More than 120 people marched in Montreal on Monday, Sept. 2 for the fifth anti-capitalist Labour Day demonstration. Under the theme “Capitalism is War! Solidarity with Palestine”, activists gathered in front of the office of Mélanie Joly, minister of foreign affairs, to denounce her government’s complicity in the genocide of Palestinians. 

“Since Oct. 7, Canada has facilitated a record shipment of military goods to Israel,” RCP activist Hélène Bissonnette explained in her opening speech. “This government has the blood of the Palestinian working class on its hands!” And the same government that is increasing military spending is telling us that there is not enough money for our wages, our schools and our hospitals. That is why the protesters were chanting in the streets: “Money for health care, not for warfare!” and “Inflation is eating our wages, while Trudeau is funding war!”

The labour movement, if organized, has immense power—it has the power to stop the Israeli war machine. As Manuel Viens, a mechanic and RCP activist unionized with CUPE, explained, “It’s a force that can shut down the economy, shut down the government, stop munitions from leaving the province, stop weapons and capital from leaving the country.” Sadly, most of the unions that have supported this demonstration in the past were conspicuous by their absence this year, which explains the smaller turnout. This is symptomatic of the deplorable silence of union leaders in the face of the slaughter of the Palestinians. Several unions have taken a stand against the genocide, on paper, but concrete action has been slow to follow. By not endorsing this year’s demonstration, they confirmed that “they talk the talk but don’t walk the walk,” which Manuel denounced.

The working class is a sleeping giant, and if it remembers its internationalist and class-struggle traditions, it can stop the genocide and help the Palestinians to free themselves. As Manuel so aptly put it: “The entire history of the Canadian labour movement is a struggle against these banks, against these bosses, against these governments that are now supporting genocide… The cause of the Palestinians is the cause of the world working class.”

The majority of workers are opposed to the genocide, but given the inaction of the workers’ leaders, it is not surprising that they feel helpless. However, the students can give workers hope to fight. This is why the RCP has launched the campaign for a student strike for Palestine. 

Organizations that endorsed the demonstration:
 – Ahuntsic-Cartierville pour la Palestine
– Conseil central du Montréal métropolitain – CSN
– Revolutionary Communist Party
– SITT-IWW Montreal
– Syndicat des travailleurs et artistes de l’animation – CSN
– STT Resto Végo
– CUPW – Montreal local