Los Angeles, CA – The August 29th Chicano Moratorium Organizing Committee held a press conference here Aug. 25 to announce a protest march and rally set for Aug. 28 in East Los Angeles. The march commemorates 40 years since the Chicano Moratorium.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following report from the New China News Agency on battle against devastating floods that have struck the People’s Republic of China. Unlike the response of the government of Pakistan to floods, or that of the Bush administration to New Orleans in 2005, socialist countries have an excellent track record in responding to natural disasters.
Two administrative workers from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), Jennifer Edwards (left) and Jackie Kurzeja (right), testify to members of the Illinois State Senate, Aug. 11. This spring, both workers lost their jobs after many years because of UIC’s practice of replacing unionized civil service employees with non-union academic professionals – workers who are paid more but have one-year contracts. Hundreds of positions have been lost in recent years because of this. This is the key reason that workers at UIC, members of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73, have voted to strike on Aug. 23.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) urging progressive forces to take action this October in solidarity with Ahmad Sa'adat, the jailed leader of the PFLP.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the National Committee to Free Ricardo Palmera. We urge all of our readers to join this effort.
Charlotte, NC – At a press conference July 26, leaders of the North Carolina peace movement announced plans for a major anti-war march to coincide with the opening of the Democratic National Convention if it is held in Charlotte.
Asheville, NC – Leaders of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and community environmentalists gathered in Pack Square, downtown Asheville, on July 17 to demand that BP pay for the disastrous oil spill that continues to devastate the Gulf Coast.
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.