Our "fight-for-communism" chant echoed throughout the day on the lips of many other marchers. We also chanted, "Fascism and terrorism sustain capitalism; Don’t vote — organize for revolution; No more sexism; Long live communism! End imperialist war with communist revolution!"

DESAFIO and a PLP communist leaflet were distributed during the march. Comments of people in our 100-strong contingent (our largest ever here) included:

"As a party, you are showing strength, interaction and an outstanding unity," said one friend. Another said, "During the march, when I heard a strong blast nearby, I thought people would run away, but your organizational strength and serenity calmed me almost completely." A close friend of PL told us, "We needed more belligerence in our chants, but I felt very good most of the time. If you had invited me earlier I would have brought my daughters. I will do that next year."

A young militant comrade, while proudly waving the red flag, told her friend, "The red flags gave us a lot of inspiration and attracted the eyes of hundreds of May Day marchers. Our fist and star mean the rebelliousness of revolutionary students, workers, peasants and soldiers on five continents united by our Party’s communist program."

May Day itself was held under fascist conditions here. The paramilitary death squads have killed 24 trade unionists so far this year, and several others are missing. This, plus the sellout and opportunist policies of the trade union leadership, led to a smaller participation by organized workers, but there were plenty of other marchers. Many, including the social-democratic electoral opposition "Democratic Alternative Pole," concentrated on demanding President Uribe’s resignation, as if fascist violence would end by eliminating one bosses’ goon.

When the march ended at Plaza Bolivar, fake leftists sang the national anthem so we responded singing The Internationale. Many workers sang with us and chanted, "Long Live Communism!"

As the day’s events were concluding, the cops viciously assaulted anyone hanging around (including senior citizens and children) with tear gas, beating up and arresting 115 people. Youth responded by attacking some banks and local businesses.

More and more youth are realizing that the system has nothing to offer them, and are becoming increasingly militant.

May Day was a day of struggle here, a day in which our communist politics shone brightly.

Comrades in Colombia