Dominican Republic 1966

New York March Backs Dominican Revolution


Written: 1966;
First published: May 2, 1966.
Source: The Militant, Vol. 30, No. 18, 1966, p. 2;
Transcribed: by Amaury Rodriguez, 2014.

Transcriber’s note: This is a report on a march and rally in New York City in commemoration of the one-year anniversary of the Dominican revolution of 1965. This issue of The Militant carries an announcement on page 2 for a Militant Labor Forum (“The Dominican Rebellion: One-Year Later”) to be held on May 6 of that same year.


NEW YORK – Nearly 300 people held a march and rally here on April 24 to commemorate the anniversary of the uprising in Santo Domingo against the dictatorship there. The demonstration solidarized with the struggle of the Dominican people and their demand for withdrawal of U.S. occupation troops from the island.

A spirited, militant group of marchers – mostly Dominicans with some Puerto Ricans and North Americans – proceeded up Broadway from 72nd St. to 106th St. where a rally was held.

The demonstration was part of an international week of solidarity with the Dominicans called by the Tricontinental Conference held in Cuba early this year. It was sponsored by the Dominican Constitutionalist Front and the New York chapter of the Puerto Rican Pro-Independence Movement (MPI).

The highlight of the rally was an address by Norman Pietri of the MPI who represented his organization at the Tricontinental Conference. He stressed the theme of Latin American solidarity against imperialism, and pointed out that while the U.S. imperialists might be able to fight revolutionary movements one at the time, they would find it impossible to deal with a united movement.

Pietri declared that revolutions could not be made by going half way but had to go all the way if they were to be true revolutions. He expressed solidarity with the Vietnamese people, and ended his speech on the theme expressed in the Second Declaration of Havana that it is the duty of revolutionaries to make the revolution.

Jose Santos of MPI chaired the meeting. The speaker included representatives of organizations from the Dominican Republic, Panama, Puerto Rico, and the United States.

Among the speakers from the United States were Richard Garza, representing the Socialist Workers Party; Key Martin of Youth Against War and Fascism; and Mae Mallory.

Garza expressed the solidarity of the SWP with the struggle of the Dominican people.