Clarksville, TN – On Wednesday, July 16 a small group of Palestine solidarity activists gathered here to say, “Free Palestine!” The protesters are demanding an immediate stop to the attacks on Gaza by Israel and an end to US military aid. Holding a banner that said, “Clarksville stands with Palestine” the group chanted, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” and “Free, free Palestine!”

Since July 7 Israeli bombs have killed over 200 Palestinians, mostly women and children, nearly all civilians. Protestors said the attacks on Gaza over the last two weeks are part of the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people by the Israeli government.

Protesters condemned the heinous attacks on 15-year-old Tampa student Tariq Khdeir and his cousin Mohamed Abu Khdeir. Tariq Khdeir was visiting Palestine to attend a wedding when his cousin Mohamed was kidnapped, tortured, and burnt alive by Israeli settlers. The next day Tariq Khdeir was brutally beaten, arrested, and held without charge by an Israeli police intelligence unit. After protests around the country demanded his release from house arrest and return to the U.S., Tariq finally arrived in Florida late on July 16, 2014.

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at Austin Peay University organized the protest. SDS leaders say they will continue to organize in solidarity with Palestine and against U.S. war and occupation around the world.

#ClarskvilleTN #ClarksvilleTN #Palestine #PeoplesStruggles #Israel #ClarksvilleSDS #Siege #GroundInvasion #Tennessee #MiddleEast

The white supremacist organization calls itself American Renaissance and its yearly conference draws fascists including the Klan, neo-Nazis, and other white supremacist hate groups to the park. Previous speakers at the American Renaissance conference included David Duke, a former Ku Klux Klan leader and neo-Nazi who inspired and is greatly admired by Frazier Glenn Cross – the killer responsible for the recent brutal slayings in Kansas City. In fact, leaders from the White Patriot Party, which was a Ku Klux Klan faction founded by Frazier Glenn Cross, are among the previous attendees of American Renaissance conferences.

SDS member and native son of Dickson County Sean Collette said, “Nazis have murdered millions. The Klan has lynched and terrorized thousands. Recently, we were all horrified to hear that a white supremacist with ties to American Renaissance murdered several innocent people in Kansas City. It is very clear to us that these white supremacists are a threat to our lives and to the safety of our community. We want to send a message to these terrorists that their presence in Montgomery Bell will not be tolerated. And, we also want to send a message to the world that folks in Dickson County aren’t the type of people to stand idly by in the face of fascism. We are going to confront this issue head on and protect our community.”

#ClarksvilleTN #AmericanRennaissance #Antiracism #ClarksvilleSDS #Antifascism #FrazierGlennCross

Clarksville, TN – On April 16 Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at Austin Peay State University was awarded recognition from the university for their efforts. They received the award at a ceremony that was attended by hundreds of students, faculty, staff and community members. SDS President Julia Casteel said, “We are all very proud tonight to be recognized for the work we do. SDS is a leading force fighting racism, sexism and oppression of all kinds both here on our campus and around the country and we plan to continue to struggle and fight for a better world.

#ClarksvilleTN #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #SDS #AustinPeayStateUniversity

Clarksville, TN – Over 100 student activists from across the country convened here the weekend of Oct. 12-13 to participate in Students for a Democratic Society’s (SDS) 8th annual National Convention. This year’s convention included a diversity of topics which included organizing to stop the U.S. war on Syria and fighting for affordable education. Of great importance this year was the participation of anti-war leader and International Action Center co-founder Sara Flounders and political hip-hop group Rebel Diaz.

Workshops at the SDS convention are one of the easiest ways for members of SDS and other participating organizations to talk about the successes and challenges of the work they are doing on their campuses and in their communities. This year, there were nearly 20 workshops highlighting important work and issues happening on campuses. Topics included opposing U.S. drones and U.S. war, student organizing and avoiding the perils of student government, combating male chauvinism and rape on campus, “Beyond Student Organizing: Graduation and Continuing The Struggle,” solidarity with Korea against U.S. war and occupation, and many others.

