In the past two weeks, the Revolutionary Communist Party’s autumn growth campaign has taken party membership to record highs.
A new generation of young people are stepping into the struggle against imperialism. On the back of our mobilisations at universities, colleges, and schools, the RCP’s ranks are swelling with fresh enthusiasm and determination.
What we’re hearing in conversations with students is striking: many are either already identifying as communists, or are eager to dive deeper into our ideas.
Despite the institutional anti-communist propaganda that permeates schools and universities, a generation disillusioned with the status quo is hungry for alternatives.
In Cardiff, for example, the momentum has been incredible. Over the course of just two weeks, we hosted 11 events covering everything from combating the far right to what communism really means.
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The response in this city has been overwhelming: seven new recruits (and counting!), over 60 copies of The Communist sold, hundreds of leaflets distributed, and plenty of literature flying off our stalls.
One of our newest recruits was so impressed with our ideas and activity that they officially joined the party only 12 hours after signing up at our stall!
Revolutionary ideas
Students are not just interested in our stance on the issues immediately affecting them; they’re also probing into broader questions about world politics, revolutionary history and tactics, and Marxist theory.
At Imperial College London, five students attended our first meeting, engaging in discussions that ranged from how to free Palestine to the importance of revolutionary leadership and the revolutionary press.
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Similarly, at London Metropolitan, students were keen to chat with us about the roles of official Communist Parties in India and China, and were impressed by our party’s openly revolutionary programme in contrast.
Our presence on campuses has been unique; in many places like Leicester and Reading, we’re the only political society engaging students directly with revolutionary ideas.
Everywhere, students have remarked that “you are not like the other student societies. You guys are actually building a real party!”
At both Birmingham and University College London, our comrades faced bureaucratic obstacles, having been banned from previous freshers’ events for their solidarity with Palestine.
Far from being dismayed, however, the comrades went on the offensive.
In Birmingham – using a makeshift banner reading ‘Kicked out of campus for supporting Palestine’ – we were able to amass enough signatures to re-establish our societies and draw in new members!
Fighting imperialism
The events of the past year have radicalised millions, and many students are actively seeking out a revolutionary perspective on why tensions are sharpening and wars are breaking out.
At Imperial College, discussions about the catastrophe in the Middle East were front and centre, with students eager to hear about a communist programme to fight militarism.
At our stalls, slogans like “sick of Labour’s genocide?” and “Starmer is a war criminal” resonated with a broader audience, connecting us with students from various backgrounds who are already fed up with Starmer’s pro-imperialist, anti-worker government.
In Sheffield, we hosted Fiona Lali for her ‘Books Not Bombs’ speaking tour, inspiring a room full of eager faces who were motivated to join the RCP and fight imperialism on campus.
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As western powers escalate their conflicts, we must double down on our efforts to organise and build the revolutionary forces necessary to challenge these warmongers right here in Britain.
We have a tremendous amount of work ahead of us. The students we’ve connected with are ready to fight and eager for action.
We invite our readers to join us for the launch of our ‘Books Not Bombs’ student campaign meeting in London, where we’ll discuss tactics and strategies for the academic year ahead.
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And let’s not forget Revolution Festival 2024 – an anti-imperialist conference and school of communism – which will be the culmination of all the hard work and achievements we have made during our autumn growth campaign.
The RCP is the political home of Britain’s communist generation. If you want to fight for your future, then join us in the struggle! Join the communists on your campus!
