Tampa 5 defense tour arrives in Seattle
Seattle, WA – On October 23, Gia Davila of the Tampa 5 spoke before an enthusiastic crowd of 50 people at the University of Washington’s Ethnic Cultural Center. The Tampa 5 are charged with felonies for protesting against Governor Ron DeSantis’s assaults on education. The five, three student organizers, a union member, and a community activist – are currently on a tour of the United States to raise awareness of their case, and how to resist political repression.
Castill Hightower, a community activist whose brother was killed by Seattle police in 2004 and a member of the Seattle Alliance against Racist and Political Repression, gave a powerful speech to introduce Gia Davila. In her speech, Hightower pledged solidarity with Davila and the rest of the Tampa 5. She said the charges filed were an effort to “make an example of Gia simply because she engaged in her right to protest against Governor Ron DeSantis’s violent determination to wipe Black, brown, LGBTQ+ folks, and other marginalized communities from our tax funded educational system in an attempt to rewrite history!”
“We’re not going to apologize for this. Student activists shouldn’t ever have to apologize for protesting on campus,” said Gia Davila. “They have now doubled the felony counts, making it ten years for three of us.” She said that there was a need for groups to continue organizing. “Florida is not a hateful place. Republicans like Ron DeSantis are doomed to fail, because they are not with the people, and the people will eventually win.”
The event was endorsed by many organizations, including Unite Here Local 8, MEChA, Anakbayan UW, the Students for Farmworkers, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, the Seattle Student Union, and UAW Local 4121.
Gia Davila’s tour continues on after the stop in Seattle, with events in Tacoma and Portland before continuing down to San Jose and Los Angeles.