Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

Student Movement

By Anthony Franklin

Rory Macdonald. | Zach Kemp/Fight Back! News

New Orleans, LA – On Friday, September 20, Tulane University encampment arrestees held a rally at 8 a.m., outside of the Orleans Criminal District Court, just before a monumental win for the city’s movement. There were over 40 people in attendance for both the rally and their full-day trial. They packed the courts in support of the arrestees for the Popular University for Gaza encampment that took place on Tulane’s front lawn from April 29 to May 1.

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By Annie Russell-Pribnow

Minneapolis students protest at the inauguration of new University of Minnesota president demanding divestment from apartheid Israel. | Staff/Fight Back! News

Minneapolis, MN – On Wednesday, September 18, over 700 protesters rallied outside Northrop Auditorium as the new University of Minnesota President Rebecca Cunningham was inaugurated inside. As university workers prepped the Northrop Mall for the massive celebration set to begin in just two hours, students walked out of class, joining the rally to demand that the University of Minnesota divest from Israel.

As the crowd chanted, “Neutrality is a lie! You’re supporting genocide!” nervous low-level administrators fidgeted with their clipboards and took photos of the protest. The rally was a campus-wide effort, called for by the UMN Divest Coalition, AFSCME 3800, and Educators for Justice in Palestine.

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By staff

Chicago students march in solidarity with Palestine. | Staff/Fight Back! News

Chicago, IL – On Thursday, September 12, New Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at UIC and a host of other student and progressive organizations participated in a National Day of Action called for by National Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).

The Progressive Student Coalition at UIC had coalition members speak for their respective organizations at the protest including Students for a Revolutionary Union (SRU), SJP, Anakbayan, and SDS.

The group of about 50 students demanded Israel withdraw from the West Bank and Gaza and that the U.S. government stop funding the genocidal apartheid state of Israel. They also supported the demands of SJP at UIC to get the university to divest from Israel and cut ties with Israeli institutions.

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By Oliver Cheese

FSU students gather to stand with Palestine and against repression of student activists. | Staff/Fight Back! News

Tallahassee, FL – On September 12, in the face of threats from their university administration, more than 15 students at Florida State University gathered to defy this blatant political repression and to reaffirm their commitment to the struggle for Palestinian liberation. Led by Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), the students demanded that FSU divest from war profiteers who fund the genocide in Palestine and made it clear that this new wave of reactionary attacks against the student movement will never silence the voice of a generation. The students were joined by members of community organizations, and their speeches were heard by hundreds of rally attendees and passersby.

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By staff

Brooklyn, NY – When the New York University Students for a Democratic Society (NYU SDS) held their first meeting of the semester on September 6, an NYPD officer with several others from the counterterrorism unit walked up to members in an attempt to intimidate them.

When members arrived to set up for their meeting, they saw an extensive NYPD and NYU Campus Security presence. When asked by an SDS member if NYU called them to arrive at the scene, the officer claimed they were just there coincidentally. Yet, right after the NYPD walked up to SDS, NYU campus security arrived to also confront SDS.

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By staff

Tampa students demand the right to speak and organize on campus. | Fight Back! News/staff

Tampa, FL – On Monday, September 17, members of Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) gathered at the University of South Florida (USF) to hold a lightning rally in response to the university’s continuing attacks on its students' right to free speech.

While students stopped to listen and join the rally, protestors demanded an end to attacks on the student movement—including on Tampa Bay SDS, which was recently barred from organizing and meeting on campus—and an end to policy 6-028, which was passed behind closed doors and prevents student groups from holding events, tabling and flyering. During the rally, students chanted “Ho ho, hey hey, the student movement is here to stay!” and “USF, shame on you! Student voices matter too!”

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By staff

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

On Wednesday, September 11, 2024, the University of Utah called the police to stop and detain several queer students who were drawing with washable sidewalk chalk on the concrete walkway by Gardner Commons to promote an approved queer pool party taking place at the Student Life Center the upcoming Saturday. These students were not properly informed that over the summer, the University of Utah changed its policy on “Signs, Literature, and Structures‌” to say that: “Messages or slogans of any kind shall not be painted or otherwise written on trees, buildings, sidewalks, grounds fountains, walls or other University structures or surfaces, or on the personal property of others”. Prior to this semester, chalking’s were a familiar phenomenon on campus. Why has this policy changed to further repress LGBTQ+ student speech?

Additionally, Utah SDS received an email threatening our club for posting flyers on campus outside of “approved posting areas,” despite the fact that other stickers and signage remain posted in the same places. On the other hand, our flyers calling students to exercise their democratic rights to protest, meet, and organize for Palestine, were torn down. This selective enforcement of rules is designed to intimidate the student and Palestinian movement, and Utah SDS condemns these antidemocratic attacks on our right to organize. We will not be told how we will meet, organize, and educate our fellow students on the grounds of our own campus, especially when it comes to a genocide. We call on the students and youth of Utah to defy this repression, join SDS and stand up for their right to speak and organize on their campus.

