¡Lucha y Resiste! entrevistó a Michael Humaña, un sindicalista Chileno y un internacionalista, el 14 de octubre para aprender sobre de la lucha de su sindicato y en América Latina

¡Lucha y Resiste!: ¿Cuáles son las organizaciones de que estas un dirigente?

Michael Humaña: Soy Presidente del Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadoras y Trabajadores de la Educación – SNTE Chile y Secretario de Organización de la Central Continental de Trabajadoras y Trabajadores de la Educación.

¡Lucha y Resiste!: ¿Que acaba de pasar en Bolivia esta fin de seman en pasado?

Michael Humaña: En el Trópico de Cochabamba, Bolivia, fundamos CIMA, la Coordinación Internacionalista de los Movimientos Sociales Antiimperialistas del Abya Yala. Organización que busca ser la Muralla Antiimperialista de los Pueblos para enfrentar al criminal “escudo de las americas” de Donald Trump.

Con el liderazgo del Presidente Evo Morales, esperamos ser la Alternativo Socialista y Anticapitalista de los Pueblos que Luchan.

¡Lucha y Resiste!: ¿Cuál era tu posición en el encuentro?

Michael Humaña: En este encuentro Antiimperialista me corresponde ser parte del Equipo de Coordinación

¡Lucha y Resiste!: ¿Que significa la presencia y la participación de Evo Morales en el encuentro?

Michael Humaña: Evo Morales es el Líder de la Izquierda Revolucionaria y de los Movimientos Campesinos y Populares del Sur de Nuestra América. Luego del secuestro del Presidente Nicolas Maduro de Venezuela, Evo Morales se transforma en el principal líder de los antiimperialistas de todo el Continente. La experiencia de los 14 años de gobierno en Bolivia, la propuesta del Vivir Bien y la Plurinacionalidad, son ejemplos para todos los pueblos de Indoamérica.

¡Lucha y Resiste!: ¿Finalizaron acuerdos como puntos de unidad o un plan de acción? 

Michael Humaña: El principal objetivo del Encuentro era avanzar en la unidad programática, por tanto, los resolutivos de la Fundación de CIMA son fundamentales para crear una organización Continental sólida y con capacidad real de movilización para hacer frente al Imperialismo estadounidense y al sionismo israelí.

Algunos de los puntos de acuerdos son: Declarar el 9 de Octubre como Día Internacional Antiimperialista en homenaje al Che Guevara. Avanzar en la construcción de una Red Continental de Comunicación Popular. La defensa de la Madre Tierra y los bienes comunes, será una tarea fundamental para enfrentar el extractivismo depredador y enfrentar procesos electorales para recuperar los gobiernos locales y nacionales, pero con un programa Socialista, Anticolonialista y Antiimperialista, sin confiar en los progresismos neoliberales.

Exigir la Libertad de nuestros presos políticos como el Presidente Nicolas Maduro, la Diputada Cilia Flores de Venezuela, el Presidente Pedro Castillo y Victor Polay de Perú, el ex Diputado Freddy Mamani de Bolivia y el fin a la persecución política de líderes sociales del continente como el hermano Evo Morales Ayma.

¡Lucha y Resiste!: ¿Cuales son lecciones a compartir con los movimientos en los EEUU que aprendieron desde las movilizaciones nacionales en Bolivia? 

Michael Humaña: Hoy creemos que es una tarea fundamental la unidad de todos los Movimientos Sociales del Continente, desde Alaska hasta la Patagonia. Los movimientos Sociales de Bolivia nos dan la lección que con valentía el pueblo puede derrocar a los gobiernos tiranos y criminales. Que la unidad de la clase obrera, los campesinos y los estudiantes es fundamental para frenar a las oligarquías nacionales. La convicción antiimperialista del pueblo de Bolivia debe ser ejemplo para todos los pueblos del mundo.

¡Lucha y Resiste!: ¿Como puede explicar la situación en Chile ahora?

Michael Humaña: Hoy en Chile ha vuelto a gobernar el Pinochetismo, los criminales de la dictadura militar vuelven al gobierno para impulsar reformas de profundización neoliberal. Lamentablemente los gobiernos del progresismo neoliberal y la socialdemocracia, gobernaron Chile con las leyes y la constitución de la Dictadura, permitieron que la educación, la salud y las pensiones fueran un negocio y se perdieran como derechos sociales. Por tanto hoy, la ultraderecha solo viene a profundizar más de 30 años de neoliberalismo con gobiernos civiles. El movimiento popular y sindical está muy debilitado y solo los estudiantes mantienen viva la llama de la rebeldía y la lucha antineoliberal.

Pero desde el magisterio y otras fuerzas populares seguimos dando batalla para reconstruir el movimiento popular chileno tras un programa y proyecto con perspectiva socialista y de poder popular.

#International #Chile #Bolivia #CIMA #Labor #EvoMorales #MichaelHumana

White Mesa, Utah – On October 17, the White Mesa community protested a harmful uranium mill, alongside other Native communities and activist groups. Protesters, many who traveled hundreds of miles in solidarity with the rural community, rallied at the White Mesa Community Center where indigenous rights activists spoke about the harms from uranium mining. After rallying, the hundreds of protesters marched five miles along the highway from the community center to the uranium mill.

White Mesa is a rural community where the majority of people are Ute Mountain Ute Tribe members who have been living with adverse health effects, high cancer rates and unsafe drinking water for decades. Just north of the community center is the White Mesa Mill, the only operating commercial uranium mill in the United States. The White Mesa Mill is owned by Energy Fuels Resource USA, a private company that is a subsidiary of Toronto-based Energy Fuels International. Radioactive ore mined from all over the world is sent to this mill for processing, with little accountability for spills and dumping during the transport of these hazardous materials.

Anferny Cly, a member of White Mesa Concerned Community, told the crowd, “The water under the mill is becoming more and more polluted and is moving toward our community. The acidity of the water is increasing, and heavy metals are rising. We used to drink the spring water for ceremonial purposes. We don’t do that anymore. We used to hunt for animals near our homes; we used to gather plants for baskets, and to eat. We don’t do that anymore as well.”

Energy Fuels has received hundreds of millions of dollars from the U.S. Department of Defense, and the facility is linked to the production of nuclear weapons. Northrop Grumman's Roy, Utah location, just a few hours’ drive north from the White Mesa community, is involved in the U.S.’s nuclear program.

The White Mesa Mill is expected to see a sharp expansion of activity as the recent de-protection of the nearby Bears Ears and Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monuments has opened up the way for nearly a hundred new mining claims to be filed. These mining claims largely benefit private interests and are destructive to lands which hold sites of historically-rooted and religious importance to the many indigenous peoples living in the area.

Navajo Nation communities downwind of the mining and refinement operations have also faced adverse health effects, with one study showing 27% of participants having high levels of uranium in their urine, compared to 5% in the overall U.S. population. Many Navajo people have died of kidney failure and cancer, conditions linked to uranium contamination. One protester's sign read “Bring cancer screening to Navajo Nation.”

