The protest occurred in the midst of a five-day humanitarian truce agreement between the Palestinian resistance and Israel. Organizers made clear that this temporary truce is insufficient, demanding an end to Israeli occupation.

Apple, Chanel, Levi’s, Michael Kors, Sephora, and Prada are just a few companies in the Westfield mall that are pro-Israel. The CEOs of these companies belong to the same corporate ruling class profiteering off the U.S.-backed Israeli war on Palestine. Organizers called for the end to all U.S. aid to Israel, pointing out the fact that this aid consists of billions of our tax dollars.

Organizers also called for the release of the thousands of Palestinian political prisoners being held by Israel and insisted on the right of return for Palestinian refugees and their descendants. They uplifted the critical necessity of international solidarity with the Palestinian resistance, urging people to continue showing up and demonstrating their power and unity in the streets.

The protest was organized by a coalition of organizations including Silicon Valley for Palestine, Palestinian Youth Movement, Black Outreach, Hero Tent, Party for Socialism and Liberation, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

#SanJoseCA #FreePalestine #BlackFriday

Chicago, IL – More than 200 people took part in a protest against killings by police, Nov. 24, boycotting Black Friday on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. This is the third year in a row that marchers came out to demand justice for Laquan McDonald, murdered by a Chicago cop in 2014. The protest also demanded freedom for torture victims of the Chicago police, and an elected civilian police accountability council (CPAC). The march was organized by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

#ChicagoIL #PoliceBrutality #BlackFriday #ChicagoAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression #CPAC

Chicago, IL- Hundreds of activists will take to the streets on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile to interrupt business on Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year.

The Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR) has called a Black Friday Boycott for Nov. 24, at 10 a.m., according to Frank Chapman, Field Coordinator of the Alliance, “to underscore our determination to seek justice for Laquan McDonald, who was murdered by Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke on Oct. 20, 2014.”

This is the third Black Friday protest since the 2015 release of police dash camera footage showing the murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald by Chicago Police Department officer Jason Van Dyke. In the video, Van Dyke can be seen shooting McDonald 16 times only mere seconds after arriving to the scene. Mayor Emanuel covered up the video for 400 days in order to get re-elected. The video was released just before Thanksgiving 2015, so thousands of people, mainly Black, marched on the Mag Mile and linked arms in front of stores like Apple, NIKE and Victoria’s Secret for hours. The anti-Rahm protest was aimed at the most expensive shopping district in the city, symbolizing the side of Chicago that Rahm cares about.

According to a statement released by the Alliance, the march this year will also demand justice in the case of the police murder of Ronald “Ronnieman” Johnson on Oct. 12, 2014, and Flint Farmer on June 7, 2011. Both murders were recorded on police video, yet neither of their killers have been indicted. In a recent development, the statement noted, “In the case of Johnson, investigators have revealed that the FBI crime lab, which examined the police recording of the shooting, doctored the recording to place a gun in Johnson's hand before he was shot.”

Jazmine Salas, co-chair of the Stop Police Crimes committee of CAARPR, said, “Again this year, the Black Friday Boycott is to demand an all-elected, all-civilian police accountability council (CPAC). No police accountability system in Chicago or anywhere in the U.S. has served to end the impunity with which police terrorize Black and Latino communities.”

Storm of news about police crimes

This week, the local news has continued with headlines about the Chicago Police Department (CPD). Today, the CPD was slammed with the mass exoneration of 15 men who were victims of a gang of cops who ran a drug ring in the Chicago Housing Authority. The decision by the State’s Attorney office of Kim Foxx to vacate these cases is the largest release of the wrongfully convicted in Cook County history.

The leader of the cops in the South Side housing project was Sergeant Ronald Watts, who was shielded from punishment for his crimes for many years by the lax internal review process CPD still has place.

In addition to Foxx’s release of the 15 men, another man had his case dropped Nov. 15. Jose Maysonet was a victim of a frame-up by Reynoldo Guevara 27 years ago – at the time chief detective in the Humboldt Park neighborhood gang crimes unit. And one day earlier, Arthur Brown, 66, had the double murder charges against him dropped after he had spent 29 years in prison, when there was no evidence against him.

