Fight Back News Service is circulating the following call for an emergency conference to defend the Tampa 5.

_Additional felony charges mean we must strengthen resistance _

Tampa, FL – Florida state prosecutor Justin Diaz it trying to put the Tampa 5 in prison. The Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) members, arrested at a campus protest against the racist agenda of Governor Ron DeSantis, each face a trumped-up felony charge, alleging “battery on a police officer,” carrying five years of jail time. When the activists rejected a plea deal requiring them to apologize for doing the right thing, the prosecutor added on more felony charges. This means that three of the activists are facing more than ten years behind bars. In addition, the activists face ten misdemeanor charges.

Tampa, FL – On May 17, over 40 people rallied outside a courthouse in support of the Tampa 5 during their arraignment. Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society and Tampa Bay Community Action Committee hosted a press conference followed by a protest against the attacks on protesters in Florida.

Seattle, WA – On May 12, the Progressive Student Union held a counterprotest outside of a “free speech” conference at the University of Washington hosted by Huskies for Liberty, a libertarian student group. At this conference, Pedro Domingos, a professor emeritus of the Computer Science department at UW, spoke discussing how he is being silenced by the “woke” mob.

Fight Back! News is circulating the following call to action from Students for a Democratic Society

Denver, CO – After a nearly two year campaign, the Denver chapter of Students for a Democratic Society won a significant milestone in their campaign to demilitarize the campus police. After four months of work plagued with delays and obfuscation by campus administrators, SDS fought to successfully get a resolution passed that takes the power from the Auraria Campus Police from being able to obtain military weapons from the 1033 program – a federal program designed to transfer surplus military equipment from the U.S. Department of Defense to local law enforcement.

Minneapolis, MN – Roughly 70 University of Minnesota students, faculty, staff and community members rallied together on May 11 outside McNamara Alumni Center, where the governing Board of Regents met to discuss finance and operations amidst brutal budget cuts and job-cutting measures.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Tampa Bay SDS.

Minneapolis, MN – On Friday April 28, 150 protesters, including students, staff and faculty, gathered at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities McNamara Plaza to protest administration's proposed cuts to ethnic and gender studies.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Florida State University Students for a Democratic Society.

Tampa, FL – On Tuesday April 25, the University of South Florida finalized the termination of admissions worker Chrisley Carpio. Carpio was one of several protesters brutalized by the USF police department, and one of the five charged by police with felonies, for protesting Governor Ron DeSantis’ attacks on education, diversity and inclusion programs and multicultural organizations at public universities. University administration continues to repress protesters, as seen through the suspension of one student, preventing them from being on campus, and Carpio’s firing.

Fight Back News Service is circulating this statement from Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Minnesota.

On March 6, 2023, members of Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society held a rally on the University of South Florida campus to defend diversity in higher education. At the rally, four women activists were suddenly and violently assaulted by USF police before being arrested. Later, on April 4, another student received a communication of the university’s intent to charge her with additional misdemeanors and a felony – just like the other 4 activists.

Arlington, TX – On April 21, members of NTXStudentsForDEI and UT-Arlington’s Progressive Student Union marched through the streets of University of Texas at Arlington in protest of recent attacks on diversity equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.

Tampa, FL – On Monday, April 17, around 70 students, parents, community members and progressives rallied for a statewide mobilization at the University of South Florida’s Marshall Student Center to demand that University President Rhea Law, drop the charges – criminal and academic – on the five protesters brutalized and charged by campus police, March 6, for protesting Governor DeSantis’ racist attacks on education.

Milwaukee, WI – On April 11, organizers with the UW-Milwaukee chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) took to Spaights Plaza in the middle of campus to announce a new campaign focused on addressing the shockingly low percentage of Black students on campus, increasing Black representation in student resources like mental health services, and the graduation rate of existing Black students.

Seattle, WA – On Wednesday, April 5, students rallied in front of Suzzallo Library in the University of Washington’s Seattle campus to support Homegrown workers in their fight for a contract. The rally was called by the Progressive Student Union at UW (PSU), a chapter of New Students For A Democratic Society.

Seattle, WA – On Friday, April 7, members of the Progressive Student Union and others rallied to protest an event held by Turning Point USA that featured Autumn Higashi, a transphobic, anti-abortion speaker. The protest, led by PSU, disrupted the event by maintaining chants throughout its duration.

Tampa, FL – On April 6, students at the University of South Florida rallied around protecting diversity in the face of recent attacks on legislation on diversity, equality, inclusion (DEI) and multicultural programs. The event was hosted by Students for a Democratic Society.

Austin, TX – On Wednesday, April 5, Austin Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) met on Speedway at UT Austin with the Texas Students for DEI Coalition to protest recent Texas legislative and administrative attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. The rally was also called in solidarity with the Tampa 4, a group of University of South Florida SDS members currently facing felony charges after being brutalized and arrested while protesting Florida's attacks on DEI programs.