Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

Fabian Van Onzin

By Fabian Van Onzin

Black Lives Matter protest against police crimes n Houston's Third Ward

Houston, TX – Over 100 people marched through Houston's Third Ward, Sept. 24, to protest police brutality and demand justice for victims of police killings. The march began with a few speeches in front of the Martin Luther King statue in MacGregor Park, located near the University of Houston. After dozens of people had gathered, they began to march in the streets.

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By Fabian Van Onzin

Students at the University of Houston protest against police brutality

Houston, TX – Over 30 students at the University of Houston participated in a protest against police brutality on Sept. 16. They began with a rally in front of the MD Anderson library on campus, with signs reading, “Black lives matter,” “End police brutality” and “Stop racist killer cops.”

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By Fabian Van Onzin

Students at University of Houston smash Trump piñata

Houston, TX – As part of their campaign to Stop Trump, over a dozen students at the University of Houston participated in a Trump piñata bash, Sept. 10. The students gave speeches denouncing Donald Trump and the Republican agenda of racist discrimination, hatred and fear. After their speeches, they took a few whacks at the Trump piñata. It was a busy Friday, and students from all over campus gave nods of support.

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By Fabian Van Onzin

Houston protest slams police killings

Houston, TX – Over 30 people gathered in front of the headquarters of the Houston Police department, July 10, to protest the murder of Alva Braziel, an African-American man who was shot dead this week by the police. Braziel was cooperating with the police by putting his hands up, but they still shot him. The protest was also called to demand justice for Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and all victims of police brutality.

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By Fabian Van Onzin

Houston, TX – On June 17, Donald Trump will be holding a fundraiser in Houston to raise money for his campaign of racism, hatred and fear. The event will be held at the home of Tony Buzbee, a notoriously right wing lawyer who represented criminals like Rick Perry, the former governor of Texas. Buzbee's home is located in River Oaks, the most bourgeois neighborhood in town that houses the richest capitalists of Houston. Trump is charging $5000 for people to have their photo taken with him, and over $250,000 to spend an evening with him.

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By Fabian Van Onzin

Galveston, TX – Students from Houston and Lufkin, Texas gathered on Galveston Island, May 22, to prepare for the Cleveland march on the Republican National Convention (RNC). On a beautiful sunny day, they got together on the beach and held a Trump piñata bash. Participants said one thing they don't like about Trump and then took a whack at the piñata. The SDS beach party was the first major activity organized by the group to prepare for its participation in the July 18 protest organized by the Coalition to Stop Trump and March on the RNC.

#GalvestonTX #DonaldTrump

By Fabian Van Onzin

Dozens rally against a gathering of white supremacists in Houston, TX.

Houston, TX — On May 21, right-wing groups attempted to intimidate the Muslim community in Houston by holding an armed rally outside of the Islamic Daw'ah Center. The fifteen white supremacists displayed racist symbols, including the confederate flag, and chanted racist and anti-Muslim slurs. However, scores of people came out to fight back and confront the white supremacists’ message of hate and fear.

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By Fabian Van Onzin

University of Houston students at event on the Palestinian activist Rasmea Odeh

Houston, TX – Over 25 people gathered at the University of Houston, March 30, to attend a talk on the Palestinian activist Rasmea Odeh. Odeh is a 68 year old Palestinian American leader who was brutally tortured by the Israeli government in 1969, and is being targeted by the U.S. government for her political activism. She is a respected and influential activist in the Palestinian liberation movement and the government is using a bogus charge of immigration fraud in an attempt to silence her. Since she was arrested in 2013, activists all over the country have organized for justice for Rasmea Odeh.

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By Fabian Van Onzin

Houston Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) banner in solidarity with Rasmea

Houston, TX – Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) are organizing events in solidarity with Rasmea Odeh this week at University of Houston. Rasmea Odeh is a 68-year-old Palestinian American woman, tortured and imprisoned by the Israeli military occupation in 1969. For the past 20 years, she lived in Chicago, serving the Arab American and American Muslim community. She is beloved by many and won multiple awards for her work with women and children. The U.S. government is targeting Odeh for political reasons. She is being charged with minor immigration paper work offences, but the trumped-up case involves the judge and prosecutor talking on and on about terrorism.

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By Fabian Van Onzin

Houston, TX – Over 30 activists marched in Houston, March 13, to celebrate International Women's Day. The Autonomous Brown Berets was one of the organizations participating in the event. The main focus of the march was on Berta Caceres, a Honduran indigenous human rights activist who was recently murdered for her activism. The celebration was held in the East End, a Chicano/Mexicano neighborhood, and began with a traditional indigenous blessing ceremony.

