Chicago, IL – 50 immigrant rights activists and community members gathered outside of the Illinois Republican Party offices here, July 21, show solidarity with undocumented youth who were arrested in Washington D.C. the day before. On July 20, many youth, including nine from Chicago, were arrested as they staged a sit-in inside the capitol’s lobby and at several representatives’ offices. The youth were demanding the passage of the Dream Act, which would legalize undocumented students.
The struggle to support Colombian revolutionary Ricardo Palmera and to oppose Facebook censorship continues, with a new campaign launched July 18. Facebook banned the “Free Ricardo Palmera!” group and is refusing to reinstate Tom Burke’s personal account, despite an appeal. The National Committee to Free Ricardo Palmera was stunned by a June 30 notification that Facebook was removing the “Free Ricardo Palmera!” group, claiming it was “hateful, threatening or obscene.”
Minneapolis, MN – Twenty protesters picketed outside the Twins game on July 18 to protest the proposal for Minneapolis hosting the 2012 Democratic National Convention (DNC). The DNC site selection committee was rumored to be inside and thousands of Minnesotans saw signs like “We say NO WAR Party” as they went into the stadium. Minneapolis is one of four cities in running to host the convention. The protest was organized by No DNC, a local coalition.
_Anti-imperialist and anti-racist activist released after decades in prison _
Marilyn Buck, a political prisoner in the U.S., was released on July 15, 2010 from the federal prison medical center in Carswell, Texas, according to her support group, Friends of Marilyn Buck. She is paroled to New York. As of the writing of this article, no further details about her release have been made available.
A partial victory was won today, July 12, in the struggle against facebook’s attempted censorship of the National Committee to Free Ricardo Palmera (NCFRP), with the reinstatement of the account of National Committee activist Josh Sykes, followed a few hours later by the reactivation of the account of Angela Denio. After the “Free Ricardo Palmera” facebook group, with more than 700 members from around the world, was shut down by facebook on June 30, the National Committee began a fight to recover this valuable resource. In response, on July 7, facebook disabled the accounts of the three administrators of the group, National Committee activists Josh Sykes, Angela Denio and Tom Burke.
The following is a video interview with Angela Denio and Josh Sykes of the National Committee to Free Ricardo Palmera regarding facebook’s censorship of the “Free Ricardo Palmera” group.
St Paul, MN – On July 8, members of the Welfare Rights Committee (WRC) gathered outside the Ramsey County welfare office, holding signs and passing out fliers urging people to hold the candidates for office, especially the governor’s office, accountable to the poor, unemployed and homeless.
White cop who murdered Grant gets involuntary manslaughter
Los Angeles, CA – Over a year ago, on New Year's Day 2009, Oscar Grant, a young African-American man with a four-year old daughter, was murdered by a police officer. He was shot in the back as he lay on his chest on the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) platform in Oakland, California.
Los Angeles, CA – Protesters shouted loudly outside the Los Angeles Superior Courthouse as the killer cop Mehserle walked into, and when he exited, the court. Mehserle was given a slap on the wrist for the murder of Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old African-American father. The murder occurred in an Oakland, California train station as over a hundred passengers looked on.
Detroit, MI – Angel Buechner, of the Minnesota-based Welfare Rights Committee, spoke at the U.S Social Forum, June 24, at the workshop “Building the people’s struggle.” Other speakers at the workshop included leaders of the Labor Community Strategy Center and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.
Milwaukee, WI – The Milwaukee 16, the students who were arrested at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) on March 4, the National Day of Action to Defend Education, have achieved victory. On June 29, the University offered to drop the charges and the investigation into the conduct of the UWM campus police continues.
Detroit, MI – Fight Back! interviewed Rosemary Williams, an important leader in the struggle against home foreclosures, at the U.S. Social Forum on June 24.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following article by the Korean Central News Agency (KNCA) on moves by Washington to escalate the conflict on Korean Peninsula.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Ahmad Sa'adat, the General Secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), who is currently imprisoned by the Israeli occupation authorities.
Detroit, MI – Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) has an exciting presence here at the U.S. Social Forum (USSF). FRSO members from around the country have helped to organize and are participating in workshops. In Cobo Hall, Freedom Road has tables of revolutionary literature, clothing and merchandise.
Detroit, MI – Fight Back! interviewed James Jordan, the U.S. representative of the International Committee in Solidarity with Colombian Political Prisoners, at the U.S. Social Forum here, June 23.
On Thursday, anti-war activists protested at Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar’s office to demonstrate against the Obama administration’s escalating war in Afghanistan. The Anti-War Committee of Minneapolis-St. Paul organized the protest.
Minneapolis, MN – One June 14, about 30 immigrants and immigrant rights supporters picketed outside of Jimmy Johns sandwich shop at Block E in downtown Minneapolis. Jimmy Johns is one of the companies targeted in the national boycott against Arizona in response to SB1070, the racist anti-immigrant law Arizona passed in April. The protest demanded that Jimmy Johns founder James ‘Jimmy John’ Liautaud stop supporting anti-immigrant politicians in Arizona such as Joe Arpaio and John McCain.
![Panelists at USSF workshop “Building the people’s struggle"](https://i.snap.as/bpgxgt69.jpg "Panelists at USSF workshop “Building the people’s struggle\\" Angel Buechner \(left\) , of the Minnesota-based Welfare Rights Committee, at the U.S Social Forum, June 24, at the workshop “Building the people’s struggle.\\" \(Fight Back! News/Staff\)")
