Chicago, IL – On Wednesday, February 25, a coalition of organizations fighting for human rights and democracy in the Philippines rallied outside of the Philippine Consulate to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the ousting of Marcos Sr. and the People Power Revolution, to confront continued corruption in the Philippines, and to hold the Philippine Consulate accountable for its neglect of Filipino migrants.

“Imperyalismo!” “Ibagksak!” “Marcos mismo!” “Babagsak!”

“Imperialism!” “Will topple!” “Marcos!” “Will topple!” chanted protesters.

The action commemorated the 1986 People Power Revolution (EDSA), in which the Filipino people fought against corruption and ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos, whose rule saw grave human rights violations including extrajudicial imprisonment, torture, and the murder of 3240 Filipinos. Speakers emphasized that despite the ousting of Marcos Sr. in 1986, the struggle against corruption in the Philippines is ongoing and that collusion between the U.S. and Philippine government must end.

“Patience has never liberated a generation! Compliance has never protected democracy! Those crowds at EDSA were not waiting for permission, they flooded the streets!” declared a member of Anakbayan at UIC, a youth and student organization building international solidarity and fighting for the liberation of the Philippines.

Throughout the program, multiple groups performed songs about the struggle for national liberation in the Philippines. During one of the songs, Aklasan, the crowd was encouraged to sing along to the chorus:

“Bawat sipag, bawat lakas

Ay umaklas!

Diwang dungo’t ulong yuko’y

Itinayo

Ang maliit na ginahis

Ay nagtindig”

“Every effort, every force

Rose up!

Subdued spirits and bowed heads

Were lifted up!

The small that were subdued,

Stood up!”

Speakers from Malaya Chicago and Tanggol Migrante continued by uplifting the struggle for immigrant rights in the United States, citing the experiences of Filipino immigrants in detention who are experiencing medical neglect and incompetence from the Philippine Consulate.

One of the stories uplifted was that of Tita Rebecca, a 71-year-old Filipina grandmother who was held in ICE detention for nine months and repeatedly denied proper medical care or examination before being secretly deported without notice to her family. Throughout Tita Rebecca’s time in ICE detention, the Philippine Consulate proved to be unhelpful to her family and organizers, refusing to speak with her family and actively working with ICE to keep details of her deportation concealed.

“Lahat ng sangkot!” “Dapat managot!”

“Everyone involved!” “Must be held accountable!” chanted protesters.

Speakers also told the story of Chantal Anicoche, a Filipina-American youth activist taking part in an immersion trip who was kidnapped by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) following the U.S. backed bombing of the Mangyan people in Mindoro that killed five people. After a nearly month-long international campaign, Chantal Anicoche was freed and able to safely return home to the United States.

Organizers commenced the rally with more chants and a group photo.

“The people, united, will never be defeated!”

“El pueblo, unido, jamás será vencido!”

“Ang tao, ang bayan, ngayon ay lumalaban!”

Organizations participating in the event included Malaya, Migrante, Tanggol Migrante, Bayan, Anakbayan at UIC, Anakbayan Chicago, Philippine-U.S. Solidarity Organization (PUSO) Chicago, Chicago Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (CCHRP), Anti-War Committee Chicago (AWC), and the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR).

#ChicagoIL #IL #Anakbayan #Bayan #CAARPR #AWC #CCHRP #PUSO #International #Philippines

Chicago, IL – On January 8, Filipinos and allies gathered in front of the Consulate General of the Philippines to demand the release of Filipino American activist, Chantal Anicoche, and an end to the bombing of Mindoro.

On New Year's Day, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) conducted brutal raids and aerial bombings on indigenous Mangyan-Iraya villages, killing three children and displacing nearly 200 families. This style of military terror, backed by the United States, is a tool by big real estate and natural resource companies for land grabbing. It’s also an attempt to suppress the revolutionary people’s movements fighting against this consistent terror. Anicoche was caught in the crossfire and was kidnapped by AFP.

