Groups announce campaign to restore pages and to fight censorship
Minneapolis, MN – On January 22, Facebook disabled the main pages of two major community organizations, Peoples Power Assembly and Women In Struggle/Mujeres En Lucha, as well as activists around the country who have played roles in either group, including Puerto Rican activist Berta Joubert-Ceci; Greg Butterfield, Struggle La Lucha writer; Cheryl La Bash, co-chair, National Network on Cuba; Maggie Vascassenno, Los Angeles Harriet Tubman Center for Social Justice; and others.
Fight Back! interviews Mark Burton, attorney for Colombian revolutionary Simon Trinidad who is a political prisoner held by the U.S. government. Simon Trinidad, also known as Ricardo Palmera, is a good man who has done nothing wrong. His only crime is to fight for the freedom and independence of his own country, taking the side of Colombian workers and peasants. Due to U.S. government repression, we are unable to interview Simon Trinidad directly. Check out the campaign to Free Simon Trinidad at http://freesimontrinidad.org.
New York City – Today, January 23, over 1400 dock workers and truck drivers at Hunts Point Produce Market ended their strike after six days of militant picketing. The tentative agreement was approved by 97% of the membership, with the largest wage increase in their history.
St. Paul Park, MN – On January 21, nearly 200 members of Teamsters Local 120 who work at Marathon Petroleum Refinery in Saint Paul Park walked off the job, beginning an unfair labor practice strike.
Milwaukee, WI – On January 20, the date of Joe Biden’s inauguration as the 46th president of the United States, the Brown Berets of Milwaukee led a rally and car caravan demanding the incoming administration take action to resolve issues regarding immigrants. The three broad demands were: 1) Put an end to the policy of family separation; 2) Close the concentration camps; and 3) Provide an immediate pathway to citizenship for the undocumented. Other demands were put forward that delved into more particular circumstances, but these three formed the thrust of the action.
Salt Lake City, UT – 100 people protested against the outgoing Trump administration and rallied for a People's Agenda at the Wallace Federal Building in Salt Lake City on January 18. The protest started with chants by emcee and FRSO member Adrian Romero: “Hey hey, ho ho! These killer cops have got to go! Hey hey, ho ho! The whole damn systems got to go!” The event was hosted by the Freedom Road Socialist Organization and Utah Against Police Brutality.
Milwaukee, WI – Late in the morning on January 19, the members of Milwaukee’s Common Council gathered for a second vote on the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Grant. People watched, angered as the council voted 9-6 to accept the grant.
Milwaukee, WI – On the afternoon of January 17, roughly 40 people gathered in a parking lot at Lincoln Park to celebrate what would have been Alvin Cole’s 18th birthday. Cole was murdered by former Wauwatosa police officer Joseph Mensah on February 2, 2020. Mensah remains free after Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm determined he would face no charges in October. The cop was not fired by the Wauwatosa Police Department either, but rather was allowed to resign.
Milwaukee, WI – On the afternoon of January 17, roughly 40 people gathered in a parking lot at Lincoln Park to celebrate what would have been Alvin Cole’s 18th birthday. Cole was murdered by former Wauwatosa police officer Joseph Mensah on February 2, 2020. Mensah remains free after Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm determined he would face no charges in October. The cop was not fired by the Wauwatosa Police Department either, but rather was allowed to resign.
New York, NY – Over 50 people gathered on January 18, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The crowd rallied at the 125th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard in Harlem, a neighborhood that has had a long history of Black revolutionary organizing. Along with the rally, others participated in a car caravan that passed by the rally.
The militant labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (May First Workers Movement) condemned the harassment, threats and intimidation towards known labor leaders in Cebu, January 18.
New Orleans, LA – Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) will host a Martin Luther King Day Virtual Rally this Monday, January 18. In support of a call from the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, New Orleans FRSO demands a mass release from prisons during the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. The rally will also demand justice for Jacob Blake and an end to police crimes everywhere. The gathering will take place over Zoom, as the city recently transitioned to stricter COVID safety measures.
Minneapolis, MN – A broad coalition of progressive organizations will rally and march in Minneapolis on the day of the inauguration of the Biden-Harris presidency, January 20. Demonstrators will call for a People’s Agenda that immediately reverses the policies of outgoing President Trump and meets the demands of working people, immigrants and oppressed nationality communities.
Washington, DC – A delegation of African American workers from the Communications Workers of America sent a letter to Lumen Technologies CEO Jeff Storey, January 11, asking that he designate the federal Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a paid holiday for all Lumen workers.
The Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), is proud to sponsor the upcoming program “ The Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr: The George Floyd Rebellion, Black Liberation, and the Struggle for Socialism.”
Milwaukee, WI – On January 9, nearly 100 people joined a car caravan starting at Kops Park put on by the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (MAARPR) to say no to the COPS grant and yes to CPAC (Civilian Police Accountability Council).
Milwaukee, WI – On the morning of January 10, a coalition of left-wing organizations and community groups came together in downtown Milwaukee to put forward a people’s alternative to the chaos of the past week in the U.S. Capitol. The protest featured a speaker officially representing the Milwaukee Area Labor Council. The event, called “Rally Against the Far-Right – Build the People’s Movements,” drew nearly 100 people on foot and in cars.
Chicago, IL – Thousands of Chicago Public Schools teachers, clinicians and staff returning to school buildings last Monday found conditions far below the standards and promises touted by Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Public Schools in preparation for opening doors to students on January 11. Throughout the week, educators submitted photos, video and detailed reports of their findings, which included no masks available upon arrival, empty hand sanitizer dispensers, hallways filled with debris from locker installation and brown water in bathroom sinks.