The exciting, dynamic upsurge in the student movement has been met with vicious political repression in Utah and across the country. Last spring, students encamped on the lawns of their campuses demanding an end to military profiteering and investment in Israel’s genocide were met with arrests and tear gas. From coast to coast, university administrators refuse to hear the demands of students, youth, and campus workers for divestment, diversity in education, and funding for student needs. Repression is a sign that the movement is growing and winning, and calls for more student organizing, not less. Students and youth of Utah, stand strong! We must stand together for our right to speak and protest!

Hands off the student movement!

Cops out of our protests!

President Randall, respect our right to organize!

#UT #StudentMovement #SDS #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #FreeSpeech #PoliticalRepression #Statement

By staff

Student speaks out against charges against pro-Palestine protesters. | Fight Back! News/staff

New Orleans, LA – On Friday, September 13, Tulane University encampment arrestees held a press conference outside the Orleans Criminal District Court ahead of their court appearance. They read a resolution signed by over 40 of New Orleans’ community organizations, demanding that charges against pro-Palestine encampment protestors and activist Toni Jones be dropped.

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By staff

Josh Teitelbaum, of Jewish Voices for Peace demands charges be dropped against pro Palestine protesters at courthouse rally. | Staff/Fight Back! News

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following resolution in solidarity with New Orleans’ pro-Palestine protesters.

WHEREAS, the undersigned organizations stand in complete solidarity with New Orleans’ pro-Palestine protesters, and denounce Tulane University for pursuing unjust charges and tacitly endorsing police brutality against these activists, simply because they protested this institution’s ties with Israel;

WHEREAS, Tulane emeritus board member Walter Isaacson grabbed and shoved Tulane student Rory MacDonald on video at a protest on March 13, without facing repercussions;

WHEREAS, Toni Jones, organizer with New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police (NOCOP), was arrested by TUPD on March 16 at a protest for MacDonald’s and other students’ rights to free speech;

WHEREAS, Brenna Byrne, Sruly Heller, Quest Riggs, Serena Sojic-Borne, and three other protesters, were arrested by TUPD on April 29 on the first day of Students for a Democratic Society’s (SDS) peaceful encampment for Gaza, several suffering injuries from police horses or officer misconduct;

WHEREAS, Rory MacDonald, Carson Cruse, Juleea Berthelot, Shreyas Vasudevan, Vonne Crandell and nine other protesters were arrested by Louisiana State Police on May 1, the third day of SDS’s peaceful encampment for Gaza, over one hundred state troopers used tear gas, a BearCat armored vehicle, and rifles aimed at students to arrest fourteen people, including one just passing by for a walk that evening; and

WHEREAS the TUPD targeted and arrested a student days after the encampment ended, unjustly charging them with a felony;

BE IT RESOLVED, the undersigned demand that District Attorney Jason Williams and City Attorney Donesia Turner drop the trumped-up charges against these protesters;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the undersigned call upon the administration of Tulane University to end their witch-hunt of these protesters.

In signing this resolution, our organizations commit to doing everything we can to make this gross injustice known, and to organize a powerful solidarity movement to defend these protesters, who courageously stood against aid for Israel’s genocide.

Voice of the Experienced

Masjid Omar

Jewish Voices for Peace – New Orleans

First Grace Community Alliance

Hagar’s House, shelter

Project Ishmael, immigration law

Louisiana InterFaith for Human Rights

Friends of Sabeel – New Orleans

Palestinian Youth Movement New Orleans

William Quigley, Emeritus Professor of Law, Loyola University

American Federation of Musicians – New Orleans

Starbucks Workers United NOLA

Louisiana National Lawyers’ Guild

Queer Trans Community Action Project

New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police

Sunrise Movement NOLA

Reproductive Justice Action Collective

Harvey Mudd College Dissenters

NOLA Healthcare Workers for Palestine

Southern Solidarity

New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports

Muslims for Just Futures – Gulf South

NOLA Musicians for Palestine

Freedom Road Socialist Organization NOLA

Laveau Contraire, drag artist

Students Organizing Against Racism TU

Feminist Alliance of Students at Tulane

Rev. Gregory Manning

Justice and Beyond

Muslim Students Association – Loyola

NOLA Democratic Socialists of America

NOLA Freedom Forum

Miss Anne’s Maypop Herb Shop

LifeCity Impact Management Firm

End Jim Crow Louisiana

SPORTS DRINK

Trans Income Project

Mo Munchies LLC

Fight Covid NOLA

Fred Hampton Free Store

Chicken’s Kitchen

Tulane Students for a Democratic Society

Loyola Students for a Democratic Society

LSU Students for a Democratic Society

#NewOrleansLA #LA #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #StudentMovement #SDS #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #FreeSpeech #NOCOP

By staff

Utah students demand the university cut ties with apartheid Israel. | Staff/Fight Back! News

Salt Lake City, UT- On September 10, dozens of students gathered at the University of Utah to protest the university’s study abroad program with Israel and demand divestment. Utah Students for a Democratic Society called the demonstration, which took place outside the university’s Fall Learning Abroad Fair. Protesters chanted, held signs and banners, and displayed a Palestinian flag.

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