On Tuesday, February 3, there was a march in support of the anti-imperialist struggle in Venezuela and other nations hosted by the Revolutionary Student Organization (RSO). RSO is a socialist organization at UC Davis focused on uniting students with the working class struggle to develop proletarian revolutionaries. About 50–60 students gathered at the Memorial Union (MU) courtyard, many with face masks. The students were holding banners that said “Workers of the World Unite!,” “Victory to the Venezuelan Resistance, Yanqui Fuera,” “Long Live Al-Aqsa Flood” and “Death to US Imperialism.” Some students held signs that said “¡Yankee Fuera!” with an image of South America holding a rifle. They began with chants, “It is right to rebel, Yankee Yankee go to hell!” and “It is right to rebel, ICE ICE go to hell!” There was no police presence at this protest; however, the administration followed the protesters throughout the march.
The organizers began with a speech connecting the mounting ICE terror to US Imperialism, exploiting the countries where migrants come from. The protesters stated, “ICE is a terrorist tool of the state” in reference to the mass kidnappings and violence towards migrants in the United States. There has been outrage due to the current conditions in the US of fascist terror with increased ICE targeting migrants, declining democratic rights and the outrageous cost of living. As a Mexican-American, I find myself worried about the current political climate and the well-being of friends, family and others. Along with the news on ICE, there has also been outrage due to increasing aggressions onto foreign nations, such as Cuba, Venezuela and Iraq. On January 3rd, the US attacked and bombarded Venezuela. They kidnapped Venezuela’s President, Nicolas Maduro, as well as his wife. This outrage has manifested into several protests globally in solidarity with Venezuela and other oppressed nations.
The students began marching through the Coffee House while chanting, “Red, blue, yellow, white, we support you in this fight!” in reference to the colors of the Venezuelan flag. They marched towards the Silo and stopped for a speech. The speech detailed the history of US intervention in Latin America, including the countless military coups, genocidal campaigns and mass extraction of resources. These are all manifestations of US or ‘Yankee’ imperialism for the sake of serving the interests of the capitalist-imperialists. One of the protesters expressed, “Haiti, Panama, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Colombia, Grenada, there is not a country in Latin America untouched by Yankee imperialism!” Historically, Latin America has been the US’s backyard — available to them to profit from their resources and labor. This extends to other oppressed nations beyond Latin America who are imperialized or under the subjugation of imperialist powers. The US is doing as much as it can to maintain its imperialist legacy and grip on foreign nations. In response, the protesters riled up in frustration with the US’s constant exploitation of Latin America.
The students marched inside the Student Community Center and stopped to chant and speak. A protester yelled, “El Pueblo Unido, Jamas Sera Vencido” and “Women hold up half the sky, hear our revolution cry!” The students were seen wearing keffiyehs to protect themselves from the administration and the university’s policing tactics, which repress students, but also to show solidarity with the Palestinian liberation movement. “The masses of Venezuela demand sovereignty! They demand self-determination! The oppressed countries of the world, the revolutionary masses, the revolutionary proletariat, stand, unwavering, alongside them! The US makes up excuses – ‘narco-terrorism’ and ‘dictatorship’ – to manufacture your consent.” Throughout the protest, the messaging has been a call for students to unite with the struggles of the working class and oppressed peoples of the world. This includes women, migrants, people of color and more. The protesters also refer to the Trump administration’s attempts to “target narco-terrorism.” However, we know this is far from the truth. The same imperialists bombing foreign nations are the same ones kidnapping migrants in the streets and stripping women and queer communities of their rights in the United States. The struggle against fascist restructuring in the country is tied to that of freedom from the shackles of imperialism.
In the last stretch of the protest, students began to march back to the MU for their final speech. One of the speakers exclaimed, “The clearest and highest expression of our support and solidarity with not only Venezuelans but for all groups of oppressed around the world is to defeat the source of their oppression, right here in the belly of the beast!” The protesters outline that the common enemy of Venezuela and all other oppressed nations is capitalism-imperialism. Capitalism-imperialism refers to Vladimir Lenin’s Imperialism, The Highest Stage of Capitalism, where imperialism is described as the highest stage of capitalism, as imperial powers rely on the resources and labor of oppressed countries at the expense of the Global South. The protesters here state that we in the US, the belly of the beast, must fight to defeat the imperial power from the core. But how do we do that?
The protesters ended with a call to action, “Join the Revolutionary Student Organization, to study and organize as revolutionary activists and learn how we can serve the World Proletarian revolution!” This brings up the question of political life at universities and the importance of protest. Many students may feel disillusioned with the state of the world, so do I. But it is important to remain hopeful and direct our frustrations into organizing. Students are a politicized sector of the world who want a better future for not only this generation, but future ones as well.
The protest ended with one of the organizers screaming, “Victory to the Venezuelan Resistance, Yanqui Fuera!” and “Death to US Imperialism!” This protest denounced not only US Imperialism, but also the exploitation at home of workers, migrants, women, and more. Protests have historically shown to be a direct expression of the fury of the masses. As a Latina, I find it of tremendous importance to stand in solidarity with all Latin American nations when their self-determination is at stake. Through a broader lens, as students, we must understand that although we’re here to study, we should also engage in politics by getting organized. Therefore, we should find a way to get organized and learn what we can do as students to create a better world. So maybe skip that class to attend a protest and stand in solidarity with the people of Venezuela. Some sacrifices may seem like big asks, but they are more important in the end. As students, we must consider what is happening around the world and how we are tied to these issues. We must politicize in our classrooms, workplaces and those around us, even if we’re only here for a few years.