Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

police brutality

By staff

Milwaukee, WI – On Feb.21, the jury in the Derek Williams inquest decided to urge special prosecutor John Franke to press charges against three officers in connection with the death of Derek Williams,

Read more...

By staff

Pittsburgh, PA – The city of Pittsburgh agreed Feb. 14 to pay $400,000 to settle the claims of 13 people who were swept up in a mass arrest of demonstrators, observers and passersby in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, hours after the 2009 G-20 Summit ended. The city previously paid $88,000 to settle the claims of 11 of the 25 original plaintiffs, bringing the total paid to settle the case to $488,000.

Read more...

By staff

Milwaukee, WI – On Dec. 6, at least 100 people were present at the Police and Fire Commission meeting, held in Milwaukee City Hall, to express their outrage over the Commission's decision to re-instate Milwaukee Police Department officer Richard Schoen. This move comes on the heels of multiple other police brutality incidents, including the deaths of suspects in custody – such as Derek Williams.

Read more...

By Peter Adamczak

Milwaukee, WI – On Oct. 22, more than 50 members of Milwaukee community gathered at the DNR office on the Northeast side of Milwaukee to conduct a People’s Tribunal, with the goal of collecting testimony as evidence of police brutality.

Read more...

By Daniel Ginsberg

October 13 Milwaukee protest demands justice for Derek Williams.

Milwaukee, WI – Over 150 people took the streets here, Oct. 13, demanding justice for Derek Williams, a young Black man killed by the Milwaukee Police Department.

Read more...

By staff

Milwaukee protest against police murder of Derek Williams

Milwaukee, WI – On Oct. 7, dozens of people came together to challenge Police Chief Flynn and the Milwaukee Police Department on the murder of 22-year old Derek Williams.

Read more...

By Babette Grunow

Milwaukee protest demands justice for Derek Williams.

Milwaukee, WI – 50 people chanted “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Chief Flynn has got to go!” outside the Third District Police station on 49th Street and Lisbon in Milwaukee, Sept. 28, during rush hour. They were protesting the death of Derek Williams while in police custody .

Read more...

By staff

West Virginia shuts down mountain top removal coal operation.

Charleston, WV – About 20 anti-coal mine activists were arrested on July 27, when between 80 and 100 protesters entered the Hobet 45 Mine near Charleston, West Virginia. The activists achieved their goal of shutting down operations for several hours and drawing public attention to the country's largest mountaintop removal mine, which was granted a controversial permit under the Obama administration about two years ago. Hobet 45 is owned by Patriot Coal Corporation.

Read more...

By Redacción

Anaheim, CA – Cientos marcharon hacia la sede de la policía de Anaheim el 29 de julio para protestar contra los asesinatos policiales de jóvenes chicanos. Los manifestantes enfrentaron a la policía con cantos, gritos y pancartas que denuncian estos asesinatos brutales y racistas. El Departamento de Policía de Anaheim (APD) ha llevado a cabo una ola de asesinatos de este año, mucho más que en años anteriores. Dos personas han sido asesinadas en la última semana. Los manifestantes se encontraron con una fuerte presencia de la policía militarizada que incluía policía a caballos, helicópteros, vehículos blindados y policías francotiradores. La familia de César Ray Cruz, asesinado por la APD en 2009, levantó una pancarta pidiendo justicia y un cartel con las fotos de otros nueve hombres asesinados por la APD.

Leer más...

By staff

Chicago, IL – NATO opponents are accusing State's Attorney Anita Alvarez of severely distorted priorities after her office steered a grand jury to reinstate charges against NATO protester Danny Johnson, whose case was thrown out by a judge at a preliminary hearing in May for lack of probable cause. Johnson was then secretly indicted by the State Attorney's Office on June 29 with an additional felony charge. Johnson had originally been accused of only one count of aggravated battery of a police officer during a May 15 immigrant rights protest held in conjunction with the week of NATO-related protests. Now Johnson is charged with two counts of aggravated battery for a crime that both Johnson and eyewitnesses refute.

Read more...

By staff

Protest against police killing in Anaheim, CA

Anaheim, CA – Manuel Diaz, a 25-year old Chicano, was shot in the back and in the head by Anaheim police in the afternoon of July 21. The police killing took place in a Chicano working-class community, where most people live in apartments and where families know, get along with and hear each other. Diaz was murdered while standing in his front lawn. The police have given no reason or probable cause for attempting to stop him.

Read more...

By Jacob Flom

Milwaukee protest demands justice for Trayvon Martin, end to police brutality.

Milwaukee, WI – Dozens of community organizations came together here, April 10, for the “Rally to Demand Justice for Trayvon Martin, Bo Morrison and Victims of Milwaukee Police Brutality.”

Read more...

By staff

Occupy Minneapolis in Mayor's office

Minneapolis, MN – About 100 rallied in front of City Hall here, April 9, and then occupied the office of Mayor R.T. Rybak, demanding a public meeting with the mayor in response to the April 7 police attack on occupiers. Initially, representatives of the mayor’s office threatened arrests. After about an hour of chanting and mic checks in the office reception area, Mayor Rybak agreed to an April 10 meeting.

Read more...

By Jacob Flom

Milwaukee protest demand justice for Trayvon Martin

Milwaukee, WI – Students and community members rallied at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, March 29, to demand justice for Trayvon Martin. Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) organized the rally with the Black Student Union, AFSCME Local 82 and the support of Occupy the Hood Milwaukee and Occupy Milwaukee. 75 students marched silently across campus behind a banner that read “Justice for Trayvon.” When the march reached the student union they began chanting a call and response “Jail the killer, fire the cops! Without justice we won't stop!”

Read more...

By Caleb T. Maupin

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following article from Workers World.

Read more...

By Michael L. Sampson II

Tallahassee, FL – 70 students from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) and Florida State University (FSU) gathered at FAMU campus to hold a rally and demand justice for Trayvon Martin on March 19. Led by African American student leaders, the students denounced the racist murder of teenager Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida. Killer George Zimmerman racially profiled and then murdered the African-American youth vigilante style.

Read more...

By Students for a Democratic Society

SDS tent at Occupy Minneapolis, Nov. 29

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

Read more...

By Kim DeFranco

On the evening of Wednesday, November 30 occupiers at Occupy Minneapolis defied the 'no tents' policy imposed by Hennepin County officials by setting up dozens of tents on People's Plaza. The tents stayed up until just after 4:00 a.m. on December 1, when county police dragged people out of the tents, then dismantled and took the tents away. Protesters then decided to set up more tents across the plaza in front of City Hall, until police dragged people out of those tents too and confiscated them, arresting two people in the process. These photos by Kim DeFranco document some of what happened on the night of Nov. 30 and morning of Dec. 1 in People's Plaza in Minneapolis.

Read more...

By staff

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement urging support for Occupy Minneapolis.

Read more...

By staff

Banner says "We stand in solidarity with Occupy Oakland"

Durham, NC – A spirited march of 35 people weaved its way through downtown Durham at noon on Nov. 2, making stops at the Durham Police Station, the Court House and the jail before rallying at People's Plaza.

Read more...