Chicago, IL – 1500 people marched on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile on Friday, Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving. “A Unity March and Rally in Memory of Laquan McDonald” was called as part of the Black Friday protests that originated last year as part of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Dallas, TX – About 40 protesters gathered at the Grassy Knoll near downtown here, Nov. 21, to call out Texas Governor Greg Abbott's anti-refugee statements. Abbott recently declared that Texas would not accept Syrian refugees.
Houston, TX – Over 20 activists protested outside of Wal-Mart in Memorial Heights, Nov. 27, to stand with low-wage workers in their struggle to for a $15 wage, health benefits and a pension. Wal-Mart is one of the most exploitative companies in the U.S. It pays its workers almost nothing, provides them with few benefits and makes them work under the constant threat of being fired. The protest was organized by the National Organization for Women (NOW), which organizes the demonstration each year on Black Friday.
Manila – Palestinian icon Leila Khaled visited the Philippines for the first time this November to attend the Fifth General Assembly of the International League of Peoples' Struggle and the launch of the Philippines-Palestine Friendship Association. She was the keynote speaker of the International Women's Alliance and she spoke before the Filipino people in Manila during the protest actions against the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation. She also visited the temporary encampment of lumads (indigenous peoples) at a church ground.
Tampa, FL – Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) organized a speak-out against the Minneapolis police murder of Jamar Clark, an African American man shot in the head while lying face down on the ground. The students also spoke in solidarity with the five African American protesters in Minneapolis shot by white supremacists.
Houston, TX – Over 35 activists gathered Nov. 25 at MacGregor Park in front of a statue of Martin Luther King to rally in solidarity with the protests in Minneapolis that are demanding justice for Jamar Clark. White supremacists recently shot five African American protesters at the occupation in front of the Fourth Precinct Station of the Minneapolis Police Department.
Salt Lake City, UT – They murdered Joe Hill in Utah 100 years ago, on Nov. 19. The labor hero died at the hands of a firing squad, punishment for a murder he didn't commit. His real crime was organizing workers into a union, opposing the class of bosses and tyrants who sentenced him to die.
Minneapolis, MN – About 50 people were arrested here, the night of Nov. 16, in a dramatic protest blocking Interstate 94, as the fight to get justice for Jamar Clark escalated. Clark, who is Black, was killed by Minneapolis police. Witnesses agree that he was handcuffed at the time of his murder.
Minneapolis, MN – Freedom Road Socialist Organization’s Political Secretary Steff Yorek gave the following statement to Fight Back! regarding the Nov. 13 evening events in Paris.
Tampa, FL – A group of 20 University of South Florida (USF) students rallied at Cooper Hall, Nov. 12, to demand the name change of the C. W. Bill Young building. Students are upset that USF administrators named the building after a Republican politician who worked to ruin the careers of college professors and schoolteachers.
Columbia, MO – On Nov. 9, both the president and chancellor of the University of Missouri announced their resignation after mass protests by the student body against racism on campus. The announcement came after about 30 African American players on the school's football team threatened to strike and not play Saturday's game if University President Tim Wolfe did not resign. Had the football strike taken place and the team not played, the school would have suffered a $1 million fine for breaking its contract with Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
Los Angeles, CA – Braving wind and rain, activists and immigrants stood in front of the Metropolitan Detention Center on Nov 2. They were there to demand an end to the detention of Central American children who are currently locked up in multiple facilities across the country.
Minneapolis, MN – More than 20 immigrant rights protesters marched into Wells Fargo Bank on Nicollet Avenue and Lake Street on Nov. 7. They held signs inside the bank then presented their demands to a regional bank manager. They demanded that Wells Fargo divest all money from the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) and GEO Group.
Tallahassee, FL – Over 30 students rallied on the Florida State University (FSU) campus, Oct. 29 to protest the recent shooting of Corey Jones, a 31-year old African American drummer from Lake Worth, FL. Corey was murdered by plainclothes police officer, Nouman Raja, early on Oct. 18 while parked on the side of the highway waiting for roadside assistance after his car had broken down. The rally was called for by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at FSU, and was joined by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at FSU, Jennicet Gutiérrez from La Familia, as well as supporters representing the family of Corey Jones.
Miami, FL – Dozens of students in Miami converged on the campus of Florida International University, Oct. 23, to protest against Leonel Fernandez, ex-President of the Dominican Republic. Fernandez presided over the constitutional change producing the outrageous “TC 168-13” ruling. This high court ruling strips thousands of Dominicans of their nationality, affecting mostly people of Haitian descent.
Salt Lake City, UT – On Oct. 22, the national day of action to fight police brutality, 30 activists and community members gathered outside a local library to attend a vigil honoring victims of police brutality. The event, organized by Utah Against Police Brutality, called for attendees to participate in a telephone call-in to Mayor Jackie Biskupski to demand a Community Controlled Review Board.