Progressive Filipino solidarity groups like Anakbayan Chicago, Kabataan Alliance-MW, Mayala, Chicago Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines, and more, spoke against the brutal bombings in Mindoro, and connected the struggle in the Philippines with that of the Palestinian people and the Venezuelan people. All show oppressed peoples fighting back against U.S.-backed war crimes, occupations and genocide. A member of Tanggol Migrante Chicago also gave an update of a local campaign to bring back home 70-year-old grandmother, Tita Rebecca, who was kidnapped by ICE.

Throughout the program, Filipino people’s artists sang songs and read poems to uplift the fighting spirit among the crowd. Speakers honored Anicoche’s dedication to fighting for her people. “Fight like Anicoche!” yelled a youth activist.

#ChicagoIL #IL #International #Philippines #Anakbayan #Kabataan #Malaya

Fight Back! News is circulating the following statement from the New Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Illinois Chicago (New SDS at UIC).

New Students for a Democratic Society at UIC is proud to announce that we’ve successfully pushed UIC administration to commit to increasing funding for all seven cultural centers on campus! In the era of Trump 2.0, this is an important victory in the struggle to defend diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education. When we dare to struggle, we dare to win!

There's no way around it – this victory is a result of the countless hours of organizing by the coalition of forces on campus fighting to defend the cultural centers. New SDS at UIC has been at the forefront of this fight since the launching of our campaign to increase funding for cultural centers earlier this Fall. We’ve maintained a strong pressure on UIC administration throughout the semester with days of action, protest rallies & marches, open-letter deliveries, petition signatures, coalition-building, speaking out at the Board of Trustees, meeting with administration, and much more.

We would like to salute the Centers for Cultural Understanding and Social Change (CCUSC) Student Workers Alliance, Anakbayan at UIC, Mexican Students de Aztlán (MeSA), Students for Justice in Palestine at UIC, and so many others for their solidarity with our campaign and outstanding organizing over the course of this semester. Without their efforts, this victory could not have been won as quickly as it was.

In a meeting with administrators a couple weeks ago called for by MeSA and attended by members of New SDS at UIC, Dr. Lionel Allen (Vice Chancellor for Equity and Diversity) and Dr. Michael Ginsburg (Special Advisor to the Chancellor for Student Affairs) acknowledged our organizing efforts and claimed that the seven cultural centers at UIC would be receiving increased funding sufficient to reverse the 5% budget cut previously carried out by UIC administration.

On top of this, Dr. Allen and Dr. Ginsburg promised a further increase in the operational budgets for the centers. This would secure the ability of the CCUSC to effectively operate the programming, events, space, and so much more that is near and dear to the UIC student body – something that was on the road to being slashed altogether by UIC administrators.

However, these UIC administrators were also strangely quiet on the details regarding the funding changes. So, we held a meeting with cultural center representatives. At this meeting, we confirmed the extent of our victory. While we know this is a clear win for our primary demand of the UIC administration to increase funding for our cultural centers, we also know that this fight is still ongoing.

We demand a clear statement from UIC administration that they will follow through with their promises! We will not stop fighting until all of our cultural centers – the Arab American Cultural Center, Asian American Resource Cultural Center, Black Cultural Center, Disability Cultural Center, Gender Sexuality Center, Latino Cultural Center, and the Women’s Leadership Resource Center – get what they deserve!

Join us this upcoming Spring as we continue this fight and bring our demands to the Board of Trustees meeting in Chicago on Thursday, January 15th! If you’d like to get involved with our campaign, please consider getting organized and attending one of our weekly meetings this winter break to help us secure this victory.

When Cultural Centers Are Under Attack – Stand up and Fight Back!

#StudentMovement #SDS #CulturalCenters #CCUSC #MeSA #SJPUIC #SWA #Anakbayan

Philadelphia, PA – On November 30, members of Anakbayan, the Filipino youth activist organization, hosted a fundraising gala. They were celebrating the five-year anniversary of their Philadelphia chapter.

Members and attendees gathered at the University of Pennsylvania’s campus to enjoy a program including a teach-in, music, drag performances and a competitive “Mx. Philly-pino” pageant. Funds went to Anakbayan and a relief fund for people displaced and devastated by the recent typhoons that hit the Philippines.

