On May 4, the International Committee of the Fourth International is holding its annual International May Day Online Rally, with speakers and participants from throughout the world.

There is growing interest in socialism and a resurgence of class struggle internationally. The past year has seen significant expressions of social unrest, emerging independently of and in opposition to the pro-capitalist trade unions and political organizations—the teachers strikes in the US, the Yellow Vest protests in France, the strikes of maquiladora workers in Mexico, mass protests in Algeria, and many others.

Terrified of these developments, the capitalist ruling elites are intensifying their plans for war and the destruction of democratic rights. They are actively promoting and cultivating far-right and fascistic forces, from the Trump administration in the US and Bolsonaro in Brazil, to the Alternative für Deutschland in Germany.

This year’s May Day Online Rally is being called in the aftermath of the brutal arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who was seized by British police from the Ecuadorean embassy in London on April 11. Assange faces the threat of extradition to the United States, where he would be subject to indefinite detention or charges that carry the death penalty. Chelsea Manning, who courageously provided WikiLeaks with evidence of US war crimes in 2010, remains in prison after refusing to testify against Assange.

The persecution of Assange and Manning, supported by the entire ruling elite in the US, is a far-reaching attack on democratic rights and freedom of speech. It is directed at all workers and youth who dare speak out and oppose the policies of the corporate and financial elite.

Broad sections of the population are moving to the left, not to the right. The great challenge is to provide the working class with a political program and perspective. Opposition to war, to the rise of the far-right, and to the persecution of Assange and Manning must be connected to the fight against inequality, exploitation and the capitalist system.

Join the 2019 International May Day Online Rally on Saturday, May 4! Join the fight for socialism!