News and Views from the People's Struggle
Milwaukee, WI – On October 10, the UW-Milwaukee chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and Students for Justice in Palestine joined together for a banner drop. The 30-foot-long banner was held above Maryland Avenue on the pedestrian bridge that crosses over the street. The message on the banner read, “Long live the popular Palestinian resistance, from Milwaukee to Palestine!”
San Francisco, CA – On October 8, upwards of 3000 people from across the Bay Area marched in San Francisco to show solidarity with Palestine. They rallied to support the Palestinian people’s struggle for freedom from Israeli occupation.
New Orleans, LA – The New Orleans Palestinian community and supporters rallied on October 9 in solidarity with Gaza and the Palestinian struggle for liberation. Around 200 people came to Duncan Plaza in the city’s central business district, waving dozens of Palestinian flags. The event was held in the wake of the “Al-Aqsa Flood” and the renewed declaration of war on Gaza by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Madison, WI – On Tuesday, October 10, nearly 100 concerned Wisconsinites came together in Madison, joining Wisdom Wisconsin, a non-profit organization bridging the faith community with prison reform efforts, in order to demand an end to inhumane lockdowns that have been enforced in correctional facilities across the entire state.
Tucson, AZ – In the second rally in three days, organizations and community members gathered outside the Federal Building in downtown Tucson on Monday, October 9 to show their support for the Palestinian struggle for liberation. Around 75 people gathered with signs reading, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
Dallas, TX – Palestinians and their allies rallied in Dallas, Texas on Sunday, October 8, in solidarity with Gaza and the Palestinian struggle for liberation. About 300 energetic protesters turned out in historic Dealey Plaza.
Minneapolis, MN – On October 9, 500 people participated in an emergency rally outside the downtown office of Senator Amy Klobuchar to demand an immediate end to U.S. aid to Israel, following renewed Israeli military strikes on Gaza. The crowd included a sizable turnout from the Palestinian and Muslim communities. After the rally, protesters marched through downtown Minneapolis with a sea of Palestinian flags.
New York, NY – On the afternoon of October 9, thousands gathered outside the Israeli Consulate on 43rd Street and 2nd Avenue to stand in solidarity with the brave people of Palestine. This was the second rally in two days, as the previous day several thousand gathered in Times Square.
Orlando, FL – On October 7, more than a dozen striking member of the United Auto Workers were picketing the Stellantis Parts Distribution Center in Orlando. The day's picketing marked the third week the Orlando workers had been on strike, and nearly a month since the UAW strikes began this September.
Orlando, FL – Hundreds of people converged on Orlando City Hall on October 7, for the National March to Protect Trans Youth. Organizers from all over the country – including states as far as California, Louisiana, Montana and Connecticut – gathered to oppose Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ attacks on LGBTQ people.
Tucson, AZ – On Saturday, October 7, with just a three-hour notice, nearly 30 Tucson activists gathered at a busy street corner to demonstrate their solidarity with the advancing Palestinian resistance forces.
Seattle, WA – On Thursday, October 5, the Progressive Student Union at the University of Washington held a rally to begin a campaign to increase enrollment of Black, Latino and native students at the university. Over 20 students gathered at the steps of Suzzallo Library to demonstrate their support for the demands.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following October 3 statement from the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN).
Normalization with the racist, settler-colonialist, zionist entity of Israel often begins with a U.S. directive aimed at Arab regimes, as evidenced by the first attempt with the Camp David Accords in 1978, which led to a “peace” agreement between Egypt and Israel. In essence, normalization coerces Arab regimes in the region to accept their subjugated status as compliant agents, which serves the zionist agenda and its U.S. imperialist patron. In light of the fast pace of change in today’s world order, the U.S. finds it necessary to push for normalization in order to maintain its global, imperialist dominance over Arab nations and thwart their progress toward independent, modern democracies.
Ontario, CA – On Tuesday morning, more than 100 individuals from various unions including the United Auto Workers (UAW), the Teamsters, the Writers Guild, SAG-AFTRA, and Service Employees International Union (SEIU), gathered at the Stellantis parts distribution center in Ontario, California for the Big Three Solidarity Rally. The rally brought together workers from different industries who are using the strike and strike threat as a tool to win strong national contracts.
Milwaukee, WI – Roughly 40 people gathered at the Sunburst Statue off Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Milwaukee on Saturday, September 30, to call for equitable access to abortion. Reproductive Justice Action Milwaukee (RJAM) hosted the rally and petition kickoff event to continue the momentum for reproductive healthcare rights in Wisconsin, promoting their petition to expand abortion services and access.
Jacksonville, FL – The Jacksonville Community Action Committee rallied alongside concerned community members to demand justice for 24-year-old Le’Keian Woods. Nearly 100 people gathered in front of the Police Memorial Building on Sunday, October 1.
