EXCLUSIVE: 'Revolutionary Communists' descend on UCLA; advocate 'overthrow of the system'

Members of the Revolutionary Communist Party of America launched an advertising campaign at the University of California-Los Angeles in early May by chalking and distributing signage in an apparent effort to recruit college students to subscribe to their communist ideology. 

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The group set up signs, handed out flyers, and wrote out chalk markings, as seen in photos obtained by Campus Reform, even after being asked by staff and housing officials to stop their activities. The group’s distributed manifesto condemned capitalism, as well as “jokes” based on race, gender, nationality, etc. Chalked markings on the ground and walls asked students to speak. 

The Communists remained in the campus dorms, known as “The Hill”, for several hours before leaving. 

Sections D3, D8, and D10 of UCLA’s On-Campus Housing Regulations forbid using housing spaces without permission, chalking and signing on The Hill without UCLA approval -- the failure of the group’s signage to be in Residential Life display cases indicates this was not obtained -- and advertising a non-university organization without approval, respectively. However, according to UCLA’s On Campus Conduct Policy, there exists no process for sanctioning non-resident violations.

A whiteboard displayed by the group bore the message “Revolution is the only solution.”

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The Revolutionary Communist Party passed out flyers urging revolution -- but saying it will not provoke violence “at this stage” -- calling for the formation of “organized fighting forces,” claiming the group must be ready to “continually train and deploy new forces and leaders,” and called for the establishment of a “New Socialist Republic of North America.” 

”We are going for an actual overthrow of the system and a whole better way beyond the destructive, vicious conflicts of today between the people,” one flyer stated.

“Do not attempt to openly control and govern territory, until the necessary ‘favorable balance of forces’ has been achieved,” one part of the manifesto warns potential recruits.

These flyers are nothing new for the Revolutionary Communists, which boasts affiliates including Stop Patriarchy and Refuse Fascism.

“The fury of women can and must be fully unleashed as a mighty force for proletarian revolution,” Revolutionary Communist Party Chairman Bob Avakian says on an official party page referencing the former affiliate.

The Communists have gained notoriety at UCLA, largely due to frequent flyering and event disruptions, such as last year’s invasion of an “Indigenous People’s Event”. 

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UCLA students have pushed back against the group, often claiming that the group is almost entirely composed of non-students and preach a strain of Marxism far too radical for the left-leaning college.

“I’m a Democrat and I absolutely cannot stand the Trump/Pence administration but these people are out of their minds!” Jenai Blazina, a second-year Biochemistry major, told Campus Reform. “The United States is a democracy and if they truly want them gone, they should be advocating for impeachment or helping candidates that align with their own values. I’m not an expert in politics but this kind of sounds like treason.” 

18 U.S. Code §?2385. Advocating overthrow of Government criminalizes knowingly advocating for the destruction of the U.S. Government, including forming groups and spreading information for that purpose. It is unknown if the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is currently monitoring the Revolutionary Communists, but Avakian claims to have been put under surveillance back in the 1970s.

“I want to think they’re harmless fools but they keep recruiting more and more people and now I don’t know,” Blazina continued.

However, other students find the Communists a laughingstock, unable to take their claims seriously. 

“They’re suicidal for thinking they can take on the military of a country that literally spends more money on the military than the next seven countries combined, but at least they’re following true Marxist thought,” one undergraduate who wished to remain anonymous told Campus Reform. “It reminds me of Sparta, in that the state has a highly trained army entirely due to fear of a Helot revolution. Except replace ‘Helot’ with ‘communist’, and replace ‘fear’ with ‘not that much fear.’”

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Despite the large amount of opposition, the Revolutionaries show no sign of abandoning recruitment efforts in UCLA, continuing to disseminate their literature regularly.

UCLA campus officials did not respond to requests for comment in time for publication. 

Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @arik_schneider