The mill ties together the sovereignty and environmental struggles of many indigenous communities, such as the Havasupai, who have been fighting the Energy Fuels-owned Pinyon Plain Mine, which ships uranium to the mill directly from the Havasupai Tribe's Grand Canyon homelands.

One speaker said she spotted Pinyon Plain Mine trucks passing along the highway during her trip to the community center. American Indian Movement members who have been fighting against lithium mining in the Duck Valley Indian Reservation were also present in solidarity. Teracita Keyanna from Diné Redwater Pond Road Community spoke on her community's fight to clean up contamination and prevent in-situ recovery waste from her community being dumped at the mill.

Keyanna stated, “I was charged by our grandmother to help our community. It is one of the things that she had said to us before she passed away. She passed away from pulmonary fibrosis. We have had to watch my grandmother suffocate to death. And now we're still here, we're still fighting, and now we have allies with Yolanda, and she's got our back, and we've got her back. So thank you guys all for being here and really bring all your good vibes and everything on this mountain. We can fight this guy, thank you.”

The Utah Anti-War Committee was among the organizations attending this event.

To learn more about the campaign against White Meas Mill, you can visit White Mesa Concerned Community’s website at protectwhitemesa.org.

#WhiteMesaUT #UT #Environment #Uranium #OppressedNationalities #IndigenousPeoples

New York, NY – Over 60 community members and activists rallied outside of the Brooklyn Central Court for over 14 hours after the NYPD arrested two organizers with the New York Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NYAARPR) in the early morning hours of October 20. They were released at 12:20 a.m. the next day.

The crowd initially gathered at 9:30 a.m. and continued to rally until midnight, with their numbers growing stronger over time. Members of the crowd chanted, “Free Jamie Kowalski! Free Daniel Koh!” and demanded the immediate processing and release of the two arrested activists.

Jamie Kowalski was arrested from his home at 5:30 a.m. on October 20; an hour later, Daniel Koh was arrested, also from his home. Both activists have been charged with misdemeanors of stalking and harassment, which was not made clear to either of them at the time of their arrest.

Speaking outside the courthouse, Shivani Ishwar, NYAAPRR chair, said, “We have been out here all day demanding the release of our friends, and proving that the NYPD's attempts to scare us will not work! We will get these bogus charges dropped, and this will only make us fight that much harder for justice for Eudes Pierre!”

NYAARPR members, including Kowalski and Koh, have been picketing in front of the 71st Precinct in Brooklyn for several months, demanding justice for Eudes Pierre, a young Haitian man murdered by Conrado Abreu-Gerez and Peter Lan in December 2021.

On September 19, NYAARPR held a speakout and posted notices in Sunset Park, near Abreu-Gerez’s apartment, warning his neighbors that a killer cop lived nearby. After NYAARPR’s monthly picket at the 71st Precinct on September 24, Koh, Kowalski, and a third activist from the New York Alliance were followed and stopped by the police, although no summons was issued at that time. Two days before the arrest, on October 18, the New York Alliance again posted flyers near Abreu-Gerez’s apartment. This is what the organizers believe is the real cause of the arrests.

At the courthouse, the supporters of the two activists included a broad front of progressive organizations such as Brooklyn Against War, We the People, UFT MORE Caucus, NYU Students for a Democratic Society, BAYAN NE, JUPI, International League of Peoples Struggle NE, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, friends, community members, and the family members of Eudes Pierre.

Things got heated around 7:45 p.m., after ten hours on the street, as the NYPD tried to intimidate protesters outside the court building, but it didn’t work. The police tried to say that the protest was “slowing things down” in the court building. The protesters stood their ground, shouting “speed it up” and called their bluff. The police then forced protesters to the other side of the street, threatened arrest and erected barriers around the building as the crowd chanted “Cowards!” Protesters from across the street only grew louder and were heard for blocks around.

Michela Martinazzi, member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization Central Committee, said, “The NYPD has a bloated $11 billion budget and cares more about protecting their killer cops than keeping the community safe. Daniel and Jamie are heroes amongst the people; they're fighting for true community control and justice for Eudes Pierre and his family. However, no matter how much the NYPD tries to intimidate our friends, we will be here to fight back!”

Zaara Ahmed from NYU Students for a Democratic Society said, “As students, we know we need to be part of community struggles, and an attack on one is an attack on all. Meaning, when any one of our community members, of our activists, our organizers, is under attack we all need to show up, show out, and fight back. These were bullshit charges put on people trying to shed light on a murderer in the NYPD, and we’re not going to stop until we see Daniel and Jamie free.”

Both Kowalski and Koh were finally released at 12:20 a.m. on October 21. Addressing the crowd of their supporters, Koh said, “These charges are bogus. They know they don't have shit, and they're only doing this because they feel pressured and feel like they want to get away with shit, and we’re not going to let that happen!”

While Kowalski and Koh have been released, the fight for justice continues as organizers will mount a hearty defense campaign to get the charges dropped.

NYAARPR plans to continue to protest the 71st Precinct and fight for justice for Eudes Pierre. The next picket is scheduled for October 29 at 6 p.m., and they are calling on all progressive-minded people and allies to show up and show that NYPD intimidation will not get in the way of their fight for justice.

#NewYorkNY #NY #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #KillerCops #NYAARPR #NAARPR #featured

Denver, CO, On Saturday, October 17, hundreds of community members gathered at Denver’s Lincoln Veterans Memorial Park for No Kings 4. The event, branded as “No Kings: Vote Early,” was one of around 70 similar events planned across the state of Colorado on Saturday.

The event was scheduled from noon to 4 p.m., though many attendees were already walking through the park and speaking with organizational tables well before 11:30. At 1:30, a march was held, starting on Lincoln Street next to Colorado State Capitol and completing a loop through downtown Denver.

Lasting roughly an hour, the march had several hundred attendees. Marchers held signs with slogans like “Taxes for healthcare, not bombing babies” and “The only minority destroying America is the billionaires.” Denver Anti-War Action (DAWA) carried a banner reading “200+ days of war, end Trump’s assault on Iran.” Several marchers carried signs condemning ICE terror.

Over a dozen organizations tabled at the event, including DAWA, Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), and both the Auraria and School of Mines chapters of Students for a Democratic Society. Food trucks and carts provided tacos, hot dogs, and more for attendees.

Some organizations gave speeches near the center of the park, keeping energy up throughout the afternoon.

Julia Swezy from FRSO was one who addressed the crowd, saying, “This two-party system doesn’t work for you and me, it works for the billionaire Epstein class.” Swezy continued, “Unfortunately, the oppression does not end with Donald Trump. The issue does not end with a Democrat in office. It’s only when the masses of working and oppressed people overthrow the system of capitalist exploitation that we are free of our chains.”

“Voting on key issues is important, but voting is not going to get us out of the oppressive system of capital that we're in,” Swezy said, and encouraged people to get involved in their communities by joining an organization like FRSO. “You can find an organization present here today that is fighting for your values and join!”

