Los Angeles, CA – A principios de octubre, los informantes en White Memorial, un hospital adventista de Boyle Heights, filtraron información invaluable. Los informantes afirmaron que los agentes de ICE estaban llevando a los detenidos de una instalación inadecuada de ICE llamada “B-18” ubicada dentro del Metropolitan Detention Center en el centro de Los Ángeles, al hospital del barrio Chicano.

Caracas, Venezuela – Dozens of Venezuelan trade unions representing public and private sectors ranging from national oil company workers to educators to motorcycle taxistas joined together in the Constituent Congress of the Working Class on December 15-17 in Caracas. They gathered as the culmination of over 22,000 assemblies of workers throughout the country involving nearly 67,000 elected delegates from October to December.

Brooklyn, NY — Dozens of community members gathered at the NYPD’s 71st Precinct in Brooklyn on December 20. Four years before, Officers Peter Lan and Conrado Abreu-Gerez from the 71st Precinct shot and killed 26-year-old Haitian American Eudes Pierre while he was experiencing a mental health crisis.

Minneapolis, MN – After a year of community pressure, Minneapolis cut funding for its contract with Zencity, an Israeli tech company whose surveillance technology emerged from Israel’s military intelligence center, Unit 8200, notorious for development of surveillance and phone hacking technology.

Caracas, Venezuela – Venezuelan trade unions gathered on December 15 to discuss plans and proposals to expand their participation in the defense of the country and the goals of the working class. The Congress of the Working Class invited international delegates to join them in solidarity.

Denver, CO – Organizers in Denver are continuing the fight against local airline Key Lime Air, responsible for deportation flights.

Over the last week, the campaign to stop Key Lime Air from operating deportation flights has expanded. Organizers from Aurora Unidos CSO, Immigrant Partnership Teams, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, and Casa de Paz gathered outside of the Denver City Council meeting on December 15. The city councilors were scheduled to vote on Key Lime Air’s presence at Denver International Airport. If passed, the bill would expand Key Lime Air’s contract with the airport by increasing its operating space there.

Jacksonville, FL – In a powerful show of solidarity, nearly a dozen families directly harmed by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) united at Café Resistance on Thursday, December 19.

The “Justice for the Holidays” event was standing room only, organized by the Jacksonville Community Action Committee (JCAC), transforming a space of shared grief into a rallying point for organized action against a sheriff’s office with a notorious record of excessive force. The gathering highlighted many cases and struggles.

San Jose, CA – On December 14, San Jose Against War gathered dozens of people to commemorate International Human Rights Day. The U.S. has been a primary facilitator of human rights violations, including selling weapons to Israel, bombing fisherpeople off the coast of Venezuela, and a host of sanctions imposed on countries striving for national sovereignty.

This past year, horrifying accidents and the government shutdown have put many of us on alert about travel risks. It’s made more people reflect on how important flight attendants are. Their primary job, after all, is keeping passengers safe. As the year comes to an end, let’s put a spotlight on some working conditions that affect their own safety.

Physical injuries

Despite gendered stereotypes about being a flight attendant, the job causes serious physical strain. Strain manifests in several parts of the body, most consistently in the shoulders and back. The job requires lifting your own luggage, working aircraft doors (many of which are old and have levers that require lots of muscle to push and pull), and maneuvering beverage carts that can weigh up to 300 pounds. Even stepping out of tall crew vans in heels can be a fall or concussion risk.

Santa Ana, CA – En la fría noche del 11 de diciembre, 100 miembros de la comunidad se reunieron para orar y rendir homenaje a la Virgen de Guadalupe, su santa patrona. Oraron bajo cientos de flores y luces brillantes instaladas por Luis Cantabrana. Él es un residente de Santa Ana que lleva 27 años transformando su casa en un hermoso altar dedicado a la Virgen de Guadalupe. Este año, a pesar de las redadas casi semanales del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE) en Santa Ana, la tradición se celebró ampliamente.

Fight Back! News is circulating the following statement from the New Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Illinois Chicago (New SDS at UIC).

New Students for a Democratic Society at UIC is proud to announce that we’ve successfully pushed UIC administration to commit to increasing funding for all seven cultural centers on campus! In the era of Trump 2.0, this is an important victory in the struggle to defend diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education. When we dare to struggle, we dare to win!

Minneapolis, MN- On December 14, over 100 postal workers and supporters braved subzero temperatures to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) using post office parking lots as staging areas. The action was organized by rank-and-file members of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 9, which represents Minneapolis workers.

City of Industry, CA – On Saturday, December 13, the family of Joseph Perez, Centro CSO, and other allies rallied outside the Industry Sheriff’s Station to demand justice for Perez, who narrowly survived a beating by at least five sheriff’s deputies on July 27, 2020. Perez required 17 staples and 19 sutures to close cuts across his face and scalp, served two years in prison for resisting arrest, and is still recovering from the trauma.

Doral, FL – On Wednesday, December 10, activists stood across from United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) protesting the escalation of attacks against Venezuela. About a dozen activists came to the protest at 2:30 p.m. to demand that the airstrikes stop, the warships are brought back home, and that the government restore Temporary Protected Status protections for Venezuelans.

Santa Ana, CA – On the chilly evening of December 11, 100 community members came together to pray and pay homage to the patron saint la Virgen de Guadalupe. They prayed under hundreds of flowers and bright lights installed by Luis Cantabrana. He is a local Santanero, who has been turning his entire home into a beautiful altar for la Virgen de Guadalupe for 27 years. This year, despite the almost weekly raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Santa Ana, the tradition was celebrated widely.

Colorado Springs, CO – On December 11, the Colorado Springs Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (COSAARPR) gathered outside of the 4th Judicial District attorney’s office to demand justice for Alex-Martinez Sarmiento.

River Ridge, LA – On December 11, Starbucks workers at the unionized store on River Ridge participated in the nationwide “Red Cup Rebellion” strike. This open-ended strike has expanded to over 180 stores across 130 cities, making it the longest work stoppage in Starbucks history.

Anaheim, CA – On Wednesday, December 10, chants of “Justice for Albert Arzola!” filled the streets in Anaheim. Members of Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) protested with friends of Albert Arzola to demand justice after he was killed by and Anaheim Police Department (APD) gang unit.

Santa Rosa, CA – On December 9, community members, faith leaders and immigrant rights organizations gathered in Santa Rosa to demand an end to all cooperation between Sonoma County law enforcement and ICE. The rally came amid heightened fear in immigrant communities due to the renewed intensification of deportations.

Portland, OR – Since the start of December, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson was confronted twice by activists from the Revoke the ICE Permit campaign over his lack of any meaningful actions against ICE.

These have been part of an ongoing effort from the campaign and Portland Contra las Deportaciones (PDXCD) to secure a meeting with him and demand an action plan for shutting down the Portland ICE facility as soon as possible.