A few members of the Revolutionary Communist Party of Canada were in downtown Cobourg on Sunday, April 7, 2024 selling papers.
There were at least two members from the organization talking to people, selling papers for five dollars and talking about the manifesto of the new organization.
Twenty-seven-year-old Bronwen Ruttan grew up in Cobourg, but the group is based in Toronto. Ruttan and another member of the group spoke to Today’s Northumberland in front of Victoria Hall about the organization.
Unfortunately, what they admitted off-camera, they wouldn’t admit on-camera.
“We’re out here selling our papers, connecting with other communists and building a party to fight for a revolution.”
Ruttan said the Communist Party of Canada and the 750 members across the country want, “to ultimately overthrow this capitalist system that creates the crisis of the era that we’re in.”
With oppression, poverty and disaster, Ruttan said the group will build a society that’s run by and for workers.
“If you remove the profit motive, if you remove private property then there is no incentive for people to hoard this wealth and to oppress and entire class of people.”
Ruttan said the group is trying to recruit more members by visiting places like Cobourg.
“We want to build with communists in our home towns, where we live and all over the world.”
The group has 750 members across Canada, but have set a goal of 1,000 for May.
The monthly paper Ruttan was selling for five-dollars is called the Communist Revolution has the groups manifesto.
This month’s edition of the paper has information about the failure of existing electoral parties, “to do anything to mitigate the genocide in Gaza.”
Ruttan said the mass slaughter of Hamas on Israeli communities in which 1,139 people were killed and 240 hostages were kidnapped to the Gaza Strip, “is a symptom of a larger problem.”
“While we don’t support Hamas, we don’t support terrorist tactics – I think it is to be expected.”
“If you’re mad about October 7 you need to point the blame where it lies which is on the imperialist powers who create the situation in the first place.”
Today’s Northumberland asked Ruttan if she was indicating that the October 7 attack was the Israeli’s fault?
“Objectively Hamas did that. But I’m saying if you spend half a century with your boot on someone’s head eventually they’re going to try and fight back.”
“If Palestinians aren’t violent, then they cease to exist.”
“As communists we objectively stand on the side of oppressed people and fight for their right to exist and self determination.”
Ruttan said the October 7 massacre, “is a symptom of a larger problem and is part of what we struggle against along with all the other atrocities of capitalism.”
There were a number of posters that had been previously put up on three light standards dealing with the Communist Party of Canada.
Both Ruttan and her friend admitted to putting the posters up, but when asked on camera if they did it because it may have been illegal it was a different story.
Asking about the poster that had been torn off and if it was illegal Ruttan said, “it might be,” then hesitated and said, “but I don’t know who put those up.”
“I don’t know who put the posters up, I don’t know who put the stickers up, but I’m not going to say I don’t agree with them.”
“I’m not saying I did or didn’t.”
The other person then stated to Today’s Northumberland, “I don’t know whether you’re coming at this with good faith?”
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