Marisol Marquez, an SDSer from Tampa Bay, Florida, describes one workshop, “The ‘Tuition Equity for Undocumented Students’ workshop by Gainesville SDS as very inspiring. To know SDS is against wars but also stands for undocumented immigrants is something I have never heard or seen by any other national student group. We fight for full equality for the good of all and we are led by the best youth in the country.”

One of the highlights of the convention for many attendees was hearing Sara Flounders speak about her experiences traveling to countries caught in the crosshairs of U.S. imperialism. Flounders, of the International Action Center, is a writer for Workers World newspaper, and a longtime anti-war leader. Recently, Flounders had the opportunity to travel to Syria and see the death and destruction caused by the U.S.-sponsored Free Syrian Army. She spoke of the importance of U.S. anti-war activists traveling to countries under attack by U.S. imperialism as an act of resistance from the left. She raised the importance of self-determination for the Syrian people – that it should be the Syrians, not the U.S. imperialists, who determine the future of Syria. She also pointed out many contradictions between the countries the U.S. decides to attack and our own system. For instance, Flounders pointed out that in Syria, housing, education and healthcare were not treated as commodities, but rather as a right of the Syrian people. She continued that U.S. citizens do not have these essential rights, and if the U.S. succeeds in overthrowing the Syria government, likely the first things to go would be these public goods that we are fighting for here at home.

Rebel Diaz hosted a workshop called “Hip Hop and Immigration” and performed on campus Saturday night. Rebel Diaz is a political hip-hop group founded in Chicago, but now based in the South Bronx of New York. Chilean brothers Rodstarz and G1 of Rebel Diaz perform at many activist events, from the 2006 immigrant rights mega marches in New York to the NATO protests in Chicago last May 2013. In their workshop, Rebel Diaz gave a history of hip-hop and showed how its very foundation was a result of immigration in New York. Through this, Rebel Diaz makes the case that all hip-hop artists have a responsibility to also take a stand for immigration rights in this country and internationally. Rebel Diaz’s work around education rights and radical politics plays out in their work as musicians as well as founders of the Rebel Diaz Arts Collective in the South Bronx, http://rdacbx.blogspot.com.

Finally, at the end of the convention SDSers met to debate and vote on resolutions that guide SDS chapters around areas of primary concern for the upcoming year. Those resolutions include continuing the fight for education rights, demand an end to U.S. wars and war threats, end political repression and spying on activists, endorse the ongoing national campaign for immigrant rights (Legalization 4 All), end the targeted repression of black and brown youth by law enforcement and vigilantes, and most happily, recognize U.S. political prisoner and people’s lawyer Lynne Stewart, currently demanding compassionate release to fight a deadly cancer, with an honorary membership in SDS. These resolutions can be read online at www.newsds.org.

In all, SDSers felt excited and motivated about the work that continues to happen. Matthew Boynton of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities SDS chapter expressed, “The SDS convention this year did a great job integrating student activism into a broader analysis of imperialism, racist war and capitalism. The work to make these connections is particularly useful for younger activists and new SDS members, and an important reminder for all student activists.”

#ClarksvilleTN #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #SDS #SDSConvention

Clarksville, TN – In less than one week, progressive students from throughout the country will attend the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) 8th annual National Convention, Oct. 11-13, at Austin Peay State University here. Featured at this year’s convention are Rebel Diaz, Sara Flounders and Kait McIntyre.

SDS is the nation’s largest multi-issue student organization. Since its re-founding in 2006, SDS is broadly building the student left – helping to lead mass campaigns against tuition hikes, school privatizations, and student debt. SDS is the leading voice of the student movement against U.S. wars and occupations.

Sara Flounders, anti-war activist and co-director of the International Action Center, will speak about the ongoing wars, occupations and so-called ‘humanitarian interventions’ of the U.S. government. Speaking with Flounders will be Kait McIntyre, an SDSer with the Chicago Anti-War Committee. McIntyre says about the convention, “As students, much of the technology utilized by the U.S. to further its wars and fuel the military-industrial complex begins at our college research institutions. I believe the SDS Convention will offer student organizers the tools to take back their campus and demand money for education and human needs, not war and destruction across the globe.”

