BY VERÓNICA POSES

ST. PAUL, Minnesota - Blasting the Clinton administration for its threat to impose trade sanctions against China, Socialist Workers vice presidential candidate Laura Garza told those attending a public campaign meeting here that Washington's aggressive moves should be "rejected by working people in the United States."

Washington's real problem with China has nothing to do with "intellectual property, VCRs, and compact discs," Garza told the audience of nearly 40. The U.S. ruling rich "have never gotten over the fact that China's workers and farmers kicked imperialism out of their country, and that the Chinese, not U.S. big business, run China.

"We denounce their hypocrisy in charging Beijing with human rights abuses," the socialist candidate said. "Washington is the biggest human rights abuser in the world, from their slaughter of working people in Iraq in 1991 to the new immigration law, which will mean more border cops beating and killing Mexicans, Chicanos, and others."

Garza kicked off her national speaking tour with a four-day stop in Minneapolis and St. Paul. A highlight of the trip was 90 minutes of plant-gate campaigning at the big Ford truck assembly plant in St. Paul.

Eleven campaign supporters, including six Young Socialists for Harris and Garza, were part of the plant-gate team. Some wore bright sandwich-board placards that read "Defend Immigrant Rights" and "Meet Laura Garza, Socialist Workers vice presidential candidate" to attract the attention of hundreds of workers coming in and out of the plant at the afternoon shift change.

Among those campaigning was Tom Fiske, a member of the International Association Machinists and SWP candidate for U.S. Senate in the Minnesota. The two candidates shook the hands of scores of workers, some of whom stopped to talk with Garza and Fiske.

The United Auto Workers members raised questions about welfare, immigration, unemployment, Cuba, Yugoslavia, downsizing, and the upcoming national Big Three auto contract, among other issues.

"They hope they can divide the working class," Garza said to many of the unionists. "The bosses use racism and the fear of growing unemployment to blame immigrants for the problems, but it's the bosses who cause unemployment when they lay us off by the hundreds of thousands."<

"You're right about immigration," one young worker told Fiske.

"She's got my vote," one veteran union activist said, referring to Garza, "but I'm still going to vote for [Paul] Wellstone," the incumbent Democratic senator from Minnesota.

Many of the Ford workers wished the two socialist candidates good luck. Although the company wouldn't allow campaign literature to be distributed on the company's property, supporters handed out hundreds of leaflets at two of the plant- gates. Nine unionists signed up for more information on the campaign.

At the May 11 campaign meeting, Adriana Sánchez, a leader of the Twin Cities Cuba Network, endorsed the SWP slate of presidential candidate James Harris and running mate Garza. "This campaign is very important," she said. "It's very important for youth and workers to be represented in these elections."

The young activist hailed the Cuban revolution. "When the people in Cuba march to defend the revolution, it makes us stronger," she said. Sánchez also urged youth in audience to sign up for the July 24-August 6 U.S. Cuba Youth Exchange, and reported on its growth in the Twin Cities.

Fight to defend abortion rights
Garza urged those at the meeting to avoid drawing any conclusion that "pro-abortion rights rhetoric from so-called moderate Republicans indicates any shift in policy."

"This attempt to make the Republican party seem `nicer' and less coarse is a hoax," Garza said. "It's a reaction to the fact that the majority of working people support the right to choose abortion. And it's a cover for sharper attacks on democratic rights that are sure to come, no matter who wins in November." Supporters of women's right to choose must rely on their own mass mobilizations to defend that hard-fought gain, she said.

Jennifer Benton, the SWP's candidate for U.S. Congress in the 5th Congressional District, made a pitch for funds to back the SWP national campaign. This netted $1,320 in donations and $1,240 in pledges.

The contributions helped boost a national effort to raise $90,000 from supporters across the country. Minnesota supporters had already raised nearly $1,200 before Garza's tour.

The vice presidential candidate addressed two meetings at the University of Minnesota, one sponsored by the La Raza Student Cultural Center, and another hosted by the campus Socialist Club. Fifteen students attended the two meetings.

"Something important is happening among Chicano, Mexican, and Latino youth," Garza told the meetings. "They are leading a real fight against attacks on immigrant workers, and playing a vanguard role in this decisive struggle for working people."

The SWP candidate also had a breakfast meeting with Cuba solidarity activists.

Garza was interviewed by Minnesota's bilingual weekly La Prensa and Pacifica radio station KFAI. Journalists keyed in on her defense of the Cuban revolution and solidarity with immigrant workers. Garza was also a featured guest on the Dark Star program, a major Twin Cities talk show, where she exchanged ideas with the show's host and listeners for two hours, fielding questions from as far as Missouri.

In one exchange with Dark Star, the conservative commentator demanded to know "why so many Cubans want to defect."

"Why do millions of Mexicans come to the United States?" Garza retorted. "Why are there 250,000 Colombians in South Florida? They come for economic reasons. How come you don't call them `defecters from capitalism.' That's why they're here."

Garza's spirited defense of Cuba and opposition to deportations kept the phone lines lit until midnight. One elderly labor militant called up to defend the SWP candidate. "You can't do anything without unions," he said.

Another worker familiar with the meat-packing industry phoned in to back up Garza's defense of immigrant workers. "The Mexican labor force worked real hard [at a local packing house], worked two jobs, and was treated real bad," he said. "That's the truth and I know it."  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home