San Jose community members stand with the Tampa 5
San Jose, CA – On August 9, members of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), along with community members and other organizations rallied to demand dropping the charges against the Tampa 5. The protest was primarily organized and hosted by SDS.
SDS member David Almeida called for action, placing a special emphasis on maintaining a persistent and stubborn movement in spite of opposition from reactionaries like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stating, “They arrest us when we protest, so we protest when they make arrests, and they cannot arrest all of us.”
Some other organizations stood in solidarity. Mark Andrews from Freedom Road Socialist Organization emphasized the endangerment of people’s freedom of expression and clamping down on activists is indicative of the broader fears that the ruling class has against the increasingly organized working people.
Students Against Mass Incarceration was another group that spoke out in solidarity with SDS. Students Against Mass Incarceration President Aidan Rauh drew comparisons with the repression seen in Florida with the battles between the labor movement and police forces in the Haymarket Affair nearly a century ago.
The coalition formed to mount this demonstration in San Jose is evident of the wide degree of support that the Tampa 5 is receiving.