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By Fabian Van Onzin

Freedom Road Socialist Organization forum in Houston, TX.

Houston, TX – The Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) held a forum in Houston, March 5, to inform the community about socialism and why we need a socialist revolution. The event was held at Solidarity Houston, a community library and meeting space for activists. Over 60 students, professors and activists from a variety of different movements attended the event.

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By Fabian Van Onzin

Students march against Trump and the Houston GOP debate

Houston, TX – Hundreds of University of Houston students protested at the Republican candidates debate, which was held on campus Feb. 25. The university allowed the racist Republicans to use their facilities to hold the debate and professors were asked to cancel their classes, yet University of Houston students were not allowed to attend. There was a highly militarized police presence on campus; the police built an expansive fence around the Moore’s Opera House and any direct path to it so that protesters and students alike would not be able to access the debate. There were snipers on the surrounding buildings, and the university was swarming with Secret Service agents.

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By Fabian Van Onzin

Houston SDS is getting read to protest Trump at the Republican debate

Houston, TX – On Feb. 25, the Republican candidates debate will take place at the University of Houston (UH). As part of their Dump Trump campaign, Students for a Democratic Society held a Trump piñata bash on campus, Feb. 19. Students walking by said they were very impressed with the piñata and support the Dump Trump campaign. Some offered to help us hand out leaflets for the protest of the debate.

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By Fabian Van Onzin

Houston, TX – A Republican debate is scheduled for the University of Houston on Feb. 26. In response, Students for a Democratic Society are calling for a protest to “Dump Trump!” Students are demanding the University of Houston oppose, instead of host, the Republican agenda of fear, hatred, racism and war.

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By Fabian Van Onzin

Protesters gather outside the Waller County Courthouse in Hempstead, Texas.

Hempstead, TX—Twenty-five activists protested outside the grand jury at the Waller County Courthouse on January 6. The grand jury met to determine whether or not to indict Texas Trooper Brian Encinia for the unlawful arrest of Sandra Bland. Trooper Encinia lied about forcefully removing Bland from her car while yelling, “I will light you up!”

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By Fabian Van Onzin

University of Houston rally in solidarity with Syrian refugees on Dec. 4.

Houston, TX – Students and anti-war activists at the University of Houston rallied in solidarity with Syrian refugees on Dec. 4. They also protested the U.S. war in Syria that is driving millions of Syrians out of their country. Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott recently said in a letter to President Obama, “Texas will not accept any refugees from Syria.” Governor Abbott filed a lawsuit against the federal government in an effort to prevent Syrian refugees from resettling in Texas.

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By Fabian Van Onzin

Protest in defense of the Hollywood 10.

Houston, TX – Jay Roach’s new movie, Trumbo, is an excellent film about the American communist screenwriter, Dalton Trumbo. The film is a biography of Trumbo’s life, his political commitments and the severe repression he faced during the U.S. government’s blacklisting campaign of Hollywood leftists in the 1950s. Unlike most Hollywood films, Trumbo paints communists in a very favorable light, showing that they were committed to the fight for social justice and the struggle to improve the lives of working people.

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By Fabian Van Onzin

Protest in support of low-wage workers at Houston Wal-Mart.

Houston, TX – Over 20 activists protested outside of Wal-Mart in Memorial Heights, Nov. 27, to stand with low-wage workers in their struggle to for a $15 wage, health benefits and a pension. Wal-Mart is one of the most exploitative companies in the U.S. It pays its workers almost nothing, provides them with few benefits and makes them work under the constant threat of being fired. The protest was organized by the National Organization for Women (NOW), which organizes the demonstration each year on Black Friday.

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By Fabian Van Onzin

Houston, TX – Over 50 people gathered at Solidarity Houston, a left-wing book store, Nov. 19, to discuss Simon Trinidad and the Colombian peace process. The event was organized by the Houston Anti-War Coalition and included three panelists who spoke about the history of the Colombian left, the Colombian rebel group FARC-EP and the U.S. imperialist war on Colombia.

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By Fabian Van Onzin

Houston protest against ICE raids.

Houston, TX – Over 50 activists protested outside of the Harris County sheriff's office, Oct. 10, against a series of recent ICE raids. Every month, the Harris County sheriff's office deports over 1000 immigrants. It has deported nearly 25,000 immigrants since 2008 – the fourth largest number in the entire U.S. Last month, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), along with the Department of Labor, Harris County sheriff’s office, and the Houston police department raided the Espiga De Oro tortilla factory under the pretense of the 'concern' over the treatment of workers.

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