Salas added, “The Alliance, along with allies like Black Lives Matter-Chicago, Trinity United Church of Christ, the Black Caucus of the American Federation of Teachers, the Chicago Teachers Union, and the Arab American Action Network will be targeting the Mag Mile. Because of its position in Chicago’s economy, the pressure put on the Magnificent Mile will be felt through every chamber in city hall, from the office of the mayor to the city council.”

A statement released by CAARPR last month said: “We are dying and retailers are painlessly profiting. We must say, ‘no peace, no profits’ and make them take action.”

https://www.facebook.com/events/1479355702149241/

#ChicagoIL #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #BlackFriday #ChicagoAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression

Jacksonville, FL – By Florida standards, the 30-degree morning on Black Friday, Nov. 29 was a chilly day, but that could not stop 15 local workers from protesting at a Walmart Supercenter.

Organizing as a part of the nationwide Black Friday protests of Walmart stores called by OUR Walmart, the Jacksonville protest drew a small, energetic crowd outside the store on the busiest shopping day of the year. Chanting and carrying colorful signs, the protesters demanded full-time jobs for Walmart workers, better pay, health care and an end to Walmart's harassment of union organizers.

“I'm a low-wage, part-time warehouse worker, so I have a lot in common with Walmart workers,” said Dave Schneider, one of the protesters and a member of Teamsters Local 512 in Jacksonville. “The main difference is that I have a union that protects me from supervisor harassment, guarantees me affordable health insurance and works to raise my wages. Every low-wage worker in the country, especially our sisters and brothers at Walmart, deserve the same.”

The crowd chanted, “Full-time jobs! Not part-time poverty!” and “Union-busting is a crime!” The latter chant refers to an ongoing investigation by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) of Walmart's harassment of workers who try to organize unions. For the first time in history, the NLRB has brought charges against Walmart management. The charges say that Walmart illegally intimidated and fired several of their workers who sought to organize a union. In the face of mounting pressure from workers across the country and these NLRB charges, long-time Walmart CEO Mike Duke resigned.

Marina Djordjevic, a lead organizer of the event, read a list of grievances from a letter to Walmart. Those gathered all signed the letter together and plan to deliver it to Walmart. Walmart workers want higher wages and affordable healthcare. Some Walmart workers are forced onto social welfare programs like food stamps and Medicaid while the company makes big profits. Despite making more than $17 billion in profits last year, Walmart seldom pays its workers more than $12 per hour. In Florida alone, a study by the Department of Children and Families found that more than 9000 of the state's food stamp recipients were Walmart workers, costing taxpayers approximately $2.6 million to subsidize the low wages paid by the corporate retailer.

Another demand was that Walmart stop purchasing from brutal and exploitative sweatshops in other countries.

The protest continued for more than three hours. As customers drove by the Walmart parking lot, the protesters received many honks and signs of support. Several Walmart workers and Jacksonville union members pulled over in their cars to talk with the protesters about their demands.

Marina Djordjevic said of the protest, “The few who stood in solidarity with the Walmart workers today encourage other workers to stand up and fight against the systematic oppression they face daily. It takes a spark to ignite a fire!”

Protesters voiced their plans to continue work with Walmart workers in Jacksonville and build the city's labor movement.

#JacksonvilleFL #WalmartStrike #OURWalmart #BlackFriday

St. Paul, MN – Black Friday protests are happening across the country today. Around 500 people took to the streets at the Midway Shopping Center here, Nov. 29, chanting, “Poverty wages have to go!”

The rally was organized by OUR Walmart (Organization United for Respect at Wal-Mart), Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha, Service Employees International Union, Take Action MN, Saint Cloud Workers Center and Minnesotans for a Fair Economy.

People marched through the shopping center, which brought the protest to the front doors of Walmart. A striking Walmart employee stated that not only do they work for low wages at the store but they are continually disrespected and harassed by management. The march continued into the streets, passing other stores and restaurants chanting, “Walmart, Walmart you are no good, treat your workers like you should,” while onlookers cheered and honked horns. Once the march entered an intersection, people circled around, blocking traffic. The Saint Paul police gave warnings to disperse but all stayed. About 30 people were arrested.

#SaintPaulMN #workersRights #WalmartStrike #OURWalmart #BlackFriday