Minneapolis, MN – In the early hours of Tuesday, January 30, Nenookaasi Healing Camp was evicted for the second time from an otherwise vacant lot in the city of Minneapolis.
On January 4, the encampment was evicted from its original location, which housed up to 200 people, primarily indigenous. Mayor Jacob Frey, the main perpetrator of the city eviction policy, met with camp organizers following the first eviction and feigned support for our unhoused neighbors. This second eviction shows how little the mayor and other city officials actually care for unhoused Minneapolis residents.
Milwaukee, WI – The Coalition to March on the RNC is hosting an organizing conference on February 17 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Activists from across the U.S. will gather at the conference to unite around a plan to rally on the opening day of the Republican National Convention, Monday, July 15.
“We are looking to consolidate plans with all forces that are against the Republicans’ racist and reactionary agenda. We are also looking to inform leaders across the country as to what the situation on the ground in Milwaukee looks like as we prepare to march to within sight and sound of the front doors of the convention,” said Omar Flores, spokesperson in Milwaukee for the Coalition to March on the RNC.
Milwaukee, WI – U.S. President Joe Biden paid Milwaukee a visit on December 20 to deliver remarks at the Black Chamber of Commerce as part of his “Bidenomics” talks. Details of his visit were kept minimal until Tuesday evening, but that did not deter members and supporters of the Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine from assembling outside of the security perimeter set up around the venue.
For the Biden campaign, it was a strategic visit, as Wisconsin will play a key role in the presidential elections next fall, and if Biden can’t win Milwaukee, odds are small for winning Wisconsin.
Minneapolis, MN – The city of Minneapolis announced their intent to close down Nenookaasi Ikwe Healing Camp in the East Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis. Nenookaasi is an encampment of primarily indigenous people and has been a safe space for over three months.
Because of the steadfast support of local indigenous elders and other local volunteers, the camp has been home to up to 200 people. Because it provides a stable base, residents have been able to access government services, 74 people have gotten stable housing, and the camp has had zero overdose deaths.
Edina, MN – On the evening of Monday, December 11, 300 community members gathered for a rally outside the Edina School Board meeting at the Edina Community Center, denouncing the suspension of Muslim Somali students who led a pro-Palestine protest on October 26.
The school issued false claims of antisemitism against the students for using the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” during a walkout protesting the ongoing genocide by the Israeli apartheid state. “From the river to the sea” is a call for Palestinian liberation from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. It is not antisemitic to oppose apartheid and genocide. Monday’s protest began with that same chant.
Milwaukee, WI – Nearly 50 people attended a rally in support of the efforts to keep Next Door Pediatrics open, December 8. Next Door Pediatrics, operated by Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, is one of the only pediatric care centers that serves the vulnerable population on Milwaukee’s predominantly and historically Black North Side.
Editor’s note: Frank Chapman wrote this statement to call for unity in struggle by Black, Latino and working-class communities.
Chicago saw great victories earlier in 2023 through a united front under a Black and Latino leadership, with the first-in-the-country elections for democratic civilian oversight of the police, and the election as mayor of a trade unionist, Brandon Johnson. Johnson defeated a racist who was backed by the Fraternal Order of the Police, Paul Vallas. Vallas is known in Chicago history for introducing neo-liberal policies, which included major attacks on funding for public schools. 90% of Chicago Public School students are Black and Latino.
Chicago, IL – 125 activists gathered in Chicago, December 2. for the 2023 People’s Thanksgiving, honoring the major achievements of our movement over the past year. The annual event, organized by Freedom Road Socialist Organization, serves as a people's alternative to the colonial holiday of Thanksgiving.
Milwaukee, WI – 40 people gathered in Bolton Hall on the UW-Milwaukee campus to hear a panel of speakers talk about the connections between the Cop City project in Atlanta, Georgia and other current political situations, specifically the uprising in Palestine.
Milwaukee, WI – On Saturday, November 11, the Milwaukee Anti-war Committee (MAC) held a banner drop over a Milwaukee freeway to say “No to APEC!” The bannering was held in solidarity with the People’s Summit counter-protest on the same date in San Francisco, where the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit is being held.
Milwaukee, WI – The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors convened on Thursday, November 9, to adopt the 2024 County Budget. Included in this year’s budget was an amendment package that included $250,000 for a third-party audit of the County Jail. The adoption of the amended budget marks a step towards securing transparency and accountability in the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO).
The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum will be meeting in San Francisco and progressives need to be there on Saturday, November 11 and Sunday, November 12.
Freedom Road Socialist Organization opposes APEC as a tool of imperialist exploitation, and stands in solidarity with those planning to protest this meeting, such as the People's Counter-Summit being organized by the No to APEC Coalition.
Madison, WI – On November 6, nearly 80 students and community members gathered outside Shannon Hall on the University of Wisconsin (UW) campus to protest the reactionary Ben Shapiro's visit. The focus of the protest was squarely on Palestine and on trans rights, both issues which Shapiro has disgusting views on and both topics which the university and the Wisconsin state government have a checkered record on.
Milwaukee, WI – On Monday, October 30, the County Board of Supervisors held their annual public hearing to discuss the proposed 2024 county budget. One of the proposals within this budget was an increase to the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) of $7 million. Although people attended the public hearing to discuss a wide range of issues, such as taking into account the safety of Milwaukee County Transit System’s drivers or better accessibility for the disabled community within the county, the majority of public testimonies demanded increased spending for public goods and services rather than continual increase to the MCSO.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Coalition to March on the RNC 2024.
Republican Party leaders have ramped up racist, dehumanizing statements toward Palestinians, Arabs, and Muslims since fighting broke out between Israeli and Palestinian forces on October 7th. Israel’s ensuing siege of Gaza and indiscriminate aerial assault on 2.3 million stateless Palestinians trapped in an open-air prison is now in its fourth week.
Appleton, WI – On October 25, Appleton Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) participated in the National Walk Out for Palestine and held a rally in support of the Palestinian resistance and to protest Lawrence University’s refusal to divest and condemn the apartheid state of Israel. Appleton SDS was joined by Lawrence University’s Young Democratic Socialists of America (YSDA) as well as close to 100 other students and multiple members of the faculty.
Minneapolis, MN – Police accountability. Rent control. Ending cruel encampment evictions when no shelter is available. A minimum wage for Uber and Lyft drivers. A city council that doesn’t oppose community initiatives from communities like East Phillips, Little Earth and North Minneapolis.
New York, NY - On October 18, over 100 activists and community members, representing nearly 20 different grassroots community organizations, packed The People’s Forum in Manhattan for an evening of solidarity and resistance. The event, titled “Defend People’s Struggle: A Conversation on State Repression,” kicked off the East Coast leg of the Justice for the Tampa 5 speaking tour. It centered activists who have been directly targeted for arrest and trumped up charges as part of the increased state repression facing organizers.
San Jose, CA – On October 15, around 3000 protesters in San Jose gathered at the intersection of Winchester and Stevens Creek, waving Palestinian flags and signs. With heavy traffic on the road, they yelled chants like “Gaza, Gaza don’t you cry, Palestine will never die.”
Tampa, FL – Hundreds of members of the Palestinian community and other progressive activists came out on October 17 in response to the vicious and barbaric bombing of Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza by the Israeli occupiers. A spontaneous call was made by members of the community to rally, and several hundred came out on a two-hour notice to chant and march in the Temple Terrace neighborhood of Tampa Bay.
