Charleston, SC – On September 8, community members mobilized to the Charleston City Council meeting demanding a repeal of the repressive First Amendment Demonstration Ordinance (1A) and to drop the charges against Lowcountry Action Committee member Matt Colburn, who was charged under the ordinance in June 2025 and has yet to receive his day in court. 

17 people signed up for the public comment section to speak, but were only allowed one minute each, rather than the customary two minutes.

“The 1A ordinance hinders student gathering and activism on campus and in the city of Charleston,” said College of Charleston senior and Lowcountry Action Committee member Izzy Waldner. “Having an ordinance where people can go to jail for protesting is unfair and doesn't lead to safer protest.” 

Charleston Democratic Socialist of America member Mike Jones said, “It's inappropriate that law enforcement is involved in political speech and in regulating and requiring permission for First Amendment protected activity,” referring to a part of the ordinance which gives Charleston police the power to shut down an event, permitted or otherwise, if they deem it jeopardizes public safety. 

The Charleston City Council Safety Committee met for 30 minutes a week before to discuss the ordinance and potential “modifications” to it but rejected a full appeal. The committee cited that the ordinance was constitutional and balanced free speech with public safety, but organizers and activists reject this. They see the inference in ongoing court cases and discussions on modifications as indicators that the city of Charleston is not confident in their ordinances' validity.

“We know the reason you don't want these cases to go to trial is because you can't defend it in court,” said Lowcountry Action Committee member Matt Colburn. “The only reason you're even discussing modifications is the pressure being put on you by the people. But we don't need modifications, we need it repealed. Ordinances and police don't keep us safe. Police are the main instigators of violence at protests,” he asserted. 

After the public comments, the mayor briefly addressed speakers that the ordinance was being “edited” and those edits would be discussed at the next public safety committee meeting. Despite this, organizers say they will continue to push for a full repeal even if it's modified. “As long as the ordinance is on the books, we would love to see the threat of arrest removed, but our ultimate demand is that this ordinance be repealed,” said Erica Veal, co-founder of the Lowcountry Action Committee. 

The city of Charleston's Public Safety Committee is currently editing the ordinance and is set to meet on September 15 to discuss these edits. According to Veal, “Police don't make protests safer. Charleston police violently arrested protesters at an immigrant rights demonstration last year and these have a chilling effect on our rights. Until these bogus charges are dropped and the ordinance repealed, we'll continue to organize against it.”

#CharlestonSC #SC #PeoplesStruggles #FreeSpeech #LowcountryActionCommittee

North Charleston, SC – On Tuesday, September 8, over 20 community members joined the Elbit Out of South Carolina (EOSC) coalition’s picket of a Charleston County Council meeting to demand a cancellation of the tax breaks given to Elbit Systems.

Outside of the public services building, participants filled the plaza with signs linking Council Chair Joe Boykin to the body’s failure to end the tax breaks and chanted “Boykin, Boykin your hands are red, over five hundred thousand Palestinians dead!” and “County council you will see, we’ll kick Elbit out of SC!”

The picket was seen as an escalation of anti-war activists' efforts to compel the council to end the Fee in Lieu of Tax (FILOT) agreement with the Israeli weapons manufacturer, through meetings with councilmembers and public comment speakouts.

Two EOSC organizers also used the public comment period of the meeting to again demand an end to the FILOT, call attention to the picket happening outside, and read messages written by Boykin’s constituents who signed EOSC’s petition demanding an end to the tax breaks.

“In the almost five years since the FILOT was signed, our public schools have lost hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars as a direct result of your action,” stated Zach Hall, EOSC organizer and member of Charleston Democratic Socialists of America. “At the same time, Elbit has made bomb bodies and howitzer cannons in Ladson that it sells to commit war crimes and genocide. This is a losing deal for working-class people in Charleston and working-class people around the world.”

The combined picket and public comment drew the attention of many council members who remarked on the anti-war activists' presence. Most notably, Boykin, who had previously missed an EOSC community meeting in his district because of a lobbying trip to Israel, noted there are two-sides to every story and that “it’s not a role for county council to involve itself in. We are here to serve the citizens of Charleston County and govern accordingly.”

Attendees of the picket listening in through the council’s live stream laughed at Boykin’s closing remarks.

“It’s amazing that after two years of organizing at county council that councilmembers can still peddle the lie that the FILOT is serving Charleston County,” remarked Nate Hubler, an EOSC organizer and member of the Lowcountry Action Committee (LAC). “It's obvious that defunding Charleston’s public school system of millions of dollars doesn’t serve the citizens of Charleston County.”

The picket continued for another hour after the council meeting ended. “We wanted to make sure every single council member had to walk by the picket and make the choice to either ignore us or engage with their constituents,” said Matt Colburn, a member of LAC.

Boykin, almost an hour after the meeting concluded, was the final councilmember to leave the public services building. He was escorted to his car by multiple police officers and refused to make eye contact as the crowd chanted, “Boykin, Boykin you can’t hide! You’re supporting genocide!”

#CharlestonSC #SC #AntiWarMovement #BDS #ElbitSystems

New York City, NY – On the evening of September 9, organizers from the New York Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression organized a speakout at city hall to protest a spike in killings by the NYPD. In less than a week, officers gunned Pamela Cisneros in Times Square and Chaun Bottom on the Brooklyn Bridge. The NYPD has shot and killed eight people so far in 2026, after a record high of 13 shot and killed in 2025.

The speakout began with chants of “Justice for Chaun Bottom” and “When Black lives are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!”

Almost immediately, two officers from the NYPD Community Affairs Bureau ordered organizers to stop using amplified sound, threatening to confiscate equipment and issue summons. Along with a beat cop and two plainclothes officers, police remained nearby, blocking access to a Citi Bike station. The New York Alliance continued to chant and speak out, drawing a crowd at City Hall Park.

The speakout identified a pattern of justification for unilateral violence by police; for both Cisneros and Bottom, the NYPD described them posthumously as mentally unwell.

Ruby Doswell, speaking for the New York Alliance, said that the NYPD pushes forward the narrative that officers had no choice but to use deadly force, but then “delays or refuses to release body cam footage and keeps the investigation internal.”

In many cases, the family and loved ones of those shot by police dispute the NYPD narrative. The Daily News reported that Chaun Bottom’s mother was shocked to hear the NYPD’s description of her son, given he had no history of mental health struggles.