#DenverCO #CO #NoKings #PeoplesStruggles #Trump

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARAPR).

The Mississippi Attorney General’s office has declared the police murder of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley “justified.” This ruling is outrageous and shameful, and The National Alliance condemns it in the strongest terms. By clearing the Senatobia PD officer Hunter Foster who fired into a fleeing vehicle after seeing the child, the state signals that no victim is too young or innocent to escape deadly racist policing.

The ruling defies the truth. On June 14, officers from Senatobia PD and Tate County SO chased and fired into a vehicle carrying Kohen, his mother, and his aunt, who was injured. They knew a baby was inside. The only video shows the car driving away. The independent autopsy found shots were fired into the side, not the front, proving the vehicle was not driving toward officers. Officer Hunter Foster also faced prior misconduct allegations: a 2019 federal lawsuit accusing him of exaggerating a threat in a Waffle House parking lot confrontation in which he lied and said a vehicle tried to strike another officer, settled confidentially in 2022, and a 2022 DeSoto County traffic stop excessive force lawsuit was dismissed this March. 

This outcome fits Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s track record of defending Jim Crow-era disenfranchisement and protecting killer cops. It continues Mississippi’s blood-soaked history of racial terror. The National Alliance does not accept this “justification” and will not allow Kohen Wiley’s story to be buried. All officers involved must be charged and convicted, and the corrupt system that protects them must face justice.

Justice for Kohen Wiley! Jail Killer Cops! Community Control of Police Now!

#InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #NAARPR #Statement #KohenWiley

Chicago, IL – The South Side office of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR) was filled by allied organizations, Saturday, October 17, in a day of campaign work for the November 3 elections.

Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), an affiliate of CAARPR, mobilized over 30 working-class and youth activists – Black, Latino, Arab, Asian and white – to put feet in the streets for progressive candidates in the November 3 election.

Altogether, 50 canvassers from various struggles and parts of the city joined forces to fight for two champions of workers and oppressed people – Hilario Dominguez and Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Hilario Dominguez is running for school board president. A special education teacher with ten years of experience working in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), Dominguez is a member of the community he seeks to serve.

Dominguez faces off against billionaire-backed candidates who support school closures and abandoning Chicago’s children, all to line the pockets of private interests. Chicagoans have first-hand experience of fighting the racist, neoliberal tactics of divestment in neighborhood schools that reached its apex under former mayor Rahm Emanuel. Mayor 1%, as he was known, notoriously shuttered 50 schools during his two terms. 80% of those schools were in Black communities.

Emanuel’s other legacy was the cover-up of the heinous murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, a CPS student with disabilities that was shot 16 times by Chicago police.

The fight against school closures is an historic struggle of Black and Latino working-class communities. Around these elections, there is a mass mobilization led by teachers and parents to support Dominguez and a slate that includes leading figures from the Black and Chicano/Mexicano movements: Jitu Brown and Rev. Emma Lozano, two legendary community organizers.

Rally with the mayor: The main event

Mayor Brandon Johnson, the first mayor since Harold Washington who was not handpicked by the ruling class, has a history of standing with Black and Latino working-class neighbors against school closures. As a former CPS teacher himself, Mayor Johnson has fought to reverse the racist disinvestment in the South and West Sides through historic levels of funding in housing, youth jobs, public schools and mental health centers. Johnson represents the African American national struggle for political power in Chicago, and has stood firm with immigrant communities against the Trump administration’s racist deportation attacks.

When canvassers returned from several hours “on the doors” in Woodlawn, Englewood and other nearby communities, they were greeted by the mayor. The message from the billionaires and their coat carriers among the city council and the press is that Johnson can’t win. Almost all the canvassers were youth – high school or college age. They greeted Johnson with cheers of “Four more years!”

Johnson informed the crowd that, under his leadership, Chicago saw a reduction in crime rates to levels not seen since 1965 – over 60 years ago. He also pointed out that while his administration had created 20,000 youth jobs over the summer, over 50,000 children had applied, and he would keep fighting during his second term until every student who wanted a summer job could get one.

20th Ward Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor co-hosted the rally with Frank Chapman, field organizer of the Chicago Alliance. Together with Jitu Brown, Ald. Taylor is famous for leading a successful hunger strike in 2015 against Emmanuel’s attempt to close Dyett High School. She reminded the crowd that Johnson served the people, not corporate-backed interests. Taylor preached unity of the many to fight back against the greed of the few and confided in the crowd that every time she saw Mayor Johnson occupying his spot at City Hall, she saw a community member who knew what it was like to face economic hardship living on Chicago’s South and West Sides.

Elections: A front of struggle

Joe Iosbaker of FRSO introduced Ald. Taylor. He recalled the CAARPR-led struggle for community control of the Chicago police, and Taylor’s history of fighting for community control of public schools.

In Chicago history, we have the legacy of Harold Washington’s campaign for mayor in 1983, with Rudy Lozano running for city council with Washington’s support to be his vice mayor. Chicago gave the country Jesse Jackson’s historic runs for president in 1984 and 1988, which also represented the Black liberation movement taking an electoral form.

From Harold and Rudy in the 1980s, to Brandon Johnson today, FRSO has long understood that while most elections in the U.S. are between two parties of monopoly capitalism, the national liberation movements can take electoral forms. When they do, revolutionaries have to get behind them and push.

The billionaire class and their racist and Zionist proxies are spending tens of millions of dollars for their handpicked tools – Jessica Biggs for president of the School Board, and Alexi Giannoulias for mayor – to defeat our movement and remove Brandon Johnson from the Fifth Floor of Chicago City Hall.

Chicago is ready for the fight.

#ChicagoIL #IL #PeoplesStruggles #Elections #SchoolBoard #BrandonJohnson

Chicago, IL – In the early hours of Monday morning, October 19, Cook County College Teachers Union Local 1600 (CCCTU) announced a tentative agreement on a contract for staff and faculty at City Colleges of Chicago, after months of bargaining. After negotiations finally concluded around 4 a.m., CCCTU President Tony Johnston declared, “I am proud of our negotiating teams, of our members who were prepared to strike, and of this contract.”

Workers were scheduled to go on strike starting Monday, and it was this threat that made the administration stop dragging out negotiations. CCCTU leadership will now bring the proposal to their membership to vote to ratify, and then it will have to be approved by the City Colleges Board of Trustees. The union has kept a strike on the table through the whole bargaining process, and they aren’t backing down from that until the contract is ratified.

Rank-and-file CCCTU member Chanel Crittenden said that City Colleges administration started the bargaining process from an insincere position. City Colleges’ negotiation team included corporate-backed union-busting lawyers and offered a miniscule annual wage increase that fell well below inflation. Crittenden highlighted the hostile attitude of the administration, saying, “CCCTU dominated the last contract negotiations, and it seemed like City Colleges of Chicago wanted to revoke some of those wins.”

