By Mihai Roşca, Second Year Politics and Philosophy
Last week, the Bristol Revolutionary Communist Party were distributing leaflets and 'The Communist newspaper' for £2 to students passing by.
Like something out of the first half of the 20th century, the member of the Bristol Revolutionary Communist Party presented a very stereotypical Communist appearance - a long drab coat, a bushy moustache and a beret with the Communist emblem on it.
RCP posters have been spotted around campus for the past few months, with many believing their group to be a university society. However, 'S', who is a student himself, told Epigram that they are actually a political group, unaffiliated with the university.
The group sets up a "paper stall" in the same place, between 12-2pm every Friday. 'S' and the other 4 "comrades" preferred to keep their identities private.
S went on to say that there are about 2000 members across the UK, and about 50 in Bristol. The group is made up of all people, with there being a Worker's Branch and a Student Branch in Bristol. The group meets once a week at the popular pub Brewhouse and Kitchen on Cotham Hill where other groups like Philsoc hold events.
In conversation with the BRCP
Why are you guys out there?
"We're trying to increase our presence. We're trying to basically propagate what we're doing, what the Communists are really about, because [when] people think about Communism, they think of the USSR, which to us is a failed project, a degenerated workers' state... we're here to shift the narrative. And the best way to do that is with students, because they're open minded, because they have time... which a lot of workers don't."
How did you join the RCP?
"I've always learnt about Marxist theory in my own time and most of it was driven by the want to know how oppressed people in the world could be liberated, whether that was through race or gender. I couldn't find any answers that resounded with me in popular media... someone suggested the RCP, I went to one of their meetings and realised that it was for me … I think my interest came from observation, when you look at things like racism or gender based repression, it's like, where do these things actually come from?... I learned about different revolutionaries like Malcolm X and Fred Hampton, and they all have the shared interest of understanding capitalism, seeing where these forms of oppression come out of... these forms of oppression are inherit to Capitalism and we can't free these people if we don't get rid of the root."
Throughout the conversation, some common themes became apparent: some disenchantment with current Democracy, denouncement of the USSR, unwavering belief that a worker's revolution could slowly solve everything, be it the climate crisis, Palestine or Gaza.
I see you're wearing an interesting hat?
"So initially it was a NATO beret, I took the NATO insignia off and threw it in the bin, and I put this USSR sort of emblem thing on it."
Student reactions to the RCP's presence varied. A few seemed interested and stopped, most carried on with their day.
One student from Lithuania said:
"(Generally), I am very very distrustful of communist groups, because so many of them are cultist like? Those leaders and their very sectarian belief systems... But then I chatted with the lady handing out newspapers and she seemed genuine, and curious person. I got particularly curious what the communists had to say about Syria and Assad, and was pleasantly surprised that they were not defending him. They shared some unique critiques of his regime that I hadn't heard before."
Epigram's conversation with Comrade SS shows that there's never a dull day in Bristol if your eyes and ears are open. It is undeniable that the relatively small RCP is leaving a big footprint and gaining momentum across the city.