The NYPD has been consistent in its approach to control the narrative around people they shoot and kill. They refuse to identify the deceased or release body camera footage. The Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Public Information (DCPI) stages a press conference with a prepared statement that blames the deceased and uses consistent language to paint them as dangerous. When police are found later to have lied, there are rarely consequences.

The New York Alliance was joined by organizers from We The People NYC, a mutual aid collective based in Harlem and Bed-Stuy. Relly Rebel, speaking on behalf of We the People, called out city hall’s meek response to police misconduct, saying, “They are playing in our faces.”

No matter the party affiliation of the mayor or city council members, the police have remained one of the most powerful political forces in the city. The NYPD has brutalized and murdered Black and brown New Yorkers under every administration since its founding.

Daniel Koh of the New York Alliance described the NYPD as “a powerful enemy, one that we have seen city hall and the mayor’s office hesitate to stand up to. But the people will hold Mayor Mamdani accountable to his campaign promises about public safety!”

The New York Alliance will continue to fight for community control of the police, which would elect a community board with full authority to determine rules, budget, and discipline of corrupt and killer cops.

#NewYorkNY #NY #InjusticeSystem #KillerCop #NYPD #NYAARPR #ChaunBottom

Jacksonville, FL – On Tuesday, August 8, community members of the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network (JPSN) mobilized to Jacksonville City Council to demand the Police and Fire Pension Fund Board of Trustees not reinvest into TEVA Pharmaceuticals and divest its investment portfolios from Israel and Israeli companies.

TEVA Pharmaceuticals is a predatory company that helped fuel the fentanyl crisis, and it functions as an economic and societal pillar of the genocidal, war-mongering state of Israel. Despite the Jacksonville’s Police and Fire Pension Fund (PFPF) being in a 45% underfunded state of crisis, it currently has $200 million invested in Israeli bonds with $2 million invested into TEVA Pharmaceutical junk bonds specifically, one of which is up for renewal on October 1, less than a month away.

The press conference at the start of the mobilization served as the official launch of the new campaign, detailing reasons for the community and the PFPF board to act with urgency on the matter of divestment.

JPSN’s press representative stated, “While everyday Jacksonville residents are struggling to afford basic medical care, in just the past decade, Teva has been found guilty in multiple lawsuits, settling for billions of dollars for fraudulence and drug price fixing.”

Public comment from community members echoed shared sentiments of struggling to afford basic needs and advocated for better funding for social programs. One speaker stated, “The $2 million invested into TEVA could provide 20 million meals, according to Feeding America, for Jacksonville families that have recently experienced a lapse in SNAP benefits.”

Speakers presented the case that investments in companies like TEVA are a root cause of skyrocketing city debt that diverts funds from the community.

Immediately after the mobilization, members of JPSN conversed with Jacksonville residents and found unity on the demands that our tax dollars should benefit the people of Jacksonville, not an Israeli foreign corporate entity, that repeatedly breaks U.S. laws, actively chooses to harm our communities, drains local resources, and perpetuates the genocide of the Palestinian people.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #AntiWarMovement #BDS #Palestine #TevaPharmaceuticals

Chicago, IL – On Wednesday, September 2, Teamsters Local 700 voted to approve a two-year contract with the Forest Preserves of Cook County. The final vote was a close 88 to 82. The strike lasted for two weeks before the administration gave into some of the demands of the workers.

The strike had come after a year of failed negotiations. Rank-and-file workers organized their own committee, Forest Preserves Teamsters United, which led the bargaining unit in voting down four tentative agreements. After two periods of contract extensions, the workers voted to strike. It was the first time the workers at the forest preserves had ever gone on strike. Many had never attended a picket line before. Despite the lack of experience, the workers were steadfast, frequently marching through the county building in downtown Chicago as a show of force.

The final contract has several improvements won by the strike. Overtime on the sixth and seventh day is now guaranteed. The mandatory weekend work, widely despised by resource management workers, will be reduced by 50%. Seniority will be respected for bidding on scheduling in landscape maintenance. However, no movement was made on the wage schedule.

Brannon Curtis-Wittenberg, a senior resource technician with the Forest Preserves, said the workers were “asking for fair wages compared to non-union employees. Our current step raises are about a tenth of what the non-union makes.”

For example, under the current wage schedule, a laborer in landscape maintenance receives just $1.78 in raises over nine years, with some annual step increases as small as 12 cents an hour. This is despite the recent $4.8 million budget increase due to a new allocation of tax money to the Forest Preserves.

Cal Filkin, a resource technician, commented on the main victory of the strike, saying, “Even if we didn’t achieve the economic changes to the contract that we needed, we’re not going back to work, tail between our legs. I believe the most consequential achievement is the changes we’ve affected in our members through this struggle: we self-organized across 20 work locations; we’ve empowered ourselves to stand up and fight; and we’ve proved to ourselves that we can fight and we can win. Nine months ago, we had none of that. Now, heading back into negotiations next year, we have a very credible strike threat.”

David Yokley, who works as a landscaper, said there was still work to do. “Going forward, we got a few small concessions, but gains nonetheless. But this is just the beginning. Negotiations begin soon, so we don’t have a lot of time to take a break. We're mobilizing right now, keeping people energized.”

When asked what his message to other union members was, Curtis-Wittenberg said, “Stay strong, talk to your coworkers. If your union is not as organized as you would like it to be, make it organized. It is your union.”

#ChicagoIL #IL #Labor #Teamsters #Strike #TeamstersLocal700 #Featured

Portland, OR – On September 1, activists demanding the closure of the Portland ICE facility were attacked by right-wing reactionaries.

Protesters held a press conference before a hearing at Multnomah County Court. The landlord of the ICE facility is demanding Multnomah County overturn a land use violation issued against the facility last year. He argues the city is biased against ICE. The violation was for detaining immigrants past a 12-hour limit.

Violent right-wing extremist Thomas Allen showed up with a group to harass the protest. He is known for physically assaulting activists, particularly women. He attempted to push his way into the protest. Activist Holly Brown stepped in front of him, using a plastic lid of a storage bin as a shield.

Allen responded by calling Brown a slur and violently shoving her to the ground. He pushed her so hard she hit her head against a concrete pillar behind her.

