Tucson, AZ -Nearly 500 members of the Teamsters Local 104 entered day 40 of their strike against Sun Tran Management. Bus drivers, mechanics and service island operators cite unaddressed safety concerns and undelivered pay increases as the reasons for the strike.
Chicago, IL – When the people of Ferguson rose up last August, an act of international solidarity took place that the world is still talking about. Less than one week after the killing of Mike Brown, Palestinian activists resisting the Israeli war on Gaza tweeted advice on dealing with tear gas to Black protesters in the suburb of Saint Louis.
Tucson, AZ – Members of the Tucson Anti-War Committee are preparing for an historic action in Colorado to demand the release of Colombian revolutionary Simon Trinidad. Trinidad, a member of the FARC, is in solitary confinement at a federal Supermax prison infamously known as the “Guantanamo of the Rockies.”
Los Angeles, CA – Marching and chanting, “Vecinos unidos, jamas seran vencidos!” (Neighbors, united, will never be defeated), over 50 community members, families and activists gathered outside of five Boyle Heights homes, Sept. 9, to fight back against displacement and gentrification. Boyle Heights families have been suffering displacement and evictions for many years. The community is also surrounded by freeways, rail yards and factories which cause pollution.
San José, CA – On Sept. 10, supporters of Rasmea Odeh held signs and passed out hundreds of flyers in front of the Martin Luther King Jr. main library here. The event was organized by the South Bay Committee Against Political Repression and endorsed by BAYAN USA, Justice for Palestinians, and Anakbayan Silicon Valley.
Tampa, FL – A group of 35 activists, students and community members danced and dined on desserts to raise money for the Rasmea Defense Committee. Rasmea Odeh is a 68-year-old Palestinian woman who has lived in the U.S. for 20 years, ten years as a U.S. citizen. The U.S. government is targeting her for political repression because of her successful organizing with Palestinian, Arab and Muslim women. The targeting of Odeh followed the FBI raids and repression against the Anti-War 23.
Grand Rapids, MI – Anti-war activists here held signs during rush hour traffic on Sept. 9 to support the Iran nuclear agreement and ending U.S. intervention in the Middle East. Both Democratic Michigan senators and Republican Congressperson Justin Amash support the deal.
Minneapolis bannering part of National Week of Action to Defend Odeh
Minneapolis, MN – About 30 people gathered on May Day Plaza, in the West Bank neighborhood here to demand Justice for Palestinian American leader Rasmea Odeh, Sept. 10. Odeh is currently facing prison and deportation on a trumped-up immigration charge. Participants in the protest held signs supporting Odeh and Palestinian flags.
Chicago, IL – While much of the media is focused on Hilary and Donald, many Teamsters are focused on another election. Tim Sylvester will challenge current Teamster General President James Hoffa in the 2016 International Union elections. New York Teamsters Local 804 President Tim Sylvester, a former UPS driver, turned in 60,000 signatures for himself and his Teamsters United Slate. These signatures are almost double the number required to become an accredited candidate.
Denver, CO – Friends and supporters of U.S. political prisoner Simon Trinidad will demand “Free Simon Trinidad, Peace for Colombia” at a demonstration outside the Florence, Colorado supermax prison on Sept. 21, at 11:00 a.m. Trinidad is also known in Colombia by his given name, Ricardo Palmera.
Los Angeles, CA – On the morning of Sept. 7, Labor Day, hundreds of union members and families joined together, in LA’s Wilmington Community, to celebrate unions and the working class. Many members from a host of trade unions talked about past victories in contracts and recent organizing drives.
Los Angeles, CA – Nearly 100 community members, along with various organizations in the Chicano Moratorium Committee, celebrated the 45th anniversary of the historic Chicano Moratorium.
Farmworker strike led to formation of the United Farm Workers union
Milwaukee, WI – Sept. 8, 2015 will mark the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the grape strike in Delano, California. On that day in 1965 the farmworkers in the Delano area went on strike to demand a raise to $1.25 per hour (the minimum wage at the time, which did not apply to farmworkers), an improvement in working conditions and for union recognition.
Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) went all out to support the march for community control of the police, led by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.
Fight Back News Service is circulating Rasmea Odeh’s speech to the historic August 29 march in Chicago for community control of the police. Fight Back! editors urge all of our readers to come to Cincinnati, Ohio on Oct. 14, when arguments on the appeal of her unjust conviction are heard in federal court. For more information go to Stopfbi.net.Stop police crimes
Tucson, AZ – On August 29, nearly 30 people gathered to celebrate the struggle of Chicano people past and present. Organizers presented a brief history of the historical development of the Chicano nation arising from the U.S. government’s theft of around 50% of Mexico’s land in 1848. An overview of the struggles of the 1960s led to a dialogue about the struggles that Chicanos still face today, such the fight for education and against deportation.
Minneapolis, MN – Upwards of 250 members of Teamster Local 320 and their supporters joined a spirited informational picket line, August 31 to “Turn up the heat” on the U of M administration, pushing their demands for a real raise and respect. The six-hour long picket took place on the Super Block, a huge complex of student dormitories. It coincided with move-in day.
Chicago, IL – When thousands of people gathered at Federal Plaza Saturday, August 29, LaCreshia Birts and Michael Sampson of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression started the rally with a chant: “When we say fight back, you say CPAC!”
Photos by Jacob Flom from the historic August, 29, 2015 mobilization in Chicago’s Loop, when 3000 people marched to demand an elected, civilian police accountability council.