Since the founding of their chapter in 2020, Anakbayan Philadelphia has been tirelessly organizing and educating Filipino-American youth. They teach about general problems of Philippine society as a semi-colony of the United States. In addition, they explain the goals of the national democratic movement for complete independence of the Philippines. Anakbayan Philadelphia also leads the struggle against the particular repression that Filipino-Americans face as national minorities in the U.S.

One issue highlighted at the gala was the phenomenon of mass migration. Many Filipinos are forced to emigrate from their country. Most send a portion of their wages back home to their family due to the backwards economic and social conditions of the Philippines. A former colony of the U.S., the Philippines continues to be economically dominated by and nationally oppressed by the U.S.

Forced to leave their homes now for multiple generations, many Filipinos end up in the U.S. facing discrimination, low-wage jobs, and a broken immigration system. Especially sharp under the Trump administration are ICE and anti-immigrant attacks. The same Filipino-Americans forced to migrate to the U.S. by exploitation in the Philippines, are then punished in the U.S. for wanting to work.

In true contradiction to these harsh conditions, the gala was the perfect image of the Anakbayan’s warm comradery, clear militancy and genuine mass character. A plate of ube cookies baked by one of the members made the event feel especially welcoming.

The gala concluded with a satirical play, climaxing with the destruction of images of Philippine President Bong Bong Marcos Jr. and Vice-president Sara Duterte, both the objects of a recent wave of massive anti-corruption protests in the Philippines.

One refrain perfectly summed up the spirit of the night, its political clarity and optimism for the national democratic movement apparent, “The U.S. will never liberate the Filipino people! The Filipino people will be the ones to liberate themselves!”

#PhiladelphiaPA #PA #International #Philippines #Anakbayan

Chicago IL – 50 demonstrators rallied outside Chicago’s Philippine consulate for a People’s State of the Nation Address (PSONA), July 27. Filipino activists organized the PSONA to illuminate the real conditions faced by the Filipino masses a day before Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. delivered his SONA. Protesters demanded freedom for Filipino immigrants in the U.S. arrested by ICE, and an end to U.S. support for the Marcos regime.

“There was zero mention of Filipino migrant detention and deportation during Marcos and Trump’s meeting,” a said representative of the Malaya Movement. “From our local cases concerning Tita R and Tito E, to Max Londonio and Llewelyn Dixon across the country. All of their cases reflect a sad and contradictory reality for Filipinos who seek work abroad due to Marcos Sr.’s Labor Export Policy.”

Overseas Filipino workers make up the backbone of the Philippine economy and remittances from Filipino immigrants comprise 10% of the Philippines’ GDP. Across the U.S., they face intense forms of exploitation and now ramped-up ICE detentions and deportations.

“When we demand our democratic right to determine who polices our communities and how our communities are policed, we also demand the right to liberation for those under the boot of U.S. imperialism, from Palestine to the Philippines!” declared Alec Ozawa, a co-chair of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR).

“The Marcos regime’s collusion with U.S. imperialists to turn Subic Bay into a missile factory is a betrayal of the Filipino people,” said Hugo Gebner from the Anti War Committee Chicago. “This isn’t ‘self-reliant defense,’ it's a death trap designed to turn the Philippines into a staging ground for a U.S. war on China, while Filipino workers forge the very weapons that will slaughter Palestinians and others caught in Washington’s bloody proxy conflicts. Marcos isn’t defending the Philippines; he’s auctioning its sovereignty to line the pockets of U.S. arms dealers.”

Closing out the demonstration, a member of Malaya Chicago stated, “We demand the immediate release of Filipino migrants detained by ICE, including Tita R and Tito E! We demand the Philippine Consulate do their job and protect said Filipino migrants, and provide them with thorough assistance! We demand a Philippines that is able to provide for all of its people, instead of being stripped of its resources by the rich and powerful!”

The demonstration was organized by Malaya Chicago, Migrante Chicago, Anakbayan at UIC, Tanggol Migrante, and the Chicago Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines.