CCCTU, on the other hand, was looking out for its members and students in their newest contract. The union demanded a dignified wage increase that would actually keep up with inflation. They also called for more oversight on the use of AI in the classroom. Crittenden explained that employees at the City Colleges saw that administration was making moves to replace the highly personal language skills of bilingual workers with deeply flawed AI translation programs.

The union also fought to reduce the financial burden for their overwhelmingly working-class and low-income Black and brown students. The agreement included a task force to explore making introductory developmental courses free for the majority Black and brown and working-class student body. CCCTU argued that their students shouldn’t have to use up their hard-earned financial aid before they can even start taking courses in their degree program.

CCCTU boldly threatened to strike from the very start of negotiations to show the administration they were serious about meeting the needs of their members and students. Members voted 91% in favor of authorizing a strike in September, and Crittenden stated, “leading up to the strike vote, members were setting up information tables on campus and holding practice pickets.”

Solidarity was the name of the game in the last few weeks of the bargaining process.

Crittenden stated, “I was feeling energized while preparing for the strike. It's been a roller coaster; it's been a lot of energy but also anxiety. You want to make sure you can be there for your family, your friends, and your community. I was really grateful to everybody who showed up and showed a strong sense of solidarity.”

#ChicagoIL #IL #Labor #ChicagoCityColleges #CCCTU

Washington, D.C. – On Saturday, October 17, a broad coalition of groups from D.C. and Maryland rallied in front of the U.S. Department of Justice headquarters demanding an end to the racist and political repression by the Trump administration. The action came in the wake of a violent pre-dawn raid on Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s home earlier that week by the Department of Homeland Security, and the targeted surveillance and intimidation of local activists by FBI and Border Patrol agents.

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s staff shared a statement in support of the action, “Thank you for the outpouring of support today and over the past week, [Rep. Omar] will not be silenced – she thanks you for having her back, and she will always have yours.”

Rep. Ilhan Omar represents the largest Somali population in the U.S., and has been a stalwart champion for immigrant communities, a powerful opponent of Trump’s mass deportation schemes and a vocal critic against Trump’s Islamophobic and racist policies. The Trump administration’s recent raid on her home is the most recent attack in a racist smear campaign meant to cast unfounded suspicion over her U.S. citizenship and create pretext for her deportation.

“These racist attacks on Rep. Ilhan Omar; our comrades being yanked off trains by Border Patrol and terrorized by the FBI, simply for speaking out – these are things that we will never accept!” said Merawi Gerima, an organizer with the DC Alliance Against Political Repression, drawing connections between the raid on Rep. Omar’s home and the escalating political repression of local organizers by the Trump administration.

Currently, Baltimore-based Filipino American organizer Christina Pasion remains detained for her activism for national democracy in the Philippines. Christina Pasion’s wife, Vivian Pasion, drew attention to her wife’s perseverance through the retaliation she was facing for her activism, and added that Christina’s family was also facing unannounced visits and harassment from federal agents.

“We are building a mass movement that is standing up against fascist attacks led by the United States, right here at home and abroad. I am not afraid of the FBI because I know that I have the full force of a mass movement behind me, and it’s only been growing,” a member of the Baltimore Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines.

Gordon Mutch, an organizer with the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines, had also experienced intimidation and harassment by Customs and Border Patrol. Just weeks before the raid on Rep. Omar, Mutch was traveling to a human rights conference in Toronto by Amtrak train. Near the Canadian border, the train stopped and riders heard the conductor say over the intercom “Ok, please make this quick gentlemen,” moments before armed Border Patrol agents walked directly to Mutch’s seat and grabbed him off the train.

After hours of detention, Mutch’s phone and laptop were seized, and he was forced to find his way from the boarder back to Maryland without a cell phone. He was given no explanation for why he was being targeted, but the timing makes it clear that it was in retaliation for his peace activism, particularly due to his being a vocal advocate for Pasion’s release from administrative detention in the Philippines. His devices have yet to be returned.

“There is active collusion between the U.S. government and the Philippine government in repressing U.S.-based activists standing up against the widespread human rights abuses under the fascist Marcos Jr. regime,” Mutch said.

The attacks on Gordon and Vivian have prompted the creation of a new national anti-repression coalition named Stop the Attacks, whose goal is to unite a broad movement to crush Trump’s repression machine.

Meanwhile, earlier in the same week on October 13, the Chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform launched a partisan investigation on D.C.-based organizations Free DC and Harriet’s Wildest Dreams for holding public jury duty trainings to educate local communities about the racist system of jury selection and the repressive nature of grand jury prosecutions – a particularly salient issue in D.C., where most serious court cases are settled in federal courts due to D.C.’s lack of State’s Attorney’s offices, stemming from its statehood being denied.

As they marched in the streets from the Department of Justice to the White House, protesters chanted, “Stop the raids, stop the attacks! We have Ilhan Omar’s back!” and “Hands off our organizations, stop these racist deportations!” in a show of united force and to demand an end to the Trump administration’s repression of local and national activists alike.

The coalition behind Saturday’s action included the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Stop the Attacks Coalition, International League of People’s Struggle, Code Pink DC, Bayan DMV, ICHRP US, BalCHRP, Asians for Palestine DMV, 50501DC, Metro DSA, Anakbayan DC, FLARE, and Families Not Feds Coalition.

#WashingtonDC #ImmigrantRights #IlhanOmar #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression

Colorado Springs, CO – On October 16, the family and friends of Josh Ybarra gathered at El Paso Criminal Justice Center for a candlelight vigil after Ybarra’s wrongful death while in the custody of Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD).

The Colorado Springs Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (COSAARPR), and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) helped the family organize the vigil. Over 30 people braved the cold to honor Ybarra’s memory and to demand justice for his death.

On September 30, Josh Ybarra was taken into police custody by CSPD. Officers were made aware of his health issues stemming from a brain injury he received while in prison. Despite being told by his family members that he needed medical attention, officers left him unattended in the backseat of a police cruiser in the Criminal Justice Center’s sallyport for over two hours. When they found him unresponsive, it was already too late to save his life. Now, CSPD is refusing to answer basic questions as to their conduct around his death, and the county coroner is stonewalling Ybarra’s family as well.

Several members of the Gomez family, whom Ybarra grew up with, gave speeches that called for an investigation into his death. Mateo Gomez, Ybarra’s childhood best friend, said, “There are serious questions about what happened while Joshua was in custody. What medical attention did he receive or did not receive? And ultimately what caused his death? And his family deserves these answers.”

James Gomez, Mateo’s brother, spoke on behalf of COSAARPR. Gomez said, “When we say we can’t trust you to police yourselves, please understand that is because of your lack of accountability in the past. We need independent oversight for Josh and so many others.”

Later in the vigil, Genevieve Richard, a member of FRSO told the crowd, “Do we want a system that disproportionately jails Black and brown bodies? Do we want a system that leaves brain injuries sustained in jail untreated? Do we want a system where people are left trapped in the back seat of a police car for hours on end? Josh Ybarra is dead because of the failures of the system he was born into. Deaths like his are nothing new in the U.S. and will continue unless we fight to stop them.”

