Minneapolis, MN – On October 20, Hennepin County workers gathered at the Government Center in downtown Minneapolis to demand, “Protect our workers, protect our community services: don’t balance the budget on our backs.”
Tampa, FL – On October 10, members of the Tampa Bay Community Action Committee and others rallied at Tampa City Hall to protest Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' proposed anti-protest bill. On September 21, DeSantis released the proposed legislation called “Combatting Violence, Disorder and Looting and Law Enforcement Protection Act.” If the bill is signed into law, it would legalize running over protesters with cars, and would make marching on the street a felony offense. Governor DeSantis' anti-protest bill is a direct response to protests during the George Floyd uprising, the Black Lives Matter movement and the First Amendment right to assembly and free speech.
Fight Back! is circulating the following statement by Nicolas Maduro Moros, president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) stands in solidarity with the people of Venezuela and their leadership against U.S. military threats and economic blockade. The FRSO is preparing to participate in the Global Platform of Workers Against Imperialism this October 28, 29 and 30.To the Peoples of the World
Cole family arrested one day after killer cop not charged
Milwaukee, WI – Protests in the Milwaukee suburb of Wauwatosa ramped up over the past two nights. On October 7, Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm ruled that although the shooting death of Alvin Cole in February was not justified, Wauwatosa police officer Joseph Mensah would not face charges for the murder. Mensah is also responsible for the murders of Antonio Gonzales and Jay Anderson. Chisholm was the district attorney who filed no charges in each of those cases, as well as six other instances of killer cops in and around Milwaukee.
Chicago, IL – Mayor Lori Lightfoot has made it official: she will not support any form of police reform that takes any power from her office. She declared the “negotiations have broken down” with aldermen who supported a proposal called the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (CCPSA) because they insisted on giving it the power to set policy for the Chicago Police Department. The CCPSA would add a convoluted layer of bureaucracy over the already broken system of ‘oversight.’
Minneapolis, MN – Derek Chauvin, the cop who knelt on George Floyd’s neck until he died, was released from jail October 7 on a $1 million non-cash bond. Chauvin was being jailed at a maximum security prison while he awaited a March 2021 trial. He is the last former cop – all four have been fired – to get out on bail.
Minneapolis, MN – Around 200 technical workers from Allina’s Abbot Northwestern and Saint Francis Hospitals began a two-day strike at 6 a.m. on Monday, October 5. The workers on strike include diagnostic imaging technicians, medical lab technicians, surgical technicians and others.
One of the masterminds of the brutal Lianga Massacre of 2015 was killed October 4 in an ambush by the Communist-led New People's Army (NPA) in Surigao del Sur against the paramilitary group Magahat-Bagani.
San José, CA – On Friday, October 2, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that the official unemployment rate had dropped to 7.9% in September, from 8.4% in August. But of the almost one million people who left the official unemployment count, 70% stopped looking for work and did not find a job. This is because the government’s unemployment rate only counts those who are both without paid work and who are looking for work.
Denver, CO – On the evening of September 28, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) led a rally of students and community members on Auraria campus in Denver. The rally demanded that the Auraria Higher Education Center (AHEC) defund and disarm the Auraria Campus Police Department (ACPD).
Chicago, IL – During a series of questions around racial injustice and law enforcement, the issue of community control of police was raised during the September 29 presidential debate, the first of three scheduled between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden. An issue that only had strong roots in a few cities six months ago is now a topic of national interest in the campaign for the highest office in the land.
Minneapolis, MN – The Minnesota Uprising Arrestee Support (MUAS) and other Twin Cities residents joined Matthew Rupert in court September 30 as he continues to fight federal arson charges stemming from this summer’s rebellion. Supporters stood behind Rupert in court to demand the charges against Rupert and all uprising defendants be dropped.
Chicago, IL – Many who arrived at 35th Street and Michigan Avenue on September 24 were visibly upset, given the failure of Kentucky’s attorney general to indict and prosecute the Louisville cops who murdered Breonna Taylor.
New York, NY – On September 23, the Louisville, Kentucky court system passed down the decision that none of the three cops involved with the murder of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman and emergency medical technician, would be indicted for her killing. Rather, they charged one officer with wanton endangerment for his bullets potentially putting her neighbors in danger.
Milwaukee, WI – On September 20, union members and frontline workers gathered at Zeidler Union Square in downtown Milwaukee. The purpose for the rally was to speak out about working conditions during the pandemic, the need for extended benefits, the fight for racial justice and the blatant attacks on workers from the Trump administration.
New York, NY – Over 60 people gathered on September 20 in front of the Philippine Consulate to demand an end to martial law in the Philippines. The rally was held to commemorate the 48th anniversary of the declaration of martial law by Ferdinand Marcos, as well as to protest the human rights abuses committed under the current government of President Rodrigo Duterte.
New York, NY – About 50 people gathered at Union Square, September 19, to demand an end to all police crimes, the withdrawal of federal troops, and community control of the police. The rally and speak out was put by the newly formed New York Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NYAARPR).
Dallas, TX – On September 19, the Dallas Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, together with a number of other groups, held a march for Black lives. The group met at a downtown Dallas park before marching to city hall. According to the group's social media, a main demand of the march was that the Dallas City Council, which is now finalizing the budget, “redirect a significant portion of the police budget to community needs.”
Milwaukee, WI – Frontline and essential workers will speak out about working conditions under the pandemic, the need for extended benefits, the fight for racial justice, and the urgency of defeating Trump.
Chicago, IL – On September 15, the Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine (CJP) held a press conference to reject the charade that was happening the same day in Washington, DC, where the Trump administration was holding a signing ceremony for a ‘peace’ arrangement between Israel and both the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.