by the mayor, but he all of a
sudden issued statement that the
pubhc address system could not
DO used His excuse was that IL
would interfere with the Courts
winch are across the street from
fiaza Park. Nevertheless the de-
monstration was attended by 1000
workers. WV
n. A. Mackrill. representing thu.
Muithomah County Federation OF
Unemployed, was the first speaker
TO be introduced by Dirk DeJonga
VINO was chairman of the Demon
stiation. He was followed bv q
rate, Negro woker who anpeaIad
for unity between Negro and white
IN the fight for the right to live.
Tor the release of Theodore Jordan,
the Scottsbro boys, Tom Mooney
ana all other class war prisoners
Don Cluster, Section Organizer
of the YCL spoke in behalf of the
youth, pointed out the approaching
war and fascism, described the
speedup of the youth in the fac
tories, and called forthem to org
anize and join hands with the older
worker in the struggle for exist
ence.
Mary Gould OF the International
Labor Defense spoke on Capitalist
terror and introduced several reso-
lutlons demanding the release of
lhaelman, Torgler andother Ger
man prisoners in addition to one
on Theodore Jordan, Tom Mooney,
Kay Becker and others. She ended
her speech with a proposal that a
committee beelected from the de-
monstration TO present the Thael-
man Iorgler resolution to the Ger
man Consulate, and that this COM
mlttee demand that the Swastika
be removed. And that the commit
tee give it's report to the workers
when the parade marched by the
nearest spot to the German Con-
sulate. The proposal was accepted
N"iiNSH NNiAlhiiANNt VI StNtu was eltCL-
ed and n. A. Mackrill who is also
Communist candidate for City
Commissioner, was elected a chair
man of the Committee.
Olson Calls for Greater Unity
Louis Olson, section organizer of
the Communist Party was the final
speaker and he pointed out the sig
nificance of May Day, and appealed
for the workers to join in greater
united fronts in order to protect
their living standards and for the
hnal overthrow of the capitalist
rule and replacing it with the rule
Of the working class.
When the parade was forming
the police triedto intimidate the
workers by threatening that certain
banners could not be carried. Des-
pite this over 500 paraded, with
about 300 banners to dramatise the
ont TO the damon Of ,.o tore 10 tlo