Dressed in a sea of red, Casa de las Americas in New York City was the scene on November 9 of the "Peoples' Celebration" of the 80th Anniversary of the Great October 1917 Bolshevik Revolution.
Sponsored by U.S. Friends of Northstar Compass (which took the initiative in organizing the only such event in the U.S.), over 100 guests were greeted as they entered the hall by the stirring sounds of the Red Army Chorus, huge Soviet flags and a banner proclaiming Unity with the Soviet Peoples in their Struggle to Restore Socialism. Not since the temporary demise of the Socialist World has there been such an event filled with feelings of comradeship, optimism and confidence in the Socialist cause.
The festive mood of the audience was enhanced by the singing of World War II Soviet songs by Alex Krasheninikow and the lively accompaniment of accordionist Al Parks. It was moving to see both young and old join their voices together in songs that portrayed an earlier time when both Soviets and Americans joined forces to fight world fascism.
Master of Ceremonies, Brian Lang, stood behind a banner depicting Lenin, the Hammer and Sickle and the words Back to the Future, Restore the Soviet Union. He gave a short presentation welcoming those in attendance and opened the program with the playing of the Soviet National Anthem.
Several speakers from various left and peoples' organizations spoke of the accomplishments of the Great October Revolution worldwide and its impact on other areas such as culture and education. The influence of Lenin and the Bolshevik Revolution in other struggles such as labor, the women's movement and the National Liberation movement was emphasized by others.
In a special telephone hook-up from Toronto, Canada, Northstar Compass Editor, Michael Lucas, congratulated the gathering on their successful event and spoke briefly of the treacherous role of Gorbachev and others who introduced the social democratic "Trojan Horse" of Perestroika into the World Communist movement. Criticism was also mentioned of those Communist parties who initially supported Perestroika as a supposed means of "improving socialism." After Perestroika's supporters accomplished the destruction of the Soviet Union as a socialist state, then those same parties denied their initial support.
Various Communist parties within the former Soviet Union and around the world sent messages of support and solidarity. Several representatives from organizations in attendance also expressed solidarity.
The task of establishing an organization in the United States with the aim of galvanizing solidarity and support for the Soviet people in their struggle to re-establish the Soviet Union was introduced by the Director of U.S. Friends of Northstar Compass, Dr. Angelo D'Angelo.
The atmosphere at the end of the program was spirited and emotional as the crowd, raising their fists and waiving miniature Soviet red flags, sang the Internationale.
Among those in attendance were members of the Communist Party, U.S.A., Workers World Party, Unity and Struggle, Freedom Socialist Party, Labor Party, Committees of Correspondence, Jericho '98, The Hammer Cultural Magazine, Casa de las Americas Cuban-American Progressive Club, Richmond County American Veterans Association, New York Workers Against Fascism, The Reference Center for Marxist Education in New York and Arrow Park Cultural Center in Monroe, N.Y.
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