News and Views from the People's Struggle
New York, NY – Organizers gathered at the International Action Center, Jan. 16, for a panel called “After J20: Fighting Back Against Political Repression.” The panel was organized by the Committee to Stop FBI Repression – NYC (CSFR) as part of the #DaysOfRage. The #DaysOfRage is building towards a final rally on Jan. 20, which is the one-year anniversary of the inauguration of Trump.
Minneapolis, MN – On Sunday, Jan.14, immigrant rights activists, including students with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status, held a protest and community outreach action on the corner of Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue, a busy intersection in the heart of the Minneapolis Latino immigrant community. They demanded that Congress pass a clean Dream Act before the Jan. 19 congressional budget deadline.A clean Dream Act means permanent protection for immigrant youth with DACA status who were brought here as children, without pairing that with repressive anti-immigrant measures like the border wall, ending family-based immigration and the diversity lottery or increased raids and deportations against other immigrants like President Trump is trying to do.At the busy intersection, the protesters held signs and chanted demanding a clean Dream Act. Some signs also supported Salvadorans, Haitians and others for whom Trump has ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS), exposing hundreds of thousands of families to the threat of deportation. Some of the group’s signs also made pointed reference to Trump’s recent racist statement calling El Salvador, Haiti, and African countries “shithole countries.” Many passing cars honked and signaled their agreement with the anti-Trump and pro-immigrant message.The action was organized by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) and the Interracial Student Movement (ISM), as part of a series of efforts to pressure Congress to act now to pass a clean Dream Act.After protesting outside in the bitter cold for a half hour, the group went inside a popular Latino immigrant marketplace. There, American Indian Movement (AIM) leader Clyde Bellecourt spoke to the group, expressing support for immigrant youth. Bellecourt put the struggle in the context of European colonization of the Americas and the struggle of the indigenous peoples of the Americas for unity and justice, and emphasizing the importance of young people in leading the struggle forward.Then, in a visual and participatory action, the group shared balloons with messages supporting immigrant youth written on them with people in the marketplace. The organizers called on everybody to pop their balloons at the same time to symbolize that President Trump and Congress are trying to destroy young people’s dreams. Three organizers from the group spoke to the gathered crowd, sharing information with people about the struggle of DACA youth and the need for the community to get involved in the fight for a clean Dream Act.In September 2017, President Trump abruptly announced the end of DACA. A federal court ruling has temporarily forced the administration to keep DACA alive while court cases about it are still being heard. But this is a temporary situation, not a real solution. The need for action for immigrant youth is as urgent as ever. As soon as the court cases end, every day around 122 more immigrant youth will lose their legal status and face the threat of being deported and uprooted from the only life they have ever known. Having put 800,000 immigrant youth in jeopardy of deportation by ending DACA, President Trump and anti-immigrant Republicans in Congress are now cynically using these young immigrants as bargaining chips for their anti-immigrant agenda.Democrats in Congress have given lip service in support of immigrant youth, yet enough of them voted before the new year in support of the continuing resolution to fund the congressional budget for it to pass, temporarily keeping the government open until the fast-approaching Jan. 19 deadline. With that deadline upon us, another congressional vote on the budget is here, and the Republicans can’t pass it without some Democrats’ votes. So immigrant rights activists around the country are demanding that congressional Democrats turn their lip service into action and all vote no on passing any congressional budget unless a clean Dream Act is passed, even if that means a government shutdown. That is one of the strongest kinds of leverage they have to force a clean Dream Act through despite the opposition of anti-immigrant Republicans in Congress and the administration.
On Jan. 10, the Rural Gayones Movement issued a statement, provided below, to commemorate the 158th anniversary of the murder of Ezequiel Zamora, a compatriot of Simón Bolívar and a supporter of radical land reform.
FRSO condemns new Medicaid work requirements
San Jose, CA – On the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior’s birthday, Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) condemned the Trump administration and the Republican governor of Kentucky for the new work requirements for Medicaid. Medicaid provides health insurance for more than 74 million low-income and disabled Americans.