The vigil ended with chants of “Say his name: Josh Ybarra!” and “Justice for Josh,” as well as a prayer calling for the autopsy to be released to the family. The family and friends of Josh Ybarra will continue to pressure city and county officials until they find justice for their loved one. COSAARPR remains dedicated to fully supporting them in the coming struggle.

#ColoradoSpringsCO #CO #InjusticeSystem #DeathInCustody #CSPD #JoshYbarra

Brooklyn, NY – In the early morning of Tuesday, October 20, the NYPD arrested two organizers with the New York Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression in their homes in Brooklyn.

Jamie Kowalski was arrested at 5:30 a.m. and, an hour later, Daniel Koh was arrested from his home. As of right now, charges or reasons for their arrests have not been disclosed by the NYPD.

However, organizers with the New York Alliance have an idea of why the arrests happened. Shivani Ishwar, NYAARPR chairperson, said, “The NYPD is trying to intimidate our activists, who have done nothing more than fight for justice alongside our organization and the family of Eudes Pierre. But justice will not be silenced! We will continue to fight against NYPD repression, and against the brutal violence that continues to plague Black and brown communities across the city. Free Daniel and Jamie! Justice for Eudes Pierre!”

The New York Alliance has been holding monthly pickets outside of the 71st Precinct, where killer cop Conrado Abreu-Gerez works, demanding justice for Eudes Pierre.

On September 19, the New York Alliance posted notices and held a speak-out near where Abreu-Gerez lives to warn his neighbors of his involvement in the murder of Eudes Pierre.

September 24 was the most recent monthly picket outside of the 71st Precinct. After the picket, three New York Alliance organizers, including Kowalski and Koh, were approached by officers of the 71st Precinct. The officers took their IDs and talked about potential violations of littering and amplified sound, but no summons was issued.

On October 18, organizers put up new flyers near the officer’s home.

Organizers with the New York Alliance believe that the most recent flyering was what spurred the arrests.

Michela Martinazzi, a Central Committee member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, commented, “The NYPD is the largest, most violent gang in the city. They don’t like to be pressured, and the New York Alliance is the one pressuring them. Kowalski, Koh and the members of the New York Alliance have done nothing wrong. They are brave for standing up to the NYPD!”

NYAARPR will continue to host its monthly picket outside the 71st Precinct. The next is on Thursday, October 29 at 6 p.m. It is more important than ever that many progressive-minded people show up to demand justice for Eudes Pierre and to show the NYPD that organizers will not be intimidated!

The New York Alliance is hosting a call-in and will be holding a jail support rally. Please review their social media pages for the most up-to date information.

#BrooklynNY #NY #InJusticeSystem #NAARPR #NYAARPR #PoliticalRepression #KillerCops #Featured

Fort Collins, CO – On Saturday, October 17, the Denver district of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) traveled to Fort Collins to talk about socialism and revolution at the fourth iteration of the No Kings protests. No Kings is an event organized to stand against the Trump agenda and has consistently seen thousands of people taking the streets.

For the first two hours of the protest, Kacey Hicks, an organizer with FRSO, set up a table to speak with the attendees of the No Kings protest. Hicks said, “It’s important for us in Freedom Road, as we’re trying to rapidly grow our organization with a drive for General Membership, to explain to people that now is the best time to come together. We have to fight back against the system that Donald Trump and his lackeys stand for, to make real political gains for the working class in the United States.”

Hicks also encouraged people to vote against ballot measures 134 and 135, initiatives on the Colorado ballot that will strip rights away from transgender youth and adults throughout the state.

In the afternoon, the Fort Collins community took to the streets and marched. Around 500 people showed up, chanting, “This is what democracy looks like!” to voice their opposition around the decisions being made in the White House.

David Stakelin, a community organizer with Fort Collins Against War and member of FRSO stated, “It is crucial that socialists show up to events like No Kings and participate in the mass movement. Avoiding events like No Kings isolates us from the people.”

Stakelin continued, “No Kings provides the perfect opportunity to unite with broad sections of the working class through shared opposition of the disgusting attacks carried out by imperialists like Donald Trump and his administration. Whether we are participating in anti-war demonstrations, labor struggles, student organizing, or movements for Black and Chicano liberation, our responsibility as revolutionaries is to lead, learn from the masses, and connect immediate struggles to the broader fight against monopoly capitalism.”

No Kings events were held in at least 50 cities in Colorado, with up to 80 total locations holding individual rallies in opposition to Trump’s reactionary agenda.

#FortCollinsCO #CO #DenverCO #PeoplesStruggles #FRSO #NoKings

Grand Rapids, MI – On Saturday, October 10, activists from across Michigan came together in Grand Rapids to unite their campaigns to divest from apartheid Israel and discuss the importance of such campaigns to the wider antiwar movement.

“These discussions around strategy and tactics are constantly on an organizer’s mind,” said Anthony Hegarty, the emcee for the panel. “The end goal is to get people moving politically, to build up the mass movements, to transform our society, and to strike blows against our enemies. These are not easy tasks. So how do we get there? What methods do we use? How do we respond to failures and successes? To sum it up, we learn by doing. By hitting the streets and fighting for our demands.”

Daanyal Syed from the Detroit Antiwar Committee told the crowd, “We are beginning to target the city of Detroit pension plan, which, across the separate plans, has a total of $6 billion in investments. At every step along the way we are denied information. So we're beginning with a disclosure campaign. We want to know what the city employees’ pensions are invested in. And if there are investments in Israeli companies, we are going to demand they drop those investments.”

Similarly, Libby Sinn and Nick Young from Grand Rapids spoke on their pension plan divestment campaign:

“There's precedent for this. Grand Rapids divested from apartheid South Africa in the 80s after a campaign forced the city to meet their demands,” explained Sinn. “We want them to repeat what was done in the past.”

Young explained the current day campaign: “Through FOIA requests we found out about a $1 million investment in an Israeli AI firm called N.i.C.E. We want the retirement board to drop this investment and to adopt an ethics statement that'd force them to drop any investments in countries being charged with genocide.”

City employee pensions weren't the only topic of discussion.

Matt Clark from the Michigan Divest Coalition spoke on their past wins and their current campaign.

“The MI Money Out of MIBA campaign wants to end the transfer of public funds to MIBA. And where to start with them? The acronym stands for the Michigan Israel Business Accelerator. They're an organization that promotes Israel's interests in Michigan that has been getting public money since at least 2018. As an organization, 70% of their funds come from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and in turn MIBA gets Israeli companies’ setup in our state.”

Clark continued: “Our demand is for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to terminate MIBA's current $650,000 grant and refuse to award any future contracts, loans, or grants to MIBA.”

All the panelists gave more details on their campaigns, their next steps, their successes and failures, and left the event ready for whatever struggles lay ahead them.

Attendees enjoyed coffee and snacks as the event wrapped up, ending with chants of “Free Free Palestine!” and “Michigan Divest!”

Follow Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids (@palestinesolidarity_gr), the Detroit Antiwar Committee (@detroitantiwar), and Michigan Divest (@michigandivest) to learn more about all their campaigns.

