Los Angeles, CA – Dr. Rocio Rivas was finally declared winner in the highly anticipated Los Angeles Unified School District board race for District 2. On December 13 she was sworn in at an LAUSD board meeting. Board member and longtime human rights activist Jackie Goldberg gave her the oath of office while surrounded by family.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the University of Minnesota chapter of Students for a Democratic Society.

Minneapolis, MN – Human Rights Day is celebrated internationally every year on December 10. This year, activist groups from the Twin Cities gathered in the Minneapolis’s Uptown neighborhood for a protest and march to bring attention to the ongoing fight for human rights. Over 50 people attended the protest and march despite the cold weather.

Minneapolis, MN – On Tuesday, December 13, rail workers and labor supporters held rallies across the country calling for sick time and other improvement to conditions for rail workers. It was a cold, rainy afternoon when around 200 people gathered in Northeast Minneapolis near a large rail yard. Similar rallies were scheduled to be held in 11 other U.S. cities on the same day. The rallies were organized by members of the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) union.

Miami, FL- Nearly 30 international solidarity, peace and justice activists packed into a crowded courtroom at the Wilke Ferguson Federal Courthouse in downtown Miami on the morning of Monday, December 12 to show support for kidnapped Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab. The special hearing before federal judge Robert Scola, Jr. was on a motion by Saab’s defense team to dismiss the charges against him because he is an official diplomat of the Venezuelan government and should therefore be immune from any prosecution in the United States.

Minneapolis, MN – On Tuesday, December 13 Rail Workers who are represented by the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) will hold rallies in at least 12 cities across the United States calling for solidarity with rail workers.

Los Angeles, CA – Over 20 people rallied in the Boyle Heights neighborhood, at Mariachi Plaza on December 8. The rallying cry was for Congress to save Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). DACA which was a 2012 executive order by then-President Barack Obama, is at risk of being overturned.

Minneapolis, MN – More than 150 people protested December 8 in downtown Minneapolis, blocking Washington Avenue near Interstate 35W in for two hours at rush hour. They protested outside of Senator Amy Klobuchar's office demanding that the U.S. Senate act immediately to legalize people with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) temporary immigration status.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

Berkeley, CA – Wednesday, November 23, around 100 people came to support the academic workers’ strike at the University of California, Berkeley. University of California’s 48,000 academic workers have been on a statewide strike that is now heading into its fourth week.

Miami, FL – An important hearing takes place on Monday, December 12 in the case of Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab. With solidarity activists planning to protest outside the Federal Court building in Miami chanting, “Free Alex Saab,” inside a judge will hear arguments from Saab’s defense that should force him to be set free.

Milwaukee, WI – After over five months of struggle, the Waukesha Sheriff’s Department, which led the investigation into Brieon Green’s death at Milwaukee County Jail, concluded their investigation and handed the related materials to Milwaukee County’s District Attorney John Chisholm. On December 1, DA Chisholm invited Green’s family and their legal team to review footage and files from the investigation.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

Milwaukee, WI – On November 21, a dozen members from Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at UW-Milwaukee and Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) gathered in Spaights Plaza at UWM to condemn transphobic violence and to advocate for a hiring freeze on UWM’s police department. A moment of silence was also observed to honor the victims of the Club Q shooting in Colorado that occurred two days before the event.

Milwaukee, WI – On November 29, activists in both Milwaukee and Appleton dropped banners over busy highways with a message that read “Long live the popular Palestinian resistance, from Milwaukee to Palestine.” The banner drops coincided with the International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian People and were intended to raise awareness about the ongoing resistance to U.S.-backed Israeli occupation.

Fight Back News Service is circulating this statement from the Tallahassee Community Action Committee.

Minneapolis, MN – About 70 activists packed Mayday Bookstore, November 20, for the release of the print edition of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization’s (FRSO) political program.

Talks took place November 25 between General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Xi Jinping and First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez. The discussions took place in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Centro CSO.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following message of condolences from the leadership of Freedom Road Socialist Organization to the Workers Party of Belgium.