Houston: This Movement Can't Stop

By Name | July 28, 2013 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us July 20—About 700 people rallied in downtown Houston as part of nationwide actions for Justice for Trayvon Martin. Many in the overwhelmingly Black, largely middle class crowd brought their own signs and banners, or personalized T-shirts with their messages for Trayvon. The event was dominated by congressional representatives and other elected officials, and various religious leaders. But a tone that influenced the entire event came towards the beginning when a Revolution squad marched into the plaza, chanting, singing, and carrying signs and banners demanding Justice for Trayvon, and declaring to the system "Three Strikes and You're Out." The revolutionaries and others held a 30-minute rally involving over 100 people before the official rally began. Several people spoke of their bitterness towards the police and how they had treated them and loved ones. The biggest response from the gathering crowd came when a revolutionary read Bob Avakian's "Three Strikes" quote, and about $80 was raised from the sale of 300 of the posters with this quote, which were probably the most prominent visual display at the entire rally. About 50 copies of Revolution were sold. There was a great deal of latent anger in the crowd. Many, many people spoke to us of how determined they feel to see this through to justice for Trayvon, and that this movement can't stop. People brought up the long, bloody history of the U.S., and in particular gave thoughtful responses to what everyone should think about—and do about—a system that produced the lynching of Emmett Till 58 years ago and of Trayvon Martin last year. One man said to us, "Individual racism is horrible, but what we got here is institutionalized racism, and that's more horrible. It's why I say we're up against a whole system. It's not just individuals. That's why this guy (Zimmerman) got off." The crew of revolutionaries again marched and rallied at the end of the official event, about 10 people stronger than when they first came in. People later went to take out the movement for revolution to neighborhoods in the Third Ward. A showing of one disc of the movie BA Speaks: REVOLUTION—NOTHING LESS! Bob Avakian Live is scheduled for a Third Ward library next Saturday, July 27.