Multnomah County Sheriffs came out of the court and formed a line protecting Allen. He was not arrested.

Portland Contra Las Deportaciones (PDXCD) held the press conference. Last May, Allen came to another protest put on by the PDXCD and was physical with protesters. Immigrant rights activist Samantha Ibarra used pepper spray to defend herself. She was immediately arrested.

“There is a difference in how immigrant rights protesters and right-wing agitators are treated in Portland,” stated Brown, “The police and district attorney must take action against Allen.”

Brown filed a police report. This is the second police report she filed against Allen in the last year. In March 2026 she filed another report after Allen pepper sprayed her at another protest. As of this article, Allen faces no charges.

Despite the attacks, the press conference continued. Two news stations showed up. Activists chanted, “Revoke the permit,” referring to the permit that allows the ICE detention facility to operate.

At 1 p.m. PDXCD members packed the court, filling the room. The proceedings lasted ten minutes. No decision was made, and another hearing was scheduled for November 20.

“The courts are being used to stall enforcement of the law against ICE,” said Beatriz Ibarra, an organizer with PDXCD. “This process is needlessly complicated. It shouldn’t be this hard to shut down a concentration camp.”

Protesters caught the judge overseeing the case as he left the courthouse. They followed Judge Steffan Alexander, demanding answers as to why he is not ruling against the ICE facility.

Judge Alexander refused to answer questions and police escorted him into another courthouse.

Portland Contra Las Deportaciones plans to continue to demand that the ICE facility be shut down and that Thomas Allen is arrested.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #PDXCD #ICE

Los Angeles, CA – On Monday, September 7, Los Angeles Police Department officers shot a 44-year-old Chicano man named Zimran Canas in Boyle Heights. LAPD claimed Zimran was holding a tree trimming tool and walked towards the police officers. LAPD, like most police departments, is known to lie and try to villainize who they kill in an attempt to cover up their murders.

Centro CSO members mobilized to the area after the shooting in an attempt to talk to family members and neighbors. Some neighbors directly contradict the claims made by LAPD; a witness said they did not see LAPD officers offer any medical attention to Zimran Canas.

This makes it at least 21 Chicanos shot in Boyle Heights by LAPD Hollenbeck Division since 2015, with many of those shot being killed. Centro CSO has been on the ground in Boyle Heights fighting back against police killings, alongside the impacted families.

Derek Mejia, chair of Centro CSO’s Police Accountability Committee, was on the ground, “It’s important for us to be out here connecting with impacted families. We see time and time again that LAPD responds to mental health crises with excessive force, and they immediately get to work creating a narrative that works for them and not the victims or their families. We will continue to demand answers on what happened to Zimran Canas, and we will demand justice alongside the family.”

#LosAngelesCA #CA #InjusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities #KillerCop #Police #CentroCSO #Chicano #ZimranCanas #BoyleHeights #EastLA

Seixal, Portugal – The Avante festival, a huge political-cultural event in Portugal, brought together more than 100,000 people for three days of joyful celebration and revolutionary solidarity from September 4-6.

Avante, which means “forward,” is one of several annual summer festivals in Portugal. But this one has a big difference – it’s organized by the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP). Imagine going to a music festival but everyone calls each other “comrade” and there are red flags, hammers and sickles, keffiyehs and symbols of mass struggle and revolution all around. That’s Avante.

This year was the 50th annual Avante festival; it began in 1976, not long after Portugal’s right wing dictatorship was overthrown and the PCP was unbanned. Avante has continued every year since then.

This year’s Avante featured music by a wide range of over 30 artists on multiple stages, ranging from Portuguese pop star Carolina Deslandes to hip hop/soul artist Carlāo to feminist punk group Anarchicks to a performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. There were also 10 theater performances, nine movies, 27 sports activities, 12 book presentations, dozens of kids’ activities, food highlighting culture from around Portugal and the world, and more than 70 panels and discussions on Portuguese politics and international solidarity.

At Avante, you could spend your whole three days just listening to live music. You could just focus on trying food from different regions of Portugal and from countries around the world. You could spend all three days going to panels featuring communist and progressive speakers on a wide range of political topics. Or you can do all of those things.

At Avante there are booths set up by the PCP’s branches from each region of Portugal, which they decorate with revolutionary murals and where they sell their region’s food and crafts.

The Portuguese Communist Youth (JCP) had their own section at Avante with constant programming for young people, mural painting, food, and a spirited youth march throughout the festival grounds on Sunday.

In the international section, there were communist and workers’ parties from around the world promoting their literature as well as food and crafts from their countries. Particularly noteworthy was the strong presence of revolutionary parties from former Portuguese colonies, like Angola’s MPLA, Guinea Bissau’s PAIGC, Cape Verde’s PAICV, Mozambique’s FRELIMO, as well as Brazil’s Communist Party (PCdoB) and Workers Party (PT). Also present were the Communist Parties of Cuba, Vietnam, China and Laos. Many communist parties were also present from European and Latin American countries.

The massive scope of the festival makes it impossible to attend everything; each person can only take in a fraction of what’s going on. Organizing the festival is a massive undertaking; the PCP and Portuguese Communist Youth (JCP) and volunteers from across the country worked for months to plan and set everything up for the festival.

People pour in from all over Portugal on chartered buses, public trains and buses, and cars. Some people also come from Spain and other European countries that aren’t too far from Portugal. For people who can’t afford the cost of hotels or who like to camp, the PCP provides a sprawling campground for people to set up tents during the festival. The campgrounds were packed, with mostly young people.

International solidarity was a huge theme at Avante this year, with a particularly sharp focus on solidarity with Cuba and Palestine. Throughout the weekend, many performers and speakers denounced U.S. imperialism’s devastating blockade on Cuba and expressed deep solidarity with the Cuban government and people. Cuba’s leader Miguel Diaz-Canel sent a solidarity video message that was shown during Avante’s closing rally on Sunday evening, where he firmly stated Cuba’s preparedness to resist U.S. imperialism, and he also expressed gratitude for the solidarity they receive from the PCP and the people of Portugal. The crowd roared its approval at the end of the speech.

Palestine solidarity was also a big theme this year. Palestinian flags and keffiyehs were everywhere, and many performers and panelists emphasized the need to continue and deepen solidarity with the Palestinian liberation struggle.

