Buffalo May Day Celebrations
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Our Future, Our Rights, We Decide
• Songs for International May Day Event:
Refuse the Tests and Troops Home Now, Not Tomorrow
• Unions Organize on May 1
Our Future, Our Rights, We Decide
Buffalo Forum organized a united action for May Day on May 2, bringing together various fighting forces under the banner, Our Future, Our Rights, We Decide! Participants included teachers and students from Lafayette, MLK, MST, City Honors, Hutch Tech, Buffalo State College, and elsewhere. Those active in the fight for Native American rights, prisoners’ rights, against police brutality and for the rights of youth also joined in. All stood against a state take over of Buffalo schools and for decision making of, by and for the people.
The action included a demonstration from Grant and Ferry to Lafayette High School. The militant spirit, reflected in signs and chants, inspired participants and those stopping to watch as the march came by. Many expressed their interest and support and appreciation that the action engaged the community. Cars also honked in support as they drove by. People welcomed the stand taken against mass incarcertaion, racist government profiling, for the equal right to education for all and to defend the rights of all. They also responded to the signs in Spanish as well as English, as they expressed the stand of the action to respect and support all cultures and languages.
At Lafayette additional people joined in for the celebration. All enjoyed a delicious meal, including dishes from Puerto Rico and Iraq. Presentations spoke to various struggles, with spoken word highlighting the fight for equality and poetry, in Arabic, supporting the just struggle of Palestinians for their rights. Buffalo State students contributed presentations on the attacks on higher education, including tuition and fee increases, and on the environment and the need to modernize the regions' energy grid using renewable energy. A slideshow of May Day actions worldwide brought to the fore the united struggle of workers worldwide for rights and for a world fit for human beings, where the rights of all are guaranteed. It also included actions in the U.S. standing against U.S. wars, police killings and for immigrant rights.
The main presentation focused on the key issue of decision making, a demand that unites all those fighting for change that favors the people. It highlighted the on-going battles on education where through conscious participation the public has come forward to demand, Our Schools, We Decide! and to stick to that despite numerous efforts by the state to divert people. These include state takeovers, using receivership and mayoral control, which both serve to remove the public from governance.
Embracing the content of We Decide! also means elaborating our own vision, for a modern education and for a modern democracy that meets the needs of society. Everyone was encouraged to join Buffalo Forum and the Our Schools We Decide Committee to begin discussion and work to answer the question, “What should a modern education look like?” We will also be building on collective efforts where we learn together and take up social responsibility. These include expanding and strengthening our people's cultural group, and developing a media group taking up radio, photography and print reporting so as to give voice to the youth and their concerns and solutions. All interested are invited to participate!
The event concluded with a short concert by the cultural group which brought together students and organizers, writing and performing both original songs and those from the struggle for rights. These included the original songs “We Refuse” and “Troops Home Now” (see below) as well as songs in Spanish saluting the Cuban revolution and freedom for Puerto Rico. The audience welcomed songs and music that spoke to our struggles and stands needed to unite and advance our fight, enlivening the evening and sending all home in great spirits.
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Songs for International May Day Event
Refuse the Tests
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Troops Home Now, Not Tomorrow
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For the first time in many years, Buffalo unions organized a demonstratiin on May 1, celebrating International May Day, a day of working class unity and struggle worldwide. Many different unions were present, including steel and auto workers, healthcare and postal workers and many teachers. Participants united in demanding respect for labor, including raising the minimum wage to $15 and opposing the many attacks on their rights.
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