Minneapolis, MN – On Tuesday, October 3, more than 20 people gathered outside the office of Minnesota State Senator Amy Klobuchar to demand an end to U.S. involvement in the war in Ukraine. The event was a response to a national call by the Peace in Ukraine Coalition and the United National Antiwar Coalition for activists all across the country to unite in demanding an end to U.S. weapons shipments to Ukraine and U.S. Interference in negotiations.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following resolution, adopted by the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO Executive Board on October 2, 2023.
Resolution in Solidarity with Organized Labor in the Philippines
WHEREAS, legislative and violent attacks on organized labor in the Philippines have resulted in the country being ranked among the world’s deadliest countries for trade unionists, where over 70 workers have been murdered since 2016, and;
WHEREAS, unions and labor activists are frequently targeted with forced union disaffiliation, intimidation, harassment, aggressive surveillance, torture, imprisonment, and killings, and;
WHEREAS, thousands of workers have been arrested on false charges in an attempt to silence their voices, including Anne Krueger, who was working to organize call center workers and hosted two delegations of Communications Workers of America (CWA) members to the Philippines, (1) and;
WHEREAS, in April 2023, Alex Dolorosa, a union organizer whose work was funded by the Communications Workers of America (CWA), was violently murdered, and no effort has been made by the authorities to investigate his murder, (2) and;
WHEREAS, in the face of legislative attacks, violent repression, and human rights violations committed by the repressive Ferdinand Marcos Jr. regime, unionists in the Philippines continue to organize a vibrant and growing labor movement that merits great respect and solidarity, and;
WHEREAS, the government of the Philippines is by far the largest recipient of US military aid in the Indo-Pacific, having received $1.14 billion in US military aid since 2015, (3) and;
WHEREAS, on May 1st, 2019 the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO unanimously adopted a resolution calling on Congress to end military aid to the government of the Philippines, and;
WHEREAS, in June, 2020 the AFL-CIO issued a statement calling on Congress to pass the Philippines Human Rights Act (1), which would suspend US military aid to the Philippines, (4) and;
WHEREAS, The Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO, The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), and the AFL-CIO Executive Council have issued resolutions and statements calling for Congressional action to address ongoing human and labor rights violations by the government of the Philippines, and;
WHEREAS, the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO, representing nearly 20,000 union members, believes fundamentally in the power of worker solidarity, and actively supports trade unionists and all people of conscience working to stop attacks on labor and democratic rights.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO reaffirms our solidarity with our sisters and brothers in the labor movement of the Philippines, and;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO demands accountability from the Philippine government and supports international calls for a comprehensive investigation of the killings in the Philippines, and;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO calls for the urgent passage and signing of the Philippines Human Rights Act.
#MilwaukeeWI #MALC #AFLCIO #Unions #LaborCouncil #Philippines #Labor #InternationalSolidarity
Aurora, CO – On September 27 community members and activists gathered to support the family of Jor’Dell Richardson, who was murdered by police. The crowd demanded accountability for his killing at a meeting with officials of the city of Aurora and Arapahoe County.
Milwaukee, WI – The Milwaukee Anti-War Committee (MAC) held a rally on Sunday, October 1, in response to a call from the United National Antiwar Coalition to condemn the funding the U.S. continues to provide to pursue their policy of an endless war in Ukraine. The rally took part in a coordinated week of action called for by UNAC on the war in Ukraine held in many cities. Chants like “Biggest threat in the world today? NATO and the USA!” rang out as passersby honked in support.
The event began with emphasis on recent history in Ukraine, starting in 2014 with the U.S.-backed coup. As Western media continues to frame the war as an irrational attack by Russia on an innocent and peaceful Ukraine, MAC continues to stress that this is an inter-imperialist war between the U.S. and Russia, orchestrated and set off by the insatiable greed for power and resources of the U.S.
Stephanie Splatin of MAC spoke of the years of shelling of ethnic Russians living in eastern Ukraine leading up to the war, conveniently ignored in the mainstream narrative of the war. The weapons used then and now are supplied by the U.S. and swiftly end up in the hands of right-wing extremist groups so often used to further U.S. interests at the expense of innocent lives.
“Neither U.S. weapons nor U.S. sanctions have had their intended effect against Russia. No longer able to impose its will through brute force, declining U.S. imperialism foments instability and proxy conflicts, which it attempts to steer toward its interests” said Ryan Hamann of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), who spoke at the event. “The U.S. is trying to use the war in Ukraine to destabilize Russia, while bringing Ukraine into the orbit of U.S. monopoly capital. This means prolonging the war for as long as possible, no matter the human cost.”
The Milwaukee Anti-War Committee and United National Antiwar Committee (UNAC) plan to continue to hold events in the future protesting the U.S. and NATO involvement in Ukraine, and offering a principled analysis of the war instead of the constant pro-war and pro-Ukraine views parroted by western media.
No to NATO! No to war!