John McCarthy

John McCarthy

John McCarthy died August 2019 was New York City activist.

Activist life

August 22 2019

John McCarthy came from a close-knit Irish American working class family in Brooklyn, where he graduated Fort Hamilton HS in 1972.

John McCarthy got a job with the NYC Transit Authority in the 1970s. He spent decades in the subway tunnels doing dirty dangerous, dirty, backbreaking work, mostly in the middle of the night.

He spent those same decades fighting for his fellow workers in the Transport Workers Union Local 100, as a striker, as a shop steward, as a member of opposition caucuses, as an elected official. He went to every picket line, every rally, every meeting, every Labor Day March, every leafleting and he remained active as a retiree.

But that was only his home base. John was a revolutionary socialist and a fighter for workers and oppressed people everywhere his whole adult life. From 1985 until his death he was a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, which has recently changed its name to Liberation Road.

911 "Truther"

John McCarthy, president of Veterans Equal Rights Protection Advocacy was one of 100 "prominent Americans" who signed an October 26 2004 statement circulated by 911Truth.org calling on the U.S. Government to investigate 9/11 as a possible "inside job".

...we have assembled 100 notable Americans and 40 family members of those who died to sign this 9/11 Statement, which calls for immediate public attention to unanswered questions that suggest that people within the current administration may indeed have deliberately allowed 9/11 to happen, perhaps as a pretext for war.

DataCenter Donor

In 2007 John McCarthy and Kathryn Barnhart were listed on the DataCenter's annual report as donors to the organization. The Oakland, California based DataCenter is widely regarded as the intellegence wing of the United States Left and has close ties to Cuba.

Freedom Road meeting

Spring 2015, the New York/New Jersey District of Freedom Road Socialist Organization sponsored a forum entitled “Ferguson: The Movement So Far and Lessons for Coming Struggles.” The first speaker was "our comrade", Montague Simmons, Chair of the legendary Organization for Black Struggle in St. Louis.

The meeting was held 39 Eldridge St,New York, 19 March 2015. Organized by Eric Odell.

A Discussion with Montague Simmons Chair of the Organization for Black Struggle – St. Louis and labor organizer

Loyda Colon Co-Director of the Justice Committee, a Latina/Latino-led organization dedicated to building a movement against police violence and systemic racism in New York City

Speaking for the first time in NYC since the police murder of Michael Brown, the chair of OBS, which played a major role in the Ferguson protests, discusses the new strategies, organizational forms and social forces that emerged there, and how the movement was sustained. Loyda Colon will reflect on the Justice Committee’s work organizing with families directly impacted by police violence, and will share their thoughts on the current movement in NYC.

Together they will share their thoughts on key questions for the movements against police abuse that are erupting around the country. How do we hold together broad united fronts with different generations, cultures, classes and political perspectives? What’s the role of anti-capitalists and socialists? What kind of policing reforms do we want and how do they relate to other issues in our communities, and to radical social transformation?

Those signalling their intention to attend on Wherevent included John McCarthy, Juliet Ucelli, Betty Yu, Lily Defriend, Wai Yee Poon, David Unger, Matthew Tinker, Ryan Briles, Enbion Micah Aan, Erick Moreno, Terry Marshall, Jesse Baboo, Daniel Tasripin, Anton Han Kiang, Starlitekid Cosmos, Clayton Nino Brown, Miguel Marrero-Bermudez, Joy Schulman, Jeanne D. Shaw, Mark Swier, Stephanie Zukasaka, Denise Chupacabral, Anne Mitchell, Emma Pliskin, Oriana Roeckraeyer, Lara Shepard-Blue, Karly Safar, Robina Rai, Man See Kong, Teresa Basilio, Aisha Shillingford, Adriana Cruz, Ofie Virtucio, Rivka Paradis, Katrina Cortes, Sharice Richards.

FRSO

John McCarthy is sympathetic to the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

FRSO election plan

Facebook 2016

John McCarthy supported the Freedom Road Socialist Organization 2016 election plan.

"BILL FLETCHER JR, ED OTT & OTHERS"

Left Labor Project held a forum at 1199 SEIU, 310 W 43rd St, 14 January 2016, 18:00 till Thursday 14 January 2016.

The run-up to the Presidential primaries has unleashed a right-wing frenzy that's unprecedented in its naked scapegoating and repressive policy ideas. How do we analyze and respond to these developments, through our labor and community groups, and in the electoral arena? What new alliances, campaigns, and demands do we need?

Those signalling their support, or intention to attend on the events Wherevent page included Dara Silverman, Audrey Sasson, Jill Greenberg, Michael Dormo, Dennis Hart, David Mirtz, John Tarleton, Katrina Marie, Robert Ambaras, Ethan Frey, Maureen Silverman, Scarlett Ahmed, Caroline Unger, Emiljana Ulaj, Dahlia Goldenberg, Jessica Acee, Ferdinand Joseph, Kate Aronoff, Greg Dunkel, IrieAndrea LeDawes, Kristi Barnes, Nora Taggart, Mark Duran, Patrick Loman, Marion Lipshutz, Mindy Rubinstein-Rosier, Dego Adely, Marcus Meute, Gee Nimius, Mary Boger, Ellen Gurzinsky, Glorya Cabrera, Prince Manlaw King, Eric K. Ward, Joseph Phelan, Vince Kelley, Christine Williams, Plinio Cruz-Alvarez, Leon Pinsky, Dennis O'Neil, Eduardo Hugo Gil, John McCarthy, John Treat, David Salay, Kate Spaulding, Mohammad A. Khan, Charles Lenchner, Joshua Clennon, Chris Barron, Robel Tekleab, Jose Mangasha, Paolo Cremidis, John Dennie, Zach Liszka, Edgar E. Avalos, M. Dove Kent, Kristina Antonia Mazzocchi, John Ennis, Jon Zaccarini, L. Eljeer Hawkins, Bob Ratynski, Lorraine Barcant, Anne Mitchell,

FRSO comrades

Dennis O'Neil October 5 2019·

That's John McCarthy with Eric Odell's hand around his shoulder and Fred Engst and Anton Han Kiang at one of my DJ D's Ragged But Right Show gigs in Williamsburg five years back.