#ChicagoIL #IL #International #Philippines #SONA #Malaya #Anakbayan #CAARPR

Washington, D.C. — On Thursday, May 1, hundreds gathered in Freedom Plaza near the White House in celebration of May Day, International Workers Day. The event, hosted by Metro DC DSA and sponsored by Freedom Road Socialist Organization DC (FRSO DC), among others, called for “dignity, power, and a future for the many.”

The crowd included many organizations and contingents, such as the anti-Imperialist contingent formed by FRSO DC, the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (DCAARPR), International League of Peoples Struggles Baltimore DMV (ILPS), Anakbayan DC, Anakbayan Montgomery County, and Migrante DMV. Their signs featured slogans such as “End U.S. militarization now!” “Fight for worker’s and immigrants’ rights!” and “Down with billionaires, we need socialism!”

“The people here today show the clear rising tide of workers who want a better future,” said Iain McNeely of FRSO DC, “When we fight, we win, and every day more and more people are answering the call and getting organized.”

The demonstration featured speakers voicing strong opposition to the Trump administration and his racist deportation policies, with chants of “The people, united, will never be defeated!” and “When immigrant rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!”

“The Philippians observe May Day as the real international workers day ” said Jhong Cruz, an organizer with Migrante, “we are fighting for a better society overall, with the working class at the core, and we want to fight for a society where many Filipinos like myself don't need to migrate to other countries in search of work.”

“There’s a willingness among people to explore more ideas that people maybe would not have thought of before because of the gross atrocities we are witnessing every day now,” said Christina Murdoch with DCAARPR, “We are unwilling to submit to pressure, and our instinct to seize this wave of struggle is necessary to take our movement forward towards a better future!”

#WashingtonDC #Labor #ImmigrantsRights #MayDay #FRSO #DCAARPR #NAARPR #ILPS #Anakbayan

Washington, D.C. — On April 30, over 30 Filipino and community activists gathered outside of the Embassy of the Philippines to celebrate International Workers Day and demand that the Philippine government stand up for Filipino workers in the US.

The action, which was one of many coordinated actions that day at Philippine consulates around the U.S., began with a small group of activists entering the embassy and attempting to deliver an open letter to Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez. When embassy staff refused to hear them out, the activists tried at the embassy annex across the street. Here, too, they were denied by staff, who shut the gate in their faces.

By this time a crowd of roughly 30 people had amassed outside the embassy, chanting “Romualdez! Do your job! Or! Step! Down!”

“The Philippine government has always bowed to the U.S.,” a member of Anakbayan DC, said in their speech. “The people in power have no problem ignoring the wellbeing of Filipinos if it means lining their pockets and making profit. The Filipino people are forced to migrate to the U.S. because of bureaucratic greed.”

A speaker from MIGRANTE noted, “Almost 10,000 Filipinos at this point leave the country to escape poverty and to make a living, however, we are here as proof that moving abroad is not the solution. Workers have no other choice than to stand together to unify their strength and change the system oppressing the ranks of our people. The oppressors built the chain, we will break it.”

This call for militant workers’ action was heard from other speakers as well. The speaker for the Justice for Jollibee Workers campaign said, “Just as workers before us fought for minimum wages, adequate hours, and occupational safety and health, we, even those non-workers, have a duty to continue the fight for workers’ rights everywhere, especially now when the new U.S. administration’s policies have a direct impact on workers.”

“We’ve witnessed firsthand the power of collective action,” they continued. “We must continue to educate and foster unity among our fellow workers to face the challenges ahead. We must take on the campaigns of our fellow workers, keep organizing more protests, keep speaking up, and keep calling out the matapobres or ruling class who continue to trample over our rights!”

In addition to general demands around migrant workers and other overseas Filipinos, the demonstrators made specific demands, that could be heard throughout the action and seen on signs including “Justice for Alma Bowman,” “Justice for Dhenmark and Jovi” and “Free Ligaya Jensen.”