Rebel Diaz will perform at the convention as well as host a workshop on Saturday called “Hip Hop and Immigration.” Rebel Diaz is a politically-minded hip-hop group based out of South Bronx, New York. Their workshop will focus on the historic role of immigration, the criminalization of immigrants and youth of color, and hip-hop’s role and responsibility in defending immigrant rights. Rebel Diaz will perform at 8:00 p.m. on Oct. 12 in Clement Auditorium. Admission is free and it is open to the public.

Other workshops will feature topics such as abortion rights, overcoming problems with organizing through student governments, revolutionary organizing in America’s heartland and the international student movement.

Preston Gilmore, a Clarksville SDSer and lead organizer on the SDS National Working Committee explains, “The SDS National Convention is of huge importance to the student movement. It allows all of us to learn from each other’s experiences and gain knowledge about how to synchronize our campaigns and build a national movement that unites students across the country. We are in a historical period where atrocities are being committed not only abroad, but also right here at home. From the murder of Trayvon Martin to the threat of U.S. war with Syria, students and young people are looking at the world they will be inheriting and are rising up to fight back. The convention provides an opportunity for us to meet each other. We will come together to build a more powerful movement together.”

The convention is free for everyone and is open to the public. Registration will begin at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 11 in the University Center on the Austin Peay State University campus with introductions from speakers and organizers beginning at 7:00 p.m. On Oct.12 the convention will open at 9:00 a.m. in the University Center ballroom and will run until 7:00 p.m. Rebel Diaz will perform at Saturday night in the Clement Auditorium. On Oct. 13, the convention runs from 10:00 a.m. until around 1:00 p.m.

#ClarksvilleTN #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #SDS #SaraFlounders #SDSConvention #RebelDiaz #ClarksvilleSDS

Clarksville, TN – In just four weeks, progressive students from throughout the country are convening for the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) 8th annual National Convention at Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, Tennessee. The convention runs from Oct. 11 through Oct. 13. SDS will bring together new and old chapters as well as students from other progressive organizations. Featured at this year’s convention are hip-hop group and immigrant rights activists Rebel Diaz; Sara Flounders, a longtime leader of the anti-war movement; and Kait McIntyre, a lead organizer from the Chicago Anti-War Committee.

SDS is the nation’s largest multi-issue student organization. It re-established itself in 2006 at the height of public outrage against the U.S. war on Iraq. Since its re-founding from the 1960s organization, SDS is building broadly amongst the student left, helping to lead mass campaigns against tuition hikes, school privatizations and student debt. SDS is the leading voice of the student movement against U.S. wars and occupations. SDS organizes against the U.S. war in Afghanistan, against the occupation of Palestine, in solidarity with the people of Colombia, and against drone warfare in the Middle East. SDS is now leading and participating in the ongoing campus protests against U.S. war and intervention in Syria. SDS has good relationships with anti-war groups, trade unions and other progressive-minded youth organizations, which will be represented at this year’s convention.

On Oct. 12 there will be workshops and panels that reflect the campaigns and goals of SDS chapters. Sara Flounders, anti-war activist and co-director of the International Action Center, will speak on the ongoing wars, occupations and so-called ‘humanitarian interventions’ of the U.S. government. Speaking with Flounders will be Kait McIntyre, an SDSer with the Chicago Anti-War Committee which is one of the leading groups opposing U.S. intervention in Syria and which is currently building for a regional action, the Midwest Action Against Drones (http://midwestactionagainstdrones.wordpress.com). McIntyre says about the convention, “As students, much of the technology utilized by the U.S. to further its wars and fuel the military-industrial complex begins at our college research institutions. I believe the SDS Convention will offer student organizers the tools to take back their campus and demand money for education and human needs, not war and destruction across the globe.”

Rebel Diaz will perform at the convention as well as hosting a workshop on Saturday called “Hip Hop and Immigration.” Rebel Diaz is a politically minded hip-hop group based out of South Bronx, New York. Their workshop will focus on the historic role of immigration, the criminalization of immigrants and youth of color, and hip-hop’s role and responsibility in defending immigrant rights. Rebel Diaz is performing the night of Oct. 12 on the Austin Peay campus.