At the closing rally of the festival, PCP Secretary General Paolo Raimundo spoke to a sea of people waving red flags, saying, “We are here for the good of humanity, alongside all of you, for the revolutionary overcoming of capitalism – the great necessity of our time. Here we stand, confronting the beast of war and the capitalist system that promotes and feeds upon it – that system of exploitation, oppression, aggression, hunger, misery, corruption, fascism, and environmental destruction...Respond through the daily struggle, just as you do in this festival that’s yours; transform that dream into reality, and take into your hands this new world that is waiting to be won.”

The closing rally was closed out by singing the Internationale and the crowd joyfully dancing to Carvalhesa, the theme song for the Avante festival.

The wide range of performers and artists and the huge turnout to an explicitly communist festival make it clear that the Portuguese Communist Party is a major cultural and political force in the country.

#SeixalPortugal #Portugal #International #AvanteFestival #PortugueseCommunistParty

San Jose, CA – On September 7, around 150 workers and their allies gathered at San Jose City Hall for a Labor Day rally and march. Organized by the San Jose May Day Coalition, the theme of the action was “Labor Fights Back,” and the program highlighted local unions that are waging ongoing campaigns and contract negotiations.

Unions represented at the protest included the Santa Clara County Association of County Educators (ACE), Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 265, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) Local 21, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Locals 2015, 1021, and 521, and the South Bay Labor Council which represents over 110 different unions.

The program was emceed by Megan Sweet, rank-and-file member of ATU 265, and Riju Krishna, president of ACE.

Jean Cohen, Executive director of the South Bay Labor Council, stated, “Right now in the South Bay, in the Bay Area, in California, billionaires are taking over. And we’re not going to let them, because the blood of the labor movement is organizing.” Cohen continued, “There’s more than enough to pay people a decent wage, to ensure that we have a seat at the table to talk about AI and the future of work.”

“Whether it’s ATU or the Teamsters or the teachers or the nurses,” Cohen continued, “our fight is righteous and our fight is going to be what makes San Jose and Silicon Valley where anybody can live.”

IFPTE Local 21 is in a union coalition with AFSCME Local 101, representing over 4500 San Jose City workers. This coalition has been bargaining with the city since February and working without a contract for over two months. Krista de la Torre of IFPTE Local 21 stated, “When the city doesn’t adequately invest in its workforce, it impacts more than just the workers, it impacts the residents, it impacts the services our entire community depends on.”

De la Torrie continued, “At the bargaining table right now we are fighting for strong AI guardrails that project jobs and ensure human oversight of public services. We’re fighting for sound retirement benefits and protections against privatization and contracting out, because public services should remain public, accountable, and affordable to all of you.”

“A few weeks ago, our coalition of 4500 city workers held a strike authorization vote, and an overwhelming 97% voted yes,” continued de la Torre. “As we continue fighting for a fair contract, we are asking for our community to stand behind us. Because our working conditions are your service conditions, and our fight to protect public jobs is a fight to protect public services.”

Riju Krishna, president of ACE, stated, “We are fighting for more than a paycheck – we are fighting for dignity, for respect, for safe workplaces, and most importantly, the right to raise our families with hope.”

Krishna continued, “When they try to divide us by our jobs, our language, our race, our immigration status, or where we come from, what do we do? We stand closer together, because an injury to one is an injury to all!”

After the program, the crowd marched through the streets of downtown San Jose, holding signs saying, “We support city workers,” “Union strong,” and “Fight for workers’ and immigrants’ rights.” As passing cars honked in solidarity, protesters chanted, “When workers are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” and “Worker power!”

As the action closed, the emcees encouraged attendees to join the San Jose May Day Coalition to get involved in organizing future labor movement protests.

#SanJoseCA #CA #Labor #LaborDay #SEIU #ATU #IFPTE #AFSCME #Teamsters

Minneapolis, MN – On Saturday, September 5, over 50 people converged on Minneapolis’s urban lakes to pressure Minnesota’s presumptive governor Amy Klobuchar to take a stand against sulfide mining. While the majority of those assembled took to canoes and kayaks, another contingent marched alongside the flotilla on the lakeshore.

Chants of “Hey hey! Ho ho! Sulfide mining has got to go!” and “Water is life!” could be heard across the water as the protesters navigated the chain of lakes in vessels bearing flags with slogans such as “Defend MN waters” and “No sulfide mining.”

Several weeks before, Minnesota's current governor, Tim Walz issued executive order 26-10, prohibiting non-ferrous mining in the Rainy River watershed, which feeds into the Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Area, and, ultimately, into Hudson Bay. This measure was welcomed by many, after the April repeal of a federal mining ban in the area. Those assembled Saturday, however, felt the executive order did not do enough to protect the wetlands, which are dear to the hearts of many Minnesotans.

The protesters expressed concern that Walz’s order would not be followed up by action from the incoming legislature, nor from Amy Klobuchar, who is widely expected to win her gubernatorial bid this fall. Furthermore, the executive order leaves open the possibility of sulfide mining in Minnesota's other 79 watersheds, such as the Lake Superior and Mississippi River basins. Of additional concern was Klobuchar’s position on sulfide mining, which remains unclear as she has yet to take a stance on the environmentally destructive practice.

Despite Klobuchar's recent insistence that further studies need to be done to confirm whether sulfide mining can be done safely, to date not one sulfide mining operation has taken place without polluting the land with toxic runoff. With sulfide mining, the remains left by the extraction process turn into toxic liquids such as sulfuric acid when exposed to air and water, even in relatively arid landscapes. When left exposed in a wetland, the damage is likely to be thorough and immediate, threatening natural habitats and drinking water for human populations.

Speaking for the Climate Justice Committee, Ben Sullivan-McKone stated, “In a city named after water, in a state named after water, we take having fresh water for granted. The watersheds in Minnesota are upstream of everywhere from the Mississippi River to Hudson Bay. If Minnesota's watersheds are polluted, it will have effects across the country.”

Sullivan-McKone continued, “If we don't fight to protect our fresh water, we very well may have to face a future where that is not a possibility anymore.”

Minneapolis’ urban lake system is a popular recreation destination for canoe enthusiasts who value the of Boundary Waters. Conversations were had between protesters and the general public, many of whom had previously assumed Walz’s executive order had offered the embattled wetlands a greater measure of protection.