Demands are to pass Sanctuary City Platform and create a Minneapolis Police Accountability Council
Minneapolis, MN – On Jan. 12, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) and the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar (TCC4J) made their presence felt at the first meeting of the newly-elected Minneapolis city council.
Slams Philippine government’s illegal arrest of farmers in North Cotabato
According to a statement from Rigoberto F. Sanchez, spokesperson for the New People’s Army (NPA), in Southern Mindanao, Red fighters under the Mt. Apo Sub-Regional Command arrested Police Inspector Menardo Nisperos Cui, Philippine National Police (PNP), Badge No. 0-28281, on Dec. 28, 2017, in North Cotabato and subsequently declared him NPA Prisoner of War.
Milwaukee, WI — Like activists and organizers across the country, 2017 was a tremendously busy year for those in the immigrant rights struggle of Milwaukee, and the closing months were no exception.
According to Rigoberto F. Sanchez, spokesperson of the New People’s Army-Southern Mindanao, the Red fighters of Comval-Davao Gulf Subregional Command-New People’s Army raided RAM Aggregates, Inc., a nickel mining company in Brgy. Puntalinao, Banay-banay, Davao Oriental. The raid on the mining company occurred on Jan. 4, at 4 a.m.
Puts U.S. cities like Milwaukee to shame
Washington, D.C. – Cuba has hit a milestone by maintaining an infant mortality rate below five per 1,000 live births for the tenth consecutive year, according to the authoritative press outlet Granma.
Demonstrators to march on Republican headquarters
Minneapolis, MN – On the One-year anniversary of Donald Trump’s inauguration, protesters will gather at 1 p.m., Mayday Plaza (301 Cedar Avenue S.), to say “Trump out now! No wars! No Muslim ban!” The rally will be followed by a march to the Republican party headquarters.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following greeting from Freedom Road Socialist Organization to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).
In a New Year address, Korean leader Kim Jong Un talked about the need to develop the industries and agriculture of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and stated, “Let us launch a revolutionary general offensive to achieve fresh victory on all fronts of building a powerful socialist country!”
Minneapolis, MN – Yisrael Katz, the Israeli politician who wants to name a future Jerusalem train station after President Trump, is well known for a past statement calling for the “civil targeted killings “of activists who advocate for boycotting, sanctions and divestment from the apartheid state of Israel.
Fighting back against Trump every step of the way
There was a high tide of struggle on many fronts in 2017. The pace and intensity of the struggles this year makes it easy to forget some of the things we have accomplished, which makes it all the more important to look back and review the lessons from this year’s resistance so we can move forward stronger.
Minneapolis, MN – On the day after Christmas, Dec. 26, a group of activists from the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) brought day-late gift-wrapped ‘presents’ and a Christmas tree to the Minneapolis office of Senator Amy Klobuchar emblazoned with messages of “Clean Dream Act now,” “Keep families together” and “No more deportations.”
A protesting Palestinian youth dressed as Santa Claus was shot by Israeli troops in southern Gaza on Dec. 22. Israeli occupation forces have killed at least a dozen Palestinians since Trump announced plans to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.
St. Paul, MN – Over 30 people joined an evening peace vigil in the Twin Cities on Dec. 20 to speak out against the danger of a new U.S. war in Korea and to call for an end to the series of U.S. wars and military interventions.
Minneapolis, MN – 150 people rallied at the federal courthouse in downtown Minneapolis, Dec. 18, to oppose Trump’s announcement naming Jerusalem the capital of Israel. The protest was organized by Palestinian youth, including Students for Justice in Palestine-UMN. The call for Palestinian liberation was clearly the central theme of the event with loud chants of “Free, free Palestine” being heard throughout of the protest.
#MinneapolisMN #Palestine #Jerusalem #StudentsForJusticeInPalestine #MiddleEast
Albert Lea, MN — On Dec. 20, Mayo Albert Lea Hospital blocked 79 SEIU Healthcare MN hospital workers from returning to work after they went out on a one-day strike the day before. The members went on strike because they have been without a contract for over a year.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following Dec. 18 statement from Rigoberto F. Sanchez, Spokesperson Merardo Arce Command, Southern Mindanao Regional Operations Command, New People’s Army.