Other workshops will run through Saturday and part of Sunday, with topics such as abortion rights, overcoming problems with organizing through student governments, revolutionary organizing in America’s heartland, and the international student movement. These workshops are facilitated and led by SDS chapters, affiliate organizations and guests.

Preston Gilmore, an Austin Peay SDSer and lead organizer on the SDS National Working Committee explains, “The SDS National Convention is of huge importance to the student movement. It allows all of us to learn from each other’s experiences and gain knowledge about how to synchronize our campaigns and build a national movement that unites students across the country. We are in a historical period where atrocities are being committed not only abroad, but also right here at home. From the murder of Trayvon Martin to the threat of U.S. war with Syria, students and young people are looking at the world they will be inheriting and are rising up to fight back. The convention provides an opportunity for us to meet each other. We will come together to build a more powerful movement together.”

SDS is asking anyone interested in student organizing to register for the convention on the web at http://www.newsds.org/2013/6/3/all-out-2013-sds-national-convention-oct-11-13th. Some travel stipends are available, with housing, food and entertainment provided. A sliding scale registration fee is being asked, but no one will be turned away due to lack of funds.

#ClarksvilleTN #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #SDS #ClarksvilleSDS

Clarksville, TN – On Aug. 30, 20 students and anti-war veterans protested on the campus of Austin Peay State University to oppose threats of U.S. military attacks on Syria. Student groups at the rally included Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance (FMLA). Protesters held banners and signs, chanted, gave speeches and handed out flyers urging people to call the White House at 202-456-1111 to put the heat on Obama to not bomb Syria.

While holding large banners that read “Drop tuition, not bombs!” and “Hands off Syria!” people chanted “One, two, three, four, we don’t want your racist war! Five, six, seven eight, no more killing, no more hate!” and “What do we want? Peace! When do we want it? Now!”

Anti-war veteran Lara Jennings spoke, “The people of Syria have the right to determine their own destiny free of U.S. intervention. The U.S. government is repeating the same lies of ‘weapons of mass destruction’ that were told to attempt to justify the invasion of Iraq to attempt to justify the invasion and bombing of Syria. We will not stand for this.”

Later, students marched around the campus with banners and signs reading “Money for education, not war!” while handing out flyers that included a SDS’s “Emergency Call to Action to Demand Hands Off Syria.”

SDS member Adele Morello said, “The U.S. government is trying to drag us into another war and they need to see that we the people are not for another war. We need jobs not war. We need money for education, not for war. Now is the time to stand up for what is right and tell them we are not going to follow blindly and unquestioningly into another war. We are against dropping bombs on Syria or anywhere else, worldwide! No more U.S. military intervention abroad!”

The rally was organized in response to national SDS’s call to action for students everywhere to hold rallies, marches and demonstrations to oppose threats of U.S. military attacks on Syria. Students vowed to continue to keep the pressure on and carry forward the struggle against U.S. military intervention and warmongering.

#ClarksvilleTN #StudentMovement #SDS #Syria #HandsOffSyria #AntiIntervention #ClarksvilleSDS #MiddleEast

Clarksville, TN – In six cities across the state of Tennessee on July 20, people held pickets and delivered letters to Publix managers urging the Publix grocery store chain to join the Fair Food Program that would improve wages and working conditions for tomato pickers in Florida.

So far eleven major companies have signed on to the Fair Food Program, developed by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW). Yet, despite massive protests, marches, hunger strikes and demonstrations around the country, for four years Publix has refused to even sit at the table to discuss joining this program that would not only help farmworkers get a better wage, but would also help to put an end to pervasive human rights abuses in Florida tomato fields.

In Nashville, Zach Blume with the Student Farmworker Alliance at Vanderbilt University said, “Publix, if you want to move into Tennessee we need you to expand your human rights!” This sentiment was echoed across the state as picketers in Clarksville held a banner that read, “Publix: sign on to Fair Food” and chanted “No more slaves! Pay a living wage!” outside of the two Publix locations in the area. A member of Students for a Democratic Society who helped organize the demonstration in Clarksville said, “We are asking Publix to follow the words of its founder and ‘not let making a profit get in the way of doing the right thing.’ We want Publix to do the right thing and sign on to Fair Food, a program that ensures the basic rights and respects the dignity of farmworkers.”