The highly visible protest was organized by the Climate Justice Committee and joined by other local groups such as Save the Boundary Waters, Friends of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and Minnesota 50501. Despite the gravity of the situation, the mood on the water was jubilant, and many of the attendees expressed a desire to see similar actions in the future, as “our waters are constantly under attack,” as one attendee put it.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #Environment #BoundaryWaters #ClimateJusticeCommittee #SulfideMining

Minneapolis, MN – On August 30, T-Mobile and AT&T disclosed that they had sent the phone records of several Twin Cities activists to ICE and Homeland Security Investigations agents after receiving a summons filed by Homeland Security on April 12, 2026. These included the telecommunications data of Jess Sundin, Steff Yorek and other anti-ICE and anti-war activists, such records for the phone line for Minnesota Council for American-Islamic Relations.

T-Mobile and AT&T complied with the summons even though none of the three were charged with any criminal charges, nor were they notified or asked to consent to such disclosures. Given the fraudulent nature of the summons, other companies, such as Google, declined to disclose any data.

These summons came as part of an ongoing federal investigation of the activists who protested on January 18 in Saint Paul against the preacher in Cities Church, David Easterwood, who is the acting field office director for Enforcement and Removal Operations, known as ERO St. Paul. 39 Minnesota activists, including Black community activists Monique Cullars-Doty and Nekima Levy Armstrong, were arrested in connection to this action, along with the high-profile journalists Georgia Fort and Don Lemon.

Sundin and Yorek are anti-war activists whose record of international solidarity activism goes back decades. They were included in FBI raids in 2010 and subsequent subpoenas to a grand jury, with which they refused to comply. They were not present at nor involved with the planning of the Cities Church protest. The Minnesota Council for American-Islamic Relations phone line also lacks any discernible connection to the Cities Church action.

One important aspect of the summons is that they are not court-issued search warrants. Listed on the summons as one of the recipients of the data is HSI Special Agent Timothy Gerber, who worked for the IRS before moving over to ICE in 2026. He attempted, first in February 2026 and then again in March 2026, to secure search warrants to seize electronic data for five defendants in the Cities Church case but was struck down by Judge John Docherty for failure to establish probable cause. Twice.

Since then, Gerber, Grayson Cooper and Special Agent Steven Schrank have resorted to ICE summons to retrieve this data. The summons cites a law that mandates the disclosure of data related to fees paid to customs and other customs business. The City Church investigation is not related to this at all. The ICE summons has received widespread disdain from lawyers and civil liberties organizations.

These summons come as the next step in the saga of political repression launched against anti-ICE activists in the Twin Cities. Apart from the Cities Church protest, 15 anti-ICE protesters, known now as the Minnesota 15, have been indicted on bogus federal charges and face up to over a decade in prison for their activism at the federal Whipple Building in Minneapolis. The charges include felony conspiracy to impede a federal officer, assault of a federal officer, interstate stalking, interstate threats, and more.

In spite of protests involving over 100,000 people over the course of subzero winter months, Jonathan Ross, the ICE agent who killed Renee Good, and Jesus Ochoa and Raymundo Gutierrez, the ICE agents who killed Alex Pretti, are walking free and have not been charged for any crimes.

“Many of the Righteous 39 Cities Church protesters are my friends and movement colleagues,” said Jess Sundin, one of the Anti-War 23 and one of the Twin Cities activists whose phone records were seized. “They are being prosecuted for doing the right thing – standing against ICE's brutal attacks on immigrants. The idea that the government would use a bogus summons to get records of their communications with me is a desperate attempt to make a case out of nothing. Instead of dividing us, or silencing us, the government's actions are only strengthening our solidarity and commitment to keep fighting for justice.”

#MinneapolisMN #MN #ImmigrantRights #PoliticalRepression #ICE #DHS #InjusticeSystem #Featured

Santa Ana, CA – On August 21, members of Community Service Organization, Orange County (CSO OC) joined families whose loved ones were killed by police to demand justice for Victor Lopez. 16 people marched from El Centro Cultural de Mexico carrying signs that demanded, “Justice for Victor Lopez” and “Release all unedited footage.” As marchers passed a soccer game, they drowned out the U.S. national anthem with cries of “What do we want? Justice! And when do we want it? Now!”

Arriving in front of the police department, Emily Lopez, sister of Victor Lopez, said, “He was killed in the parking lot of his home. He was shot three times in front of his one-year-old son and partner. They both watched my brother die and take his last breath. We’re here today to demand the unedited footage, the officer’s name, and we want accountability. We want to prevent this from happening to another family.”

Earlier this year Santa Ana PD released a so-called “Community Briefing” that included partial bodycam footage of the officer who killed Victor Lopez. Police have claimed that Lopez was reaching for a gun that was recovered at the scene, but that is not visible in the footage. Instead, we can see the officer immediately drawing his gun on Lopez, who approached the officer with his hands up before turning around to lie on the ground. Seconds later the officer claimed Lopez was reaching for a gun and shot him to death.

The public has a right to be skeptical of these claims, since Santa Ana PD has a history of lying to justify their brutality and killings. For example, in 2024 officers Luis Casillas and Isaac Ibarra lied about Noe Rodriguez waving around and pointing a shotgun at them to justify shooting almost 30 bullets at an unarmed man holding a toy.

Emily Lopez continued, “My brother was an 18-year-old young man who strived to do better for his family. He was a hard worker who always helped others and put others before himself. He was a funny, outgoing, loving young man who loved making others laugh, and always made sure everyone around him was okay. My brother did not deserve to die the way he did. I demand justice for my brother, Victor Lopez!”

Protesters chanted, “We demand justice! We demand answers! A badge is not a license to kill!”

Pearl Arzola, sister of 19-year-old Chicano Albert Arzola, spoke next, “I lost my brother a month before Victor Lopez passed away, so when I heard about his tragic passing, it really hit home. It’s not fair for us to be grieving. It’s not fair for the Lopez family to be grieving as well. I feel like these cops need to get held accountable and to see what we are going through, and to put them in jail!”

Albert Arzola was killed by Anaheim PD officer Nathan Garcia. Garcia was documented harassing Arzola from a patrol car weeks before December 6, when he chased Arzola towards his home and shot him in the back and neck. Garcia also was involved in the brutal arrest of an unarmed 14-year-old Chicano in 2024.

As protesters demanded justice near the entrance of the department, two officers in a Gang Unit car – vehicle number 920 – slowed down to mock their chants, exposing the cruelty of the police. Protesters followed the vehicle with signs and banners, shouting at the officers until they drove away.

CSO OC member David Pulido spoke last, saying “This is a pattern of racist violence! We saw police steal the lives of teenage Chicanos this year. We saw the killing of 15-year-old Jaden Michaca while he was suffering a mental health crisis. We saw the killing of Victor Lopez, a young, 18-year-old father. We have work to do! We have to get organized, and we are the ones responsible for bringing these officers to justice. That is why we fight for community control of the police. We have a basic, democratic right to decide on all police matters.”

If you are interested in fighting back against police crimes and working alongside families impacted by police violence, reach out to CSO OC on Instagram, Facebook, or email at orangecountycso@gmail.com

#SantaAnaCA #CA #OrangeCounty #InjusticeSystem #KillerCop #VictorLopez #AlbertArzola #OppressedNationalities #Chicano

New York, NY – 50 activists gathered outside of the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, on Thursday, September 3, to protest the ongoing detention of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores. Attendees represented a broad coalition of New York organizations fighting against U.S. Intervention in Venezuela, including Brooklyn Against War, Workers World Party, Black Alliance for Peace, Venceremos Brigade, and the Venezuela Solidarity Network.

Attendees held signs demanding freedom for the kidnapped Venezuelan president and first lady and joined in chants like “Free the prisoners, free them all! Free Maduro from these walls!” and “We will say it every time! U.S. sanctions are a crime!”

The protest occurred the day after motions were filed to dismiss the charges against Maduro and Flores. In the motions, the lawyers for Maduro and Flores maintain their innocence of the charges against them and further argue that the couple are immune from prosecution since they are the president and first lady of Venezuela. At the rally, speakers from multiple organizations pointed out that should the charges not be dismissed, this opens the door for the U.S. to pursue similar strategies of illegal imprisonment and prosecution against the leaders of other sovereign nations.

Speaking on behalf of Brooklyn Against War, Briony Smith said, “We know that this prosecution is baseless. We know it’s fabricated. And we know it’s illegal. But we also know that we are up against an administration rank with dangerous absurdity and hypocrisy. So, we’re going to keep fighting, and we’re going to be loud enough that the people of Venezuela can hear us, so that they know that we have not forgotten them, that we have not turned our backs on them, and that we will keep fighting until President Maduro and First Lady Flores are free!”

Protesters will return to the MDC on October 3, at 2 p.m. as part of the Anti-War Action Network’s National Day of Action against U.S. Intervention in Venezuela. The activists also vowed to rally outside the federal courthouse in Manhattan in support of Maduro and Flores on November 17, when the court will hear oral arguments to dismiss the charges.

#NewYorkNY #NY #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #Maduro #CiliaFlores

Jacksonville, FL – On the evening of September 3, at Memorial Park, dozens gathered for Asia Bennett’s vigil.

The gathering was held in memory of Asia Bennett, 22, who was fatally shot by Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Deputies (JSO) on August 11, 2026. Bennett was a victim of domestic violence, and she needed help. JSO instead shot her twice.

Body-worn camera footage was released to the family weeks later. Relatives have since stated that the recording contradicts the official account provided by JSO officials in the days after the incident.

Those close to Bennett describe her as a gentle and kind individual. The vigil drew many families who have experienced similar losses due to police encounters. Representatives from A Mother's Cry, a support organization for mothers who have lost children to police violence, addressed the crowd. Each speaker shared a personal account of loss, and each echoed a consistent sentiment: Bennett posed no threat and should have survived the encounter.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump also attended, offering praise to the ongoing work of the Jacksonville Community Action Committee (JCAC). He pledged to continue pursuing accountability in Bennett's case and emphasized that they would be “focused like a laser until they get justice for Asia.”

Speakers pointed to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office’s growing budget, which has increased in recent cycles despite repeated incidents involving the use of deadly force. The agency has the largest portion of the city’s budget, yet questions persist regarding its ability to respond appropriately to domestic violence calls without resorting to lethal action.

Community advocates have issued a series of demands, including: criminal convictions for the officers involved, rather than administrative reassignment or paid leave; establishment of a civilian-led Public Safety Committee to provide independent oversight of police conduct; creation of a Mental Health Emergency Response Team staffed by professionals trained in de-escalation techniques, and, an end to police violence in Jacksonville, with advocates citing the need to prevent further loss of life.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #InJusticeSystem #JCAC #KillerCops #Featured

New York, NY – On September 4, at Washington Square Park, members of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at NYU rallied to demand, “No ICE on campus!” and “Sanctuary campus now!”

Protesters chanted, “Say it once, say it twice! We will not put up with ICE!” and “When Immigrants are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” People passing by the rally took photos and videos of the action, some staying to listen to speeches or chant along. Many offered support to the protesters. 

Zaara Ahmed, a member of SDS and emcee, began, “We are rallying here today to fight back against the violence perpetrated by ICE across this country every single day,” emphasizing, “Systemic change does not come from one moment or one rally. To see justice, the fight must be continuous. We organize because survival depends on it because silence is not neutrality. Silence is permission.” 

Laynee Jade, a student activist at NYU, spoke about the revocation of Temporary Protected Status for hundreds of thousands of Haitian immigrants. “Right now, there is one bill left that will restore TPS for Haitians and that is Senate Bill S4814. So, call your senator and ask them to vote on it. We can stop the deportation of 350,000 people,” adding, “By the end of this year, Trump will have plans to deport every single group, and it is up to us whether or not we’re going to allow that.”

Ebtesham Ahmed, also with NYU SDS, ended the rally, “People all throughout the country are not taking ICE’s terror sitting down. We are fighting and it has got the folks in the Trump administration shitting their pants. It is a reminder to them that the power of the people is greater than the people in power.” Ahmed also said, “That is why we got to bring that fight here to NYU. Seeing the detentions of students across campuses in the country, it is important that we fight to make sure our community here is safe. That is why we are demanding a sanctuary campus at NYU.”

Protesters chanted to end the rally. Organizers directed protesters to attend SDS’ new members meeting, emphasizing the importance of organizing and fighting back against NYU and the Trump administration.

#NewYorkNY #NY #NYC #NYU #StudentMovement #ImmigrantRights #ICE #SanctuaryCampus

Jacksonville, FL – On September 3, over 20 supporters from around Jacksonville, Florida attended a pro-Venezuela film screening hosted by the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network (JPSN). Attendees watched The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. The documentary is a firsthand account of the failed 2002 CIA coup attempt against elected Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. It was produced by Irish filmmakers Kim Bartley and Donnacha Ó Briain.

After the film, JPSN’s Hands Off Latin America work team chair and recently released political prisoner Conor Cauley led a film discussion and comparison of the 2002 coup to the current situation in Venezuela. One common theme in that discussion was that corporate media continues to be a favorite weapon of Wall Street and the U.S. government.

In 2002, much of the failed coup attempt was done in direct collaboration with the reactionary news outlets inside of Venezuela. They employed false claims of Chavez supporters shooting at protestors. Some of the privately owned news outlets directly collaborated with CIA-aligned traitors inside the Venezuelan military to organize and execute the coup strategy.

Today, some of those same channels, which represent the wealthy right-wing political minority in Venezuela, work with the U.S. to sell the kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduro and Celia Flores to the American people. In tandem, we see U.S. corporate media excluding from their coverage massive pro-Maduro demonstrations in Venezuela. They also give little attention to the growing number of people here in the U.S. who insist President Maduro and First Lady Flores be released. There is little coverage of American opposition calling for Trump to end his so-called “Donroe Doctrine” attacks on Venezuela, or to lift the U.S. sanctions, or to return control of Venezuelan oil.

After the discussion, participants worked together to write letters to Florida Senators Rick Scott and Ashley Moody. The group is writing to reinforce demands being circulated by the Anti-War Action Network (AWAN) to end all U.S. sanctions on Venezuela, unfreeze all Venezuelan assets, and free Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and First Lady Flores.

“Some people might be wondering why we organized this event for Venezuela if we’re a Palestine organization,” said AWAN steering committee member Ryan Delaney, as they recruited attendees at JPSN’s outreach table.

Delaney answered the question, “But JPSN’s analysis is that we aren’t free until everyone is free. That means if we want to fight for Palestine, especially from here in the U.S., that’s a fight against the whole U.S. war machine that makes genocide and Zionist occupation possible. If we want to fight for Palestine, we need to fight for Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, Lebanon, Yemen; we have to fight for everyone else that’s been bound up in the fight against U.S. wars and interventions. So, when a longstanding ally to the Palestinian cause like President Nicolas Maduro gets kidnapped by the U.S., after winning an election where the main opposition party was openly campaigning on Zionism, we as a Palestine solidarity organization need to respond.”

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #JPSN #AWAN #Maduro

Pittsburgh, PA – In a partial victory for students, Carnegie Mellon University dropped its case against eight students charged with discrimination and harassment. The students were charged after painting a series of anti-Zionist messages on the university’s designated “free speech fence.”

While the exonerated students and other activists recognize this as a step towards victory, a ninth student involved in the original case, Rosalyn Tosh, is now facing additional charges, including the threat of expulsion.

Aster Lufkin, one of the exonerated students, said, “Our free speech victory is important, but we still have work ahead of us. The university is still persecuting Rosalyn. And, ultimately, securing our right to speak out about Palestine is step zero to organize for divestment and other truly impactful ways of supporting Palestinian liberation.”

Tosh spoke with Fight Back! News about her ongoing struggle with university administration. “CMU is trying to break me. It unilaterally cut my housing contract a week before move-in, which has put me in an unstable housing situation, citing a third charge it added on a whim. It denied my request for permission to schedule times for dining on campus property, preventing me from using financial aid to afford food, after months of documentation of my limited access. I can barely study and my physical health is deteriorating. It is using those as bargaining chips to pressure me to take their deal.”

The exoneration of eight students comes after activists around the city rallied behind the fence painters, with the support of the groups Palestine Legal and Jewish Voice for Peace. Shortly after the charges were levied against the students, a joint letter from activist organizations, including the American Association of University Professors, Coalition for Higher Education, Concerned Jewish Faculty and Staff, Institute for the Critical Study of Zionism, Palestine Legal, the Sunrise Movement, and Jewish Voice for Peace, called on the university to clear the students from all charges.

In August, the charged students worked with the International Solidarity Committee of Pittsburgh (ISCPIT) to lead a call-in action during move-in week. ISCPIT leader Dot Bodwell spoke about her experience tabling near CMU campus during the call-in, “We managed to speak face-to-face with over 120 CMU students and quickly found out the student body does care about this; they don’t want to face repercussions for political speech in these moments when they are first learning and figuring out their politics.”

Marigold Cameron, chair of ISCPIT’s actions subcommittee, went into further detail about the significance of the recent development. “This decision from the administration shows the value of raising our voices to confront repression. The targeted students didn’t hide or go for a quiet legal defense; they showed up at activist meetings, spoke at protests, and helped us organize our call-in where students and community members alike flooded CMU’s voicemail with messages of discontent. It is thanks to pursuing this activist work alongside the defense by Palestine Legal that nearly all of the students are free.”

“The decision also shows the absurd arbitrariness of CMU’s position, by letting only some of the students off the hook despite the original charges being the same,” Cameron added. “Administration is in for a rude awakening if they think we are leaving Rosalyn behind.”

In July of this year, Carnegie Mellon began investigations into the students, barring many of them from campus on the grounds that their anti-Zionist, pro-Palestine statements painted on the fence constituted “threatening,” and “antisemitic” speech, and therefore violated campus anti-discrimination rules.

An earlier Fight Back! News article reported that ten students were facing repression. At this time, one of the original fence painters is no longer being represented within the same defense as the nine others and does not wish for any aspects of their case to be made public.

#PittsburghPA #PA #StudentMovement #PoliticalRepression #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #FreeSpeech

Minneapolis, MN- August 26, 50 protesters rallied to demand an end to Palantir’s catastrophic violence in Gaza and terror campaign here in the United States. The action included three banners on the Irene Hixon Whitney Bridge, which connects Loring Park to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden over Interstate-94. The banners read, “MN money funds AI weapons: divest MN from Palantir,” “Divest Minnesota from apartheid Israel! No tax $$$ for occupation” and “Divest MN from Palantir! Israel and Palantir out of Palestine!”

Organizers explained how Palantir has a long, dark history, made worse under the Trump administration. Founded 23 years ago during the so-called War on Terror, the company marketed itself as a software start-up. “Palantir isn’t just another technology company sitting in an investment portfolio,” said Alissa Washington from Wrongfully Incarcerated & Over-sentenced Families Council-MN (WIAOFC-MN).

According to Vincent O’Connor from the Minnesota Anti-War Committee (AWC), Palantir is a “tool used to commit countless crimes against humanity with the funding and support of the U.S. military and a plethora of agencies like the CIA and the FBI that have an interest in surveilling and controlling entire populations.”

Miki Pensec from Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) pointed out that Palantir is not only a Republican problem, but in fact, “the first Palantir contracts were signed under Obama.”

Organizers highlighted U.S. regime change plots around the world, intensified with Trump in office, in support of its imperialist intentions. O’Connor said that Palantir allows the United States government to “commit this violence more quickly and more efficiently, or, in other words, on a larger scale than ever.”

It’s not just the U.S. government that uses this technology, but also the Israeli government. According to Nadiyah Salawdeh of U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), in 2024, “Palantir entered into a ‘strategic partnership’ with Israel. This partnership has allowed the cowardly Israeli military to hide behind screens, remote controls, and AI models to commit genocide in Gaza and Lebanon.”

O’Connor added that the Israeli occupation forces “use Palantir to recommend bombing targets, generate kill lists, and even track Palestinians so they can bomb them when they’re in their homes with their families.”

“Palantir CEO Alex Karp said in February 2026 that Palantir’s ‘weapons software is in every combat situation I’m aware of’,” said Salawdeh. “It looks like double-tap strikes on hospitals. It looks like hundreds of bullets fired at Hind Rajab. It looks like hundreds of thousands of dead kids. It looks like mass murder and displacement in Lebanon.”

Salawdeh continued, “What we have allowed to happen to Palestinians has come back to roost. These same technologies that have been tested on Palestinians for over a decade are being deployed in our communities.”

Within the U.S., Palantir is an integral tool used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In Minnesota, Palantir’s AI surveillance technology reportedly was used directly during Operation Metro Surge. O’Connor said this allowed for “racist policing and mass deportations” by thousands of agents who were “brutalizing, killing, and abducting our own community members.”

Pensec explained how during Operation Metro Surge, “ICE agents photographed MIRAC members, observers, and ordinary bystanders, called them out by name and told them they knew where they lived.” This was likely aided by Palantir’s technology.

Activists drew attention to the fact that the Minnesota State Board of Investment still has $57 million invested in Palantir. “Minnesota cannot claim to protect immigrant communities and civil liberties while our public money is invested in infrastructure being used to surveil and target people,” said Washington.

The organizers spoke to an upsurge of protest against Palantir around the country and called on the community to rise up and demand accountability and justice. “We are tired of politicians creating another advisory board, another task force, another committee that can make recommendations and then be ignored,” Washington added.

Pensec concluded, “They are starting with immigrants, with people of color, with trans people, with activists. But the endpoint is a profile on every one of us.”

The action included a rally at the nearby busy Hennepin/Lyndale Avenue interchange, where the banners were visible. The rally featured speakers from several groups, including the US Palestinian Community Network, Wrongfully Incarcerated & Over-sentenced Families Council-MN, Minnesota Anti-War Committee, MN 50501, and the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palantir #Surveillance #ImmigrantRights #ICE

Tampa, FL- On September 1, the Tampa chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held a rally, formally launching a sanctuary campus campaign. The call for a sanctuary campus at USF comes with demands such as “No collaboration with ICE,” “End 287(g) cooperation with ICE,” “Protect immigrant and undocumented students” and “No Customs and Border Patrol at career fairs.”

SDS member Ryan Freymueller spoke, “Immigrant, undocumented and international students are an irreplaceable part of this campus We are here today to tell USF administration that we see our peers, we value them, and we will defend them.”

The energy of the rally matched this sentiment with chants such as “Power to the people, no one is illegal!” and “USF, shame on you, protect your immigrant students too!”

For the University of South Florida, a sanctuary campus means enacting policies that protect undocumented students and staff from immigration and customs enforcement. The Trump administration has prided itself on its violent and aggressive tactics toward immigrant communities by utilizing ICE, police and the National Guard. Additionally, the University of South Florida currently has an active 287(g) agreement, allowing campus police officers to act as ICE agents.

Earlier this year, the Florida Board of Governors voted to ban undocumented students from the state college system. A proposal for the same policy in the state university system was passed this month. Meanwhile, federal law does not prohibit undocumented students from obtaining higher education.

The campaign for a sanctuary campus at USF is also supported by Tampa Immigrants’ Rights Committee (TIRC). The Tampa Immigrants’ Rights Committee is part of the national network Legalization for All. The students at the University of South Florida will continue this campaign through the fall semester.

#TampaFL #FL #StudentMovement #ImmigrantRights #ICE #SanctuaryCampus #UniversityofSouthFlorida

New Orleans, LA – On September 1, a group of students rallied demanding Loyola University New Orleans adopt proper anti-ICE sanctuary policies. This includes visible signage preventing ICE from entering the campus, student and professor representation on the school’s Immigration Task Force, and assurance that Loyola will refuse to collaborate with ICE in any capacity.

At the rally, Loyola student Rosalina Framboise addressed a message to the Loyola administration and President Xavier Cole. Framboise said, “Just because this has not happened on our campus yet, does not mean it is not happening on campuses all over the country.”

Another Loyola student, Fin Jones, said, “When schools and organizations can’t go against the government’s wishes for fear of a target on their backs, we can no longer call ourselves a democracy.”

The rally’s final student speaker, Quesada-Amor, urged Loyola’s administration, “We cannot accept these vile, cruel and unjust enactments carried out by these ICE thugs that only serve to violate the rights of men and women.”

The rally continued a yearlong sanctuary campus campaign led by the Liberate and Unite New Orleans chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (LUNO-SDS). The rally was part of a New SDS National Day of Action calling on all chapters to engage in active protest across their campuses and demand “ICE out now!”

#NewOrleansLA #LA #StudentMovement #ImmigrantRights #ICE #LoyolaUniversity #SDS