Musa pointed to the struggle of the indigenous peoples in Ecuador against the deep capitalist crisis that led to the ouster of President Jamil Mahuad. "Imperialism has crises all over the world," he said. Musa saluted the struggle of Puerto Ricans to end U.S. military bombing of the island of Vieques. He described Puerto Rico as "a colony of the United States fighting for national patrimony and identity as a people."

"In Indonesia, from one end of the archipelago to the other, there's a struggle going on," he continued. "And British imperialism has its problems in Ireland where the people want to up the heat." Musa is a member of United Transportation Union Local 239 and works for Union Pacific Railroad.

Cochairing the rally was Denise Alvarado from the Comité '98. "I chose to support Omari because he has chosen to support us," she said. "The campaign to free Puerto Rican political prisoners has had tremendous support from some of you here." Alvarado talked about how inspiring it was for the 11 Puerto Rican political prisoners to be freed last year. "We still have people in prison we are trying to get out," said Alvarado, who had just returned from a tour of Vieques.

Also cochairing the rally was Jason Alessio from the Young Socialists. Alessio explained that the central goal of the YS "is to participate in struggles going on around the world, establish a workers and farmers government, and abolish capitalism. We follow the lines of resistance of struggling working people in the United States and around the world."

Alessio talked about the Martin Luther King day march in Atlanta, Georgia, that he participated in along with a contingent of Black farmers. "They are waging a fight against the U.S. government, which because of racism is not providing the farmers loans and subsidies," he said. The following day, Alessio went to Columbia, South Carolina, to join in discussions with those who attended the march of 46,000 to oppose flying the battle flag of the Confederate army atop the state capitol. Alessio has also walked the picket line with striking Overnite truckers in Sacramento.

Willie Cotton, from the Young Socialists in Tucson, Arizona, talked about the struggle of 250 tomato farm workers in Wilcox, Arizona. "Acres of greenhouses, 115 degrees, picking for eight hours," are the conditions under which 250 labor. They walked off the job for a week after the growers insisted they pick more for the same or lower wage.

Musa discussed why the campaign was opposed to the Youth Crime Initiative, which will be on the March ballot when the city council election takes place. The purpose of the initiative is to "deepen the criminalization of youth," said Musa. "They treat youth like they are all in gangs, but the biggest gang wears dark blue uniforms, has badges, and carries guns. The initiative seeks to deepen hostility and division among working people and deepens attacks on democratic rights by allowing every young person to be tried as an adult." Five hundred young people who are against this initiative turned out for the Martin Luther King Day march in Oakland.

Bernie Senter is an airline worker and a member of International Association of Machinists Local 1781.  
 
 
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