Chicago teachers and staff battle for the future of the city
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the International League of Peoples' Struggle (ILPS), U.S.

News and Views from the People's Struggle
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the International League of Peoples' Struggle (ILPS), U.S.
Fight Back News Service is circulating following Oct. 24 statement from the Provisional Committee of International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS) – Latin America and the Caribbean.

Minneapolis, MN – About 70 people gathered in south Minneapolis, October 26, to mark the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese revolution. Each year Freedom Road Socialist Organization in the Twin Cities organizes an event to celebrate the “Two Octobers,” the victories of the Chinese and Russian revolutions.

Chicago, IL – Members of the Chicago Teachers Union members and SEIU Local 73 are in the seventh day of their joint striking. As of Friday, October 25, this strike under Mayor Lori Lightfoot is now equal in length to the strike under Mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2012.

Chicago, IL – The joint strike by the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and SEIU Local 73 continued October 18 and through the weekend as the office of Mayor Lori Lightfoot continued to refuse to meet the strikers' demands.

On October 18 a group of Korean students entered the U.S. ambassador’s residential compound in Seoul, Korea to protest the continuing presence of U.S. troops in their country. 20 people, who belong to a coalition of progressive students, scaled the wall of the diplomatic compound and began a demonstration against the U.S. occupation of their county. The students chanted “We don’t need U.S. troops,” and “Get out!” before being escorted out by police. 19 of the students were detained and questioned by south Korean police.

Chicago, IL – Picket lines went up at hundreds of schools across Chicago at 6:30 a.m., October 17. The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) walked out for their third strike since 2012. For the more than 7000 members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73, this is an historic first strike, and the first against the new mayor, Lori Lightfoot.

Los Angeles, CA – A joyous parade, block party and festival were held October 12 in Boyle Heights to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of the opening of Mendez High School. The parade down First Street with beautiful vintage lowriders, featured Chicano writer Luis Rodriguez, author of Always Running; the daughter of Felicitas Mendez; Eloisa Galindo of Eastside Padres Contra la Privatización; Carlos Montes of Centro CSO; Jose Huizar of Council District 14 and Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) board member Monica Garcia.
Tucson, AZ – The United Steelworkers (USW) said, October 11, that about 2000 hourly workers at five ASARCO LLC, locations in Arizona and Texas voted overwhelmingly to strike against unfair labor practices rather than to accept the Grupo México subsidiary’s so-called “last, best and final” offer.

Aurora, CO – Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) members from Denver, Colorado joined the UAW picket line, October 13, at the General Motors (GM) distribution facility in Aurora. That facility is part of the national strike of General Motors where workers are seeking to improved pay, to maintain high quality health care and to provide a path for temporary workers to become permanent workers.
Minneapolis, MN – A wide range of organizations have come together to organize a massive protest on the evening of Thursday, October 10 outside the Target Center arena in downtown Minneapolis, where President Trump will hold a campaign rally. The protest will start at 5:30 p.m. outside the Target Center.
Milwaukee, WI – Milwaukee’s city council (called the Common Council) held a joint public meeting for the city’s 2020 budget, October 7. Residents came into city hall that evening, and a majority shared a similar message: put money into city services and divest from the Milwaukee Police Department.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following Oct. 9 statement from the Communist Party of the Philippines.
Chicago, IL – Unions are on the march in defense of their members across the country, with the autoworker strike against GM and strike authorization votes by teachers and other city employees in Chicago. Unions are also defending their members when they leave work and find their lives in danger from the very people paid to protect them: the police.

To mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Fight Back News Service is circulating the following Oct. 1, 1949 statement by Mao Zedong. Proclamation of the Central People's Government of the PRC

New York, NY – Over 400 people attended an event for Venezuela at Holyrood Church in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City, September 26. The main speaker of the evening was Venezuela’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Jorge Arreaza, with introductions from the church, Black Agenda Report, and the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization. The talk was organized by the Venezuelan Welcoming Committee.
Chicago, IL – The Chicago Teachers Union released totals of the September 24-26 strike authorization vote, on September 26. The CTU Rules and Election Committee reported that as of 9:30 p.m., the union passed the 75% threshold of members voting “yes.” 94% of teachers, clinicians, PSRPs, nurses and librarians voted to authorize a strike to win the schools Chicago’s students deserve.
Fight Back! is circulating statement by the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar

Lansing, Michigan – The United Auto Workers (UAW) called a strike on Sunday, September 15. Fight Back! interviewed Jean “Johnny Bravo” Duchemin, an alternate committee member in UAW Local 1753 in Lansing, Michigan about the GM strike.

New York, NY – Over 300 people gathered at Columbus Circle in New York City on September 21 to rally and march for Puerto Rican independence. The action was just one of many organized by various groups around different issues over the weekend, in response to the United Nations General Assembly.