_Extended Unemployment Compensation (EUC) still needed _
Washington DC – Statistics released by the federal government on Jan. 27 indicate that high unemployment rates persist in a good number of states. California, home to almost 40 million people and the most populous state in the U.S., has an unemployment rate of 7%. In December, Mississippi had the highest unemployment rate of all states, coming in at 7.2%. Topping the list is Washington D.C., with an unemployment rate of 7.3%. Rhode Island and Nevada are also plagued by high unemployment.
Minneapolis, MN – Organizers of the Feb. 9 through 15 national week of actions to defend Palestinian American leader Rasmea Odeh say that activists in cities across the U.S. are committing to take action and momentum around the case is growing. Odeh was convicted of trumped-up immigration charges last year, and is facing up to 10 years of prison and deportation at her sentencing in Detroit, March 12.
Chicago, IL – Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) Chicago Network is hosting a fundraiser Feb. 3 to celebrate the resilience of Rasmea Odeh. The event, at 8:00 p.m. at DePaul University, will include dinner, a comedy performance from Amer Zahr, spoken word and dance performances and a speech from a representative of the Rasmea Defense Committee. All proceeds from the fundraiser will go to Odeh’s legal defense fund.
Tallahassee, FL – On Jan. 26, Tallahassee Police Chief Michael DeLeo announced that two officers involved with using a stun gun on 62-year-old African American woman Viola Young will be suspended without pay, a sharp reversal from the officers being placed on administrative leave with pay.
The leading newspaper of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Rodong Sinmun, urged all Koreans to put an end to U.S. military occupation and domination over south Korea, in a Jan. 26 article.
On Jan. 23, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, James W. Rawley, commented on the Israeli authorities’ recent wave of demolitions of Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Washington, D.C. – Statistics compiled by the federal government indicate that there is still a large number of long-term unemployed workers, despite the modest economic expansion. According to a Jan. 9 statement from the Bureau of Labor Statics, “In December, the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or longer) was essentially unchanged at 2.8 million and accounted for 31.9% of the unemployed.”
St. Paul, MN – Several thousand protesters took the streets here, Jan. 19 to reclaim the Martin Luther King Day holiday and proclaim that “Black lives matter.” The family of Marcus Golden, killed by Saint Paul police on Jan. 14, carried the lead banner for the march. Protesters attempts to take over I-94 were thwarted by 30 State Patrol squad cars.
Jacksonville police union president was a close ally of State Attorney Angela Corey
Jacksonville, FL – Despite pleading guilty to several charges in a federal racketeering investigation, Nelson Cuba, the former president of the Jacksonville Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), will spend no time behind bars. On Jan. 6, Cuba pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor and two third-degree felonies for his role in an illegal $300 million gambling operation. Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester sentenced Cuba to one year of house arrest and a mere four years of probation, in addition to imposing several fines.
Chicago, IL – Organizers of the nationwide effort to get justice for longtime Palestinian American leader Rasmea Odeh are urging an all-out mobilization for Odeh’s sentencing in Detroit Federal Court on the morning of March 12. Odeh is facing deportation and up to ten years in jail on a trumped-up immigration charge.
St. Paul, MN – On Jan. 6, at 11:30 a.m., members of the Welfare Rights Committee will gather outside the capitol as legislators file into the building for the opening day of the legislative session.
Protesters will form a line outdoors, on the corner of Martin Luther King Blvd. across from the State Office Building. After that, they will visit legislators’ offices and hand-deliver “Past Due” notices.
The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) is reporting that the Israeli corporation, Afek Oil and Gas, is about to start drilling for oil in the occupied Syrian Golan. The Jan. 2 report states that heavy equipment has arrived at a site called Oil 5. Actual drilling is expected in two weeks
Minneapolis, MN – As 2014 comes to an end, we pause to look back at some of the most important Fight Back! stories of the past year. 2014 has seen an upsurge in many struggles – and Fight Back! has been there on the front lines with on-the-spot reporting and timely analysis.
After the U.S.-backed fascist coup in Kiev, Ukraine in February 2014, the people of Donbass rebelled for independence from Ukraine. A popular anti-fascist resistance quickly emerged. The breakaway state of Novorossiya, or New Russia, was formed and Kiev sent in troops and tanks to crush the people’s resistance. Civil war gripped the country. Now, almost a year later, while the resistance soldiers on, a humanitarian disaster perpetuated by the Kiev government’s war of aggression has struck the citizens of Donbass.International Students Aid to Donbass, based in Wroclaw, Poland, is one of many aid groups springing up across the world in solidarity with the ongoing resistance and the victimized people of Eastern Ukraine.Fight Back! interviewed one of the founders of International Students Aid to Donbass (ISAD), who wished to remain anonymous.
Jacksonville, FL – On Dec. 29, a local judge delayed the court dates for several of the Jacksonville 19. All 19 were protesting the killing of Eric Garner by New York police and were arrested for blocking a major bridge. Judge Michelle Khalil granted a request by the lawyer for several of the protesters change their arraignment to Jan. 13, 2015.
Milwaukee, WI – Hundreds of people rallied in downtown here, Dec. 22, after District Attorney John Chisholm released his decision to not pursue charges against former Milwaukee police officer, Christopher Manney, in the fatal shooting of Dontre Hamilton last April.
Milwaukee, WI – Two coordinated actions against racist police killings met at Interstate 43, Dec. 19, resulting in the arrest of 74 people. Ongoing protests have been targeting Milwaukee cop Christopher Manney, who shot unarmed 31-year-old Dontre Hamilton in a public park in downtown Milwaukee April 30. The Hamilton family and their supporters are demanding that Manney be charged with murder. The struggle for justice in this case has ties to the national #blacklivesmatter movement.