PSGR and DAWC are proud members of the Antiwar Action Network, which can be found online at antiwaractionnetwork.org.

#DetroitMI #MI #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #BDS

Michigan City, IN – Table games dealers and dual rate table games dealers at Blue Chip Casino Hotel Spa voted to join Teamsters Local 135 in a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election held October 16 and 17. The final tally was 30 votes for the union and 18 against. Two challenged ballots were not enough to affect the outcome.

This marks the second time this year that Blue Chip workers have voted to become Teamsters. In late July, the casino's slot attendants and dual rate slot attendants won their own NLRB election by a landslide of 18 to 2, despite a union-busting campaign by management. They began bargaining for a first contract with Blue Chip in late summer, and the dealers now plan to join them at the table. Once they win a contract, Blue Chip will be the first Boyd Gaming property in the country with a Teamsters contract.

The dealers organized for many of the same reasons as the slot attendants. Their issues include wages, health insurance, paid time off, management harassment and racial discrimination.

“Every worker deserves a voice, respect, and the power to make their workplace better,” said Dustin Roach, president of Teamsters Local 135, after the election. “These workers stood together and demanded exactly that. We're proud to welcome them into Local 135, and we're ready to fight alongside them for the contract they deserve.”

Boyd Gaming goes all-in on union-busting, loses again

After its blowout loss in the slot attendants' election, Boyd Gaming came at the table games workers even harder. Management ran one-on-one meetings, small group meetings, and seemingly mandatory captive audience meetings. It also blanketed common areas in the back-of-house with anti-union propaganda posters.

Management also tried a sympathy play. The general manager made an emotional appeal to the dealers, saying he took their organizing personally and begging them to give management another chance. This is a common union-busting tactic meant to make workers feel bad for demanding a decent contract for their labor.

The company also tried to scare workers with misinformation about union dues, strikes, and the supposed riskiness of the collective bargaining process. The dues scare was especially dishonest. In the Teamsters, workers do not pay any dues until they have voted by majority to ratify a first contract.

To run the campaign, Blue Chip brought in outside anti-union consultants. Filings with the U.S. Department of Labor name Rampart Labor Solutions, CRS Labor Relations Solutions, and RoadWarrior Productions. RoadWarrior, run by Florida consultant Russ Brown, is one of the most active union-busting firms in the country. Amazon has paid RoadWarrior $3800 a day per consultant to fight organizing drives from North Carolina to Nevada. Worker advocacy group LaborLab found that RoadWarrior held back federally required disclosures of its pay at one Amazon warehouse until after the election. The firm has also been linked to the right-wing Heritage Foundation.

All of that money couldn't beat the dealers and dual rates' organizing committee. The committee members met with coworkers regularly to keep them updated and to answer questions. Every time the consultants spread a lie, the committee was there with the truth.

With two Teamster units now at Blue Chip, workers across the casino floor are building strength together. The slot attendants are already at the table, and the dealers will soon elect their own bargaining committee and begin drafting contract proposals.

Their message to Boyd Gaming is clear: Blue Chip workers have made their choice twice, and it's time for the company to respect it and bargain a fair contract.

#MichiganCityIN #IN #Labor #BlueChipCasino #Teamsters

Tacoma, WA – For over seven months, Felix Vladimir Ponce Alvarez has been detained at the Northwest Detention Center (NWDC). Felix has lived in Seattle since 2002, where he started his business and raised his family. Pierce County Immigration Alliance (PCIA) is demanding his immediate release from the Northwest Detention Center and calling for an end to the horrific conditions that he is facing during his detention.

As part of the process to gain his citizenship, Felix was obligated by ICE and the DHS to check in with officials monthly. He was fulfilling these legal obligations when he was detained without any clear reason on February 24, 2026. These circumstances leading up to his wrongful detention are not unlike many of the stories behind the status of detained people, where the established legal process for citizenship is instead used as a means for ICE agents to intercept immigrants in order to fill their detention quotas. In Felix’s case, he was already scheduled for another court check-in in March, when his legal process was interrupted without any valid cause.

In the last seven months, Felix has missed family birthdays and graduations. He also grieves the loss of his brother and the repossession of his home since he was unable to make payments on his mortgage while in detention. Felix's family has joined PCIA in protests and in reaching out to Washington state representatives directly to demand his freedom.

During his detention at the NWDC, Felix has been subjected to dire conditions. Inside, people are regularly denied access to medical care and they receive low-quality food that has been reported to have bugs in it. They also receive meals hours late and are given access to water that is cloudy and often has bugs in it.

Felix has not just been fighting for his release, but he has also often spoken out against mistreatment from guards and has frequently supported other people in his unit in detention by translating for the other Spanish speakers. When people speak out against the conditions they are facing, they are often met with repression. That can look like receiving frequent bed checks, getting written up by guards, or even being sent to solitary confinement.

This repression does not stop people from fighting back or speaking out. One of the ways that people protest their conditions at the NWDC is through hunger strikes. As of August, of this year, there have been 20 hunger strikes at the Northwest Detention Center to demand better conditions.

When describing the immigration system, Felix stated, “It is one of the largest human trafficking operations in human history, but it's considered legal.” ICE has ramped up its operations in Pierce County and all across the country, and in turn, so has the NWDC. Transports have significantly increased over the past couple of months. It is estimated that over 500 people have been transported in a single day. The NWDC is also seeking to expand its operations by changing its bed capacity from 1575 to 1635 people. This is despite the city of Tacoma’s current zoning laws, which prohibit its expansion.

“Felix should have never been detained. He shouldn’t have to spend another day in detention facing conditions where he has to fight every day for his basic rights and the rights of others. He should be at home with his family. He should be out here with his community,” stated Sumeet Kaur, a member of the Pierce County Immigration Alliance. “We will not stop fighting until Felix is free. We will not stop fighting until every single person in this detention center is free and it is shut down! We will not stop fighting until there is legalization for all and an end to immigration terror!”

#TacomaWA #WA #ImmigrantRights #ICE #FelixAlvarez

Albert Lea, MN – Fourteen months. That is how long Eliud Jahdiel de la Luz Baéz, a 23-year-old Minnesotan, has been unjustly detained by ICE. On October 18, dozens of protesters organized a noise demonstration outside of the Freeborn County Detention Center to lift the spirits of the detained immigrants and demand the release of Eliud and the tens of thousands of other immigrant detainees from across the United States.

Organizers from the Minnesota Immigrants Movement (MIM) and the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) condemned the targeted violence from ICE and the Trump administration against immigrants and community members. During the demonstration, Eliud’s mother shared her nightmarish experiences over the last 14 months, stating, “All I want is Eliud’s freedom.”

Over the phone, Eliud also reflected on his own experiences in ICE detainment. Coming to the U.S. as a baby, his life here is all that he knows. Despite having current legal status under Deferred Action, ICE wrongfully arrested Eliud with no due process and has kept him in detention for over a year and counting. Eliud’s story is not unique. In Minnesota alone, there are nearly four thousand immigrants currently in ICE detention.

MIRAC member Aizar Cabrera emphasized, “We are here to represent hundreds of thousands of people who cannot speak. Today, we advocate for those who have been terrorized by violence, for those who are humiliated by segregation, for those who still fear tomorrow. Know this, you are not alone!”

MIRAC continues to demand that Governor Tim Walz sign an executive order to declare Minnesota as a sanctuary state. If you are interested in our full demands and would like to sign our petition to urge Walz to listen to the will of his constituents, please visit: miracmn.com/current-campaigns.

#AlbertLeaMN #MN #ImmigrantRights #ICE #MIM #MIRAC #Eliud #TimWalz

Tacoma, WA – On Wednesday, October 14, around 40 people gathered outside the Northwest Detention Center (NWDC) in support of immigrants in detention. Community members rallied for Kuya Desmon, whose final hearing was scheduled for later in the day. “Kuya” is a title of affectionate esteem used in the Philippines. Members of SEIU 6 also came out strong in support of two janitors who were detained on October 3.

“Immigrants rights are workers rights,” said Ceci Hooks, executive board member and security officer of SEIU 6. “When immigrants, workers and janitors and security officers and airport workers are under attack, we all suffer.”

The crowd chanted “Free them all!” and “You are not alone!” while banging on drums in between speeches.

Hooks continued, “The labor movement can hold ICE accountable for the abuse, violation of civil rights, physical violence inflicted on our communities across the country, violation of our due processes, and inhumane conditions they have created at these concentration camps.”

The first speaker of the event was Reverend Alex Booker of Queen Anne Baptist Church, who closed his speech with a prayer before the crowd began chanting again.

“I'm out here to stand in solidarity with those who are facing horrible immigration terror from the Trump administration,” said Christian Tuller, member of SEIU 775.

The recent apprehensions by ICE are part of a reported push from the White House for ICE to arrest at least 2000 people per day. This quota has resulted in an increase of detentions occurring at the NWDC since the summer of 2026.

One of the speakers at the event was Liliana Chumpitasi, a union member of SEIU. Chumpitasi delivered her speech in Spanish, with an interpreter there to translate to English.

“These workers are immigrants who have come to contribute to this country and deserve the same opportunities as everyone else,” said Chumpitasi. “This is affecting the country’s working class, and when these injustices occur, it’s definitely not just the union that needs to step up—everyone needs to show solidarity with them and work to shut down this detention center.”

Voices continued to ring through the streets as attendees chanted, “The people united will never be defeated!” and “El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!” The attendees heard more speeches from groups such as Capybara Collectiva and Tanggol Migrante Movement, who uplifted the stories of Kuya Desmon and Kuya Nestor, who were both kidnapped by ICE in June.

“We're not scared. We're out here fighting and we're going to keep fighting,” said Ari Peel, member of Teamsters 174. “Many of these people who are detained are in unions, and if not in unions, they are almost all workers. This is absolutely a labor fight. We should all show out in solidarity, because our fights are so much stronger when we're together.

“The labor movement has a decisive role in this fight. We need to work together with all the people who are oppressed in this country in order to kind of get what we deserve,” said Tuller.

As the rally wound down, many stayed and waited to hear the results of Desmon’s final hearing. Chants continued, and despite the grim setting, spirits were high. The solidarity between various unions and community activists was strong.

When asked about the future of the movement and Trump’s reign of immigration terror, Naj Ali of SEIU 6 said: “Every kingdom will fall. And every evil will see justice. Whatever corruption and oppression there's been, there will be a day where every soul will come forth and be served what they served to the earth.”

“There are so many people who are starting to understand why they suffer, and are no longer willing to accept it,” said Tuller. “The people are ready.”

#TacomaWA #WA #ImmigrantRights #ICE #Philippines #SEIU #Labor

San Jose, CA – The San Jose district of Freedom Road Socialist Organization has had an explosive first few days of the FRSO General Membership drive, which officially launched on October 15. By October 18, San Jose has already reached 28% of their district goal for the entire month-long drive.

FRSO San Jose began the first week of the drive with near-daily tabling sessions, sometimes tabling twice on the same day in different locations throughout the community. Their most successful tabling experience was at the No Kings protest in downtown San Jose on Saturday, October 17, where they received over a third of their total sign-ups so far.

As protest attendees walked past the table, FRSO members caught their attention by saying, “Hello! Are you interested in socialism?”

A majority of protesters responded favorably, and FRSO members continued the conversation by telling them about FRSO’s work and strategy, as well as asking them to sign up as General Members.

“We're Freedom Road Socialist Organization. We build the people's movements around immigrant rights, police crimes, labor unions, anti-war, students, women and more,” stated FRSO member Drusie Kazanova to a No Kings protester. “We're trying to build a serious revolutionary movement that can overthrow capitalism once and for all and create a government that works for the people instead of the billionaires.”

“We’re building a broad base of support from revolutionary-minded people,” continued Kazanova. “Would you like to join us by signing up as a General Member?”

FRSO members then helped people sign up on a laptop right there at the FRSO table. No Kings protesters could also purchase literature at the table, including FRSO pamphlets and programs, as well as a diverse array of over two dozen titles, from classics like Marx and Lenin to more recent publications from Carlos Martinez and Frank Chapman.

FRSO San Jose plans to carry this momentum forward into the rest of the drive, continuing their ambitious schedule of 30 tabling sessions in 30 days. They plan to particularly emphasize tabling at protests, as these tabling sessions have proven to be the most successful so far.

For week two of the drive, FRSO San Jose will be holding the following tabling sessions: Monday, October 19, from noon to 2 p.m. at San Jose State University; Monday, October 19, from 5 to 7 p.m. in front of Gilroy City Hall; Tuesday, October 20, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the intersection of Story & King in San Jose; Wednesday, October 21, from noon until 2 p.m. at San Jose State University; Thursday, October 22, from 6 to 8 p.m. near the intersection of Alum Rock and 33rd in San Jose; Friday, October 23, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. with the South Bay Banner 4 Palestine group on a freeway overpass in the South Bay (direct message @southbaybanner4palestine on Instagram to receive the specific location); and Saturday, October 24, from 4 to 7:30 p.m. at the San Jose Tonatuih Brown Berets and Mujeres de Aztlan Collective Fundraiser at Backesto Park in San Jose.

#SanJoseCA #CA #FSRO #PeoplesStruggles

Tampa, FL – On the evening of Monday, October 12, activists from Tampa Immigrants Rights Committee (TampaIRC) held a press conference with the family of Adelaido Chavez Mariano, a Tampa Bay husband, father and Mexican immigrant, to demand transparency and justice following his brutalization and abduction.

Present were community members, Adelaido’s son Gandi Chavez, daughter Lizette Chavez and activists with TampaIRC and the Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (TAARPR). The press conference served as a way to get Adelaido’s family’s demands and the truth of his story out to the public.