For several years Publix has been steadily expanding its stores into the state of Tennessee and July 20 marks the first time that organizers have come together across the state to collectively put the heat on one the Southeast region’s largest food store chains. Protesters made their message to Publix very clear and could be heard from Knoxville to Clarksville, chanting “Publix, escucha! Estamos en la lucha!” meaning “Publix, listen up! We’re in the fight!”

Organizers plan to continue building the fight back in Tennessee against attacks on farmworkers. More information about the CIW and the Fair Food Program can be found at: www.CIW-online.org. For more information about the Fair Food Campaign in Tennessee visit: www.NashvilleFairFood.wordpress.com.

#ClarksvilleTN #LivingWage #CoalitionOfImmokaleeWorkers #Publix #workersRights #Farmworkers #FairFood

Holding a large banner that read “Justice 4 Trayvon Martin,” protesters began to march from the public library chanting, “No justice, no peace!” “What do we want? Justice for Trayvon! When do we want it? Now!” and “Tell the truth, stop the lies! Trayvon Martin didn’t have to die!”

As they marched around a several block area and circled back towards the public library, cars passing by honked, people threw their fists in the air out the windows and yelled words of encouragement. People came out of their homes and stopped their cars to talk to protesters and voice their concern over the state of affairs in a country that allows people like Zimmerman to racially profile, stalk and murder Black youth with impunity.

At the end of the rally a member of Students for a Democratic Society spoke, “We refuse to be silent while cops and racist vigilantes like George Zimmerman murder Black and Brown children. We want justice for Trayvon Martin and we want justice for Derek Williams, Kimani Grey, Ramarley Graham and all the Black youth whose names we don’t know who died at the hands of cops or racist cowards like George Zimmerman. We see that this case went to trial because people took to the streets to demand justice. We also see clearly that there is no justice for Black and Brown people in a society ruled by white supremacy. So we must continue to organize and fight back against these attacks and stand on the side of justice.”

#ClarksvilleTN #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #OppressedNationalities #AntiRacism #TrayvonMartin #GeorgeZimmerman #InjusticeSystem

Clarksville, TN – Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and other students at Austin Peay State University rallied at 4:00 p.m., on UC Plaza, Feb. 26 to demand justice for Trayvon Martin. This was one of a number of actions organized by SDS chapters around the country exactly one year to the day since Trayvon Martin’s murder. Martin’s killer has not been convicted.

Speakers at the rally demanded that the man who racially profiled, stalked, and murdered 17-year-old Trayvon Martin one year ago, George Zimmerman, be convicted of murder and called for an immediate repeal of “Stand Your Ground” laws. SDS members held a banner and signs that read, “Justice for Trayvon Martin”.

Several students passing by the rally on the way to class who were familiar with the issue threw their fists in the air in a show of solidarity. Others who were unfamiliar with what happened stopped to ask questions and learn more.

An SDS speaker at the rally said, “We are trying to make our voices heard and show that we won’t stand for the racist attacks and the murder of black youth. We want to raise awareness about this case and remember Trayvon Martin, but we also want to remember and demand justice for the thousands of other Black and brown people whose names we don’t know who have been attacked or killed at the hands of police and racist vigilantes like George Zimmerman.”

#ClarksvilleTN #InJusticeSystem #AntiRacism #TrayvonMartin #GeorgeZimmerman #StandYourGround

Clarksville, TN – On Sept. 26, students, including members of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), joined parents, anti-war veterans and alumni of Austin Peay State University to resist Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) recruitment on campus. Students petitioned the Office of Career Services, which invited the CIA to campus. The protesters were removed by force by the Clarksville Police Department as they questioned the CIA about their activities.

Speakers at the rally included U.S. Army veteran and concerned parent Lara Davis who said, “The CIA is responsible for or complicit in the killing of U.S. citizens, assassinations, torture, kidnapping, drug trafficking, overthrowing democratically elected governments and propping up military dictatorships and puppet governments.” Protesters surrounding the speakers held signs saying, “CIA