Milwaukee, WI – 30 students, faculty and others attended a town hall meeting with the new Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Dr. Andrew Daire, at the Fireside Lounge on the campus of UW-Milwaukee (UWM) on October 31. Some of those in attendance were mobilized to the meeting by the UWM chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).
The purpose of the talk was to present on the current enrollment situation at the university. Numbers have declined steadily since 2010 with nearly 7000 fewer students attending UWM in 2023 than a decade ago. One of the most glaring enrollment statistics is that UWM’s student body is only 6% Black. For context, Milwaukee has a population that is roughly 40% Black, and Milwaukee Public Schools has a student body which is 50% Black.
“The discrepancy between enrollment numbers of Black students at UWM and the population of Milwaukee and the public schools is despicable. It demonstrates that there is an overall lack of commitment from the administration at this university to live up to their claims of being a diverse and inclusive campus,” said Patricia Fish, a leader in SDS.
SDS members grilled the provost with questions about what he and the administration were going to do to address the situation, but Daire proved skillful in spending a lot of time saying nothing of substance and passing the buck on to others, claiming that he “has no power” to make the changes he wants.
The efforts around holding Daire’s feet to the fire are a part of SDS’s broader campaign to increase Black enrollment at UWM, which also includes demands around increasing the hiring of Black faculty and staff, the targeted recruitment of Black students from Milwaukee Public Schools, an increase in the scholarships and other financial aid offered to incoming students as well as for those students already attending UWM to assist with retention, and defending and expanding the funding for the Black Student Cultural Center.
Denver, CO – Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at Metropolitan State University organized a day of action on November 2, to protest the killing of Palestinians and the ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. This came after the United States government requested more funds to be invested into Israel’s siege of Gaza and supplied weapons valued at over $14 billion in the face of the humanitarian catastrophe.
Denver, CO – On November 1, the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) Denver gathered to protest the budget mismanagement by the administration of the Metropolitan State University of Denver.
Los Angeles, CA – On October 28 two events were held to educate and fundraise for five women who were brutally arrested on University of South Florida (USF) campus for protesting against Governor Ron DeSantis’ attacks on public education and diversity. These women, who are now facing felony charges for their activism, are called the Tampa 5.
Orange County, CA – On Friday, October 27, over 30 students and community members gathered across two events to listen to Gia Davila of the Tampa 5 on her stop of the Justice for the Tampa 5 speaking tour. The Tampa 5 are a group of students, workers, and community activists who were violently arrested while protesting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ racist attacks on education at the University of South Florida. They are facing up to ten years in prison and are on a speaking tour to call for these unjust charges to be dropped.
New Orleans, LA – On October 26, over 250 students and community members gathered for a rally near Tulane University’s campus. Despite a counter-protest of obviously intoxicated students shouting Islamophobic and racist slurs, demonstrators outnumbered them and drowned them out. Chants like “Tulane, Tulane you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide!” energized the crowd.
Minneapolis, MN – On Wednesday, October 24 at noon, 350 University of Minnesota students walked out of class to join a rally organized by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), in front of the Coffman Memorial Union. They gathered to demand an end to the siege on Gaza and U.S. aid to Israel’s genocidal actions. A die-in occurred during which Palestinian students read the names of Palestinian victims of Israel's violence and ended with a moment of silence.
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.
Wadsworth, OH – On October 23 and 24, dozens of people organized themselves to “phone zap” the county court and prosecutors of Wadsworth to demand that all bogus charges against Leif Autzen be dropped. They called the office non-stop to voice their anger. Within 48 hours of the beginning of the zap, all felony charges against Autzen were dropped and he no longer faced jail time.
Denver, CO – On October 25 at 11:30 a.m., approximately 150 students, led by the Denver Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), marched out of their classrooms on Auraria Campus in solidarity with the Palestinian resistance. Student protesters staged a speak-out and rally at the former home of Zionist war criminal Golda Meir.
Chicago IL – On October 25, over 400 students at the University of Illinois Chicago walked out of their classes and rallied to demand that Israel end its genocidal siege of Gaza. The protest was coordinated with dozens of campuses across the country holding actions simultaneously.
UIC’s protest was called by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Students for a Democratic Society, Anakbayan, and Dissenters.
Oshkosh, WI – In a powerful demonstration of solidarity, over a dozen passionate community members gathered outside Oshkosh Defense on Saturday, October 21, expressing their vehement opposition to the company's contract with the Israeli Occupation Forces.
Atlanta, GA – On Saturday, October 21, the Atlanta Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression held a panel speaking event at Adams Park Library hosting Laura Rodriguez of the Tampa 5 and building the struggle against political repression.
New Orleans, LA – On Monday evening, October 23, close to 100 people gathered in a lecture hall at Loyola University of New Orleans to listen to Laura Rodriguez of the Tampa 5. The Tampa 5 are three student organizers, a community leader, and a union member facing up to ten years’ imprisonment on felony charges. The charges came after their brutalization and the arrests of four of them, while they participated in a protest against DeSantis’ attacks on education at the University of South Florida. The state later charged a fifth. Members of the Tampa 5 are touring the U.S. to raise support for their case.
Salt Lake City, UT – On October 21, hundreds of protesters gathered at the steps of the University of Utah’s administrative offices in solidarity with the Palestinian resistance. Speakers condemned the University’s cooperation with Israel and called for the community to take action towards an academic boycott of Israel.
Chicago, IL – On October 14 and 15, roughly 180 members and affiliates of the New Students for a Democratic Society(SDS) from over 20 campuses met for their annual National Convention in Chicago, Illinois.
The students came from all over the U.S. to unite under the slogan of “Students Defend Education, Unions Strike Back!” to highlight both the attacks of education, especially ethnic studies such as Black studies and American Indian studies, and the increased level of union activity in 2023. Attendees listened to panels and gave workshops over a variety of topics, sharing strategy and tactics with SDS chapters from across the country.
Tallahassee, FL – On October 18, more than 350 community members and students protested at Cascades Park, marking the second demonstration for Palestine’s liberation in Florida’s capital city since the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7.
New York, NY – Around 300 students and community members gathered outside the steps of the CUNY grad center in Midtown, October 18, to protest CUNY's involvement with Israel and to support the Palestinian resistance.
Organized by CUNY 4 Palestine, the energetic crowd was loud in their chants and vocal in their support for the Palestinian cause.
Minneapolis, MN – On Tuesday, October 16, a group of students and community members rallied on the steps of Northrop Hall at University of Minnesota. They were there to protest U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett at the annual donor-funded Law School public lecture.
Seattle, WA – On October 12, several hundred people gathered on the University of Washington’s campus to hear speeches in solidarity with the ongoing Palestinian struggle for self-determination and the right to return.
Minneapolis, MN – On Wednesday, October 24 at noon, 350 University of Minnesota students walked out of class to join a rally organized by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), in front of the Coffman Memorial Union. They gathered to demand an end to the siege on Gaza and U.S. aid to Israel’s genocidal actions. A die-in occurred during which Palestinian students read the names of Palestinian victims of Israel's violence and ended with a moment of silence.