TampaIRC member Yunqing Zheng spoke about the day that Adelaido was arrested and the brutality that he faced during that arrest. Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) Deputy Ryan Fisher delivered multiple blows to Adelaido’s head that resulted in a hematoma, which Adelaido’s daughter, Lizette, a medical assistant, was able to recognize.

Adelaido was denied medical care at the scene of the arrest, with the police turning away the emergency medical technicians, and was subsequently denied care in Falkenburg Road Jail. He was left visibly bruised, bleeding, unable to stand, and, in an effort to isolate him from his family, placed under a suicide watch, despite having no previous suicidal ideation.

Adelaido was then abducted by ICE and taken to the notorious “Deportation Depot” of Baker Correctional Institute, outside Jacksonville, where he was further denied care.

On October 2, Adelaido was bonded out by his family after being separated from them for two months.

It was revealed at the press conference that Hillsborough County Chief Deputy Joseph Mauer called Lizette several times during the workday and visited her residence. When she returned his call, he disclosed he was calling her on his personal phone, insisted they meet in person, and that she disclose her father’s location. When Lizette declined to disclose her father’s whereabouts, he threatened that he “can make arrangements to find out where he is.”

Gandi discussed the many inconsistencies in HCSO’s story, including whether the arresting officers’ body cameras were turned on, where the body cameras were during the arrest, how Adelaido was brutalized, and to the fact that arresting officer Deputy Ryan Fisher had his gun drawn on Adelaido when he approached him. Gandi stated, “We’re calling for a complete explanation and disclosure of the relevant evidence.”

Lizette Chavez, drawing on her medical background, discussed the obvious injuries that her father suffered that day that she could observe from video footage and the medical documents that she acquired after repeatedly requesting them from Falkenburg Road Jail. She explained how these injuries could be debilitating and life changing, given how they were unaddressed for a prolonged period. Describing Hillsborough Fire Rescue’s clearing of her father for booking, Lizette stated, “This is concerning, as the booking image presents a noticeable trauma to the head, and the statement in Officer Fisher’s preliminary report verbatim states using closed fist strikes – with an ‘s’ at the end.”

Both Lizette and Gandi also related the enormous amount of work that they have done to get their father’s records released, and to demand his release from ICE custody.

TampaIRC member Erain Boxtha placed Adelaido’s arrest in the context of the sweeps of arrests that have been taking place in recent months all across the country, in Trump’s effort to deport millions during his term. In August, ICE arrested over 50,000 people, setting a new record for immigration arrests in one month.

Owing to how obvious a case of police brutality this was, Laura Rodriguez of TAARPR spoke about other instances of HCSO misconduct and brutality, as in the cases of Jamel Daniels and Sandra Zikry, as well as Pastor Carl Soto, with HCSO’s brutalization of Zikry and Soto leaving them with permanent physical conditions.

The family and all attendees were united behind the family’s demands, among them releasing all digital media relating to Adelaido’s arrest, firing and charging the arresting officers, and closing Baker Correctional Institute. The plan to keep pressure on HCSO until these demands are met.

#TampaFL #FL #InJusticeSystem #TIRC #TAARPR #ImmigrantRights

New York, NY – A group of eight activists attended the October 15 arraignment of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores in a show of support for the kidnapped Venezuelan leaders. The activists included representatives of the Anti-War Action Network, Freedom Road Socialist Organization and leaders of the New York City Latin American community.

At the hearing, President Maduro and Cilia Flores both entered the courtroom with chains shackled to their feet. Maduro waved to the crowd watching the trial, knowing a plurality of the crowd were U.S. federal agents and escualidos who supported his kidnapping and U.S. invasion.

The judge presiding over their case, Alvin Hellerstein, who is 92 years old, struggled to sit on his chair and to even read aloud the new charges of terrorism. Maduro and Flores confidently declared their innocence – claiming these charges as completely false and bogus.

Although the court documents do not name the alleged victims who are cited throughout the indictment, the descriptions given match some well-known figures who have worked to undermine the Maduro government. The person identified as “Official-3” matches the description of ex-General Raúl Baduel, arrested in 2017 along with two co-conspirators in a plot to massacre civilians at a political rally and blame the government in order to destabilize the Maduro administration. “Victim-3” matches far-right leader Leopoldo López, who attempted to organize coups against the Venezuelan government in 2002, 2014 and 2019. Finally, “Victim-7” matches Osman Khan, an American citizen who, since his release in 2022, has built a career speaking for pro-regime-change think tanks like the Atlantic Council.

One of the activists in attendance at Thursday’s arraignment, Ebtesham Ahmed of the Freedom Road Socialist Organizations, traveled to Venezuela for the International People’s Assembly for Sovereignty and Peace of our Americas in December 2025, shortly before the U.S. kidnapped Maduro and Flores in an illegal raid on January 3, 2026.

“When I was in Venezuela, I talked to people there from all different sectors – from students to workers to indigenous people and more – all of them demanded the U.S. respect their sovereignty and to take its hands off their country!” said Ahmed.

Lucy Pagoada-Quesada, a Honduran activist living in the U.S. and a retired NYC teacher added, “The case of the U.S. government against the constitutional President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro Moros and the First Lady Cilia Flores has no legal grounds. It’s a clear case of lawfare, judicialization of politics. It’s a political case that has two major reasons: To take over Venezuelan oil and other natural resources and to destroy the Venezuelan Bolivarian Revolution. The kidnapping of a president violates all international law, U.S. law and Venezuelan law. We, as taxpayers, cannot allow the government to perpetrate this or any other illegality or violation of the law.”

The activists reiterated their demand that the U.S. government drop the charges against Maduro and Flores and return the President and First Lady to Venezuela. They also shared that a New York City-based coalition of progressive organizations opposed to U.S. intervention abroad plans to rally outside the next hearing, scheduled for December 17, when Judge Alvin Hellerstein will hear oral arguments on the motion to dismiss the charges.

#NewYorkNY #NY #International #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #Venezuela #AntiWarMovement #Maduro

Grand Rapids, MI – The Grand Rapids Coalition Against Trump joined hundreds of people in the October 17 No Kings Day rally. The coalition showed up as a contingent at 10:30 a.m. to lead chants against the Trump administration. Activists shouted, “Get Trump out!”

The main focus of the contingent was to speak on the attacks Trump has launched against working-class people at home and abroad. Signs read “Fight Trump's agenda” and “End Trump's war on Iran.”

The Grand Rapids Coalition Against Trump is made up of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, IATSE Local 26.

Programming for the rest of the event began at 11:30. A local band opened the rally with some live blues music, as Kent County Indivisible urged people to cast an early ballot. A speaker from UCC Powerfund stated, “There’s so much happening to us, to our neighbors and around us, but we know history has shown us that when people rise, guess what y’all? Kingdoms fall and so do oppressive systems.”

After the speeches, The Coalition Against Trump continued its chants to an energetic crowd that began to march. Hundreds of people then took to streets, chanting for an end to Trump's attacks.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #PeoplesStruggles #Trump #NoKings