'Ideology linked to 100 million deaths': Leftists march with Communist flags in Philadelphia as US struggles to defend democratic values

On Sunday, the newly-formed Revolutionary Communists of America (RCA) held their inaugural Congress in Philadelphia, marking the establishment of their American chapter of the Revolutionary Communists coordination, a global movement active in multiple countries.

Following the Congress, approximately 500 RCA members marched through Philadelphia streets, displaying red flags adorned with the hammer and sickle symbol. The demonstration garnered widespread attention on social media, including condemnation from high-profile figures such as Elon Musk, CEO of X and Tesla. Musk, with an estimated net worth of $238 billion according to Forbes, shared one of the protest videos with an exclamation mark, underscoring his disapproval.

The RCA is affiliated with the Revolutionary Communist International, which spans at least 12 nations. The group's platform calls for the complete dismantling of capitalism, advocating for a vision of "material superabundance" and opposing what it describes as the "artificial scarcity" of profit-driven systems. The RCA's agenda includes advocating for significant improvements in workers' lives and proposing a radical reorganization of society under working-class political and economic control.

Communism, historically associated with leftist ideologies, has been a contentious topic due to its connection with several large-scale atrocities. The ideology has been linked to numerous regimes responsible for widespread human rights abuses. Estimates suggest that communist regimes, such as those in the Soviet Union, China under Mao Zedong, and Cambodia under Pol Pot, have collectively caused the deaths of approximately 100 million people through political purges, forced labor, and famine.

During the Cold War, communism was viewed with intense suspicion and hostility in the United States. The era was marked by aggressive anti-communist measures, including the Red Scare and the McCarthy hearings, which targeted alleged communists and their sympathizers as security threats and traitors. This period saw numerous individuals accused of being communist sympathizers facing persecution, blacklisting, and even imprisonment, reflecting a widespread fear of communist influence and the perceived threat of internal subversion.

Last month, former U.S. President and current Republican candidate Donald Trump narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in the same Pennsylvania city where the communists were marching.

The RCA’s recent activities and their affiliation with international communist movements have reignited discussions about the historical impact of communism, its implications for contemporary politics, and the enduring legacy of Cold War-era anti-communism.