#WashingtonDC #DC #ImmigrantRights #Labor #MIGRANTE #ILPS #Anakbayan #MayDay

Chicago, IL – On March 13, over 150 students, staff and faculty members at the University of Illinois-Chicago rallied in front of their administration building to protest budget cuts which threaten five majors, non-tenured faculty, and cultural programs. The emergency protest was called to demand funding for education and a “chop from the top” model, as inflated admin salaries were called to attention. The protest had support from a broad collection of student organizations, faculty and local activists.

Speaking on behalf of Student for a Democratic Society at UIC, Jeremiah Munoz kicked things off by stating, “Instead of cutting out classes, cut the bloated administrator salaries, not our education! Don’t play with our future for that bloated salary. Stop funneling money into police while students struggle to afford tuition. Invest in our cultural centers, our language programs, our communities—not in executives who do nothing but approve cuts to education while collecting a premium salary.”

Next was Liz Rathburn, a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, who stated, “UIC can find the money to advertise its diversity, it can find the money to raise the salaries of its admin, it can find the money to fund its own police force and it can even find money to buy new real estate, but when students and faculty need support, when it comes to funding what actually makes our university great, admin pleads poverty.”

Ending the rally on behalf of Students for a Democratic Society at UIC, April Rogers stated, “UIC is probably paying a lot to bring military recruiters on campus. They are probably paying a lot to have the CIA, the FBI, and even the State Department come to campus, as has happened multiple times since the start of the 2024-2025 academic year. UIC also gives millions of dollars to companies involved in the Israeli occupation of Palestine, including Boeing and Caterpillar. In 2023, this alone amounted to $21 million. Instead, UIC goes after cultural and language studies.”

Speakers from the Italian Club, Eastern European Student Association and Housing Staff United made it clear that the budget cuts are targeting the entire student body, and a cultural performance during the rally demonstrated the importance of preserving cultural studies and programs at UIC.

Although UIC administration forced the protest to move locations at the very last minute, students, staff and faculty remained undeterred. Despite the change in location, over 150 people marched through the campus chanting, demanding proper funding for education.

The protest was endorsed by Anakbayan, Sokoly, Housing Staff United, Eastern European Student Association, Italian Club, New Students for a Democratic Society. Students for Justice in Palestine, and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

#ChicagoIL #StudentMovement #SDS #Anakbayan #Sokoly #HousingStaffUnited #EasternEuropeanStudentAssociation #ItalianClub #SJP #FRSO

Washington, DC – On February 26, Wednesday evening, community organizers and activists gathered outside of the Embassy of the Philippines in DC to commemorate the 39th anniversary of the 1986 EDSA Peoples Power uprisings.

The action began with Tagalog chants of “Makibaka! Huwag matakot!” (Fight! Don’t be afraid!) and “From Palestine to the Philippines! Stop the U.S. war machine!” while speakers detailed the history of the EDSA uprisings and sacrifices of the Filipino people to oust the dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

Co-sponsoring organizations included the International League of Peoples Struggles Baltimore-DMV, Anakbayan DC and Montgomery County, Malaya Movement DC, and Katarungan DC.

After chants, a member of the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression speaking on behalf of ILPS-DMV, stated, “The wave of political repression we’re seeing in the forms of ICE raids, police brutality, national oppression, and attacks on the rights of all oppressed peoples, draws parallels to horrors the Filipino people faced in their revolutionary struggle against the brutal dictator Ferdinand Marcos.”

The day before, Malaya Movement DC, in partnership with other organizations, held a panel discussion on the People Power anniversary at Cleveland Park Library. It included speakers from many Filipino organizations, as well as Tita Delia, an activist who organized during martial law in the Philippines.

Tita Delia spoke on how martial law and the decades- long occupation of the Philippines would not be possible without the backing and support of the United States government. When asked how Filipino consciousness has changed over the decades, Tita Delia answered that Filipino youth in particular are much more sensitive to gender and LGBTQ issues, but many are unaware of the fascist dictatorship that terrorized the Philippines, and that this is largely due to the Marcos regime’s revision of his