A couple of weeks earlier students and teachers took to the streets to protest major cutbacks planned in the school budget. Some 1,500 people marched in the largest action, one of the biggest demonstrations in this city's history. As a result, the city government had to back down on several of the planned cutbacks.

The aim of the Young Socialists' trip was to link up with this resistance. Our team went to several high schools and the local university. We sold the Militant at the Volvo manufacturing plant and through door-to-door sales in working-class communities. The team also visited several libraries and bookstores to introduce Capitalism's World Disorder and other Pathfinder titles. We wanted to get the book into the hands of students and workers in this city, and at the same time give a boost to our campaign in Sweden to sell this book as a revolutionary tool for fighters everywhere. Another challenge for the team was to meet fighting youth interested in a revolutionary youth organization, the Young Socialists.

At one high school, 18-year-old Ellen Dahlgren said, "The best moment in the demonstration was when people spontaneously started shouting 'Do we want cutbacks? No!,' which was in response to the politicians' unwillingness to give an answer to that very question."

Björn Runeson, 19 years old, said that 1,000 students from his school participated in the demonstration. "It was a victory," he said.

Altogether the team sold 23 copies of the Militant, four copies of Capitalism's World Disorder, a copy of Nueva Internacional, three copies of Malcolm X Talks to Young People and the Communist Manifesto, by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels. In our visits to the libraries and bookstores we received orders for a number of Pathfinder titles. Among them, the city library bought 15 new titles. A young person met by the team later ordered a subscription to the Militant.  
 

Our aim was to connect up with and speak to youth, workers, and farmers supporting the struggle of the Black Farmers and Agriculturists Association (BFAA) and strikers at Overnite trucking company fighting to win recognition for the Teamsters union. The farmers, their supporters, and the Overnight strikers led the parade, which added a political and fighting aspect to the celebrations. The Young Socialists joined and marched with the two contingents.

With several literature tables placed throughout the length of the demonstration, we were able to sell a number of Pathfinder titles, talk with youth and farmers, and learn about various struggles and experiences.

Nate Paulsen, a college student from Minneapolis who last year joined a rally of farmers in Washington, D.C., was able to have numerous conversations with farmers of the BFAA. "These farmers have educated themselves immensely on the broader farm crisis in this country," he said afterwards. "I admire them for using this opportunity to get out and defend themselves from the racist actions of the USDA [U.S. Department of Agriculture] and the U.S. government."

Shortly before the march and rally, Paul Cornish, a leader of the Young Socialists in Atlanta, spoke before several local university fraternities. He explained that the YS is an "organization that provides a revolutionary perspective for youth to move forward. It supports the Black farmers and Overnight strikers."

Ari Paul, a youth from Atlanta who was familiar with Pathfinder literature, was asked by a YS member as he was sitting on the street, "want to march with the farmers?" For the rest of the parade, Paul helped to carry the banner of the Socialist Workers Party and Young Socialists which read: "Justice for Black Farmers! Support Overnight Strikers! Organize the South! For a Workers and Farmers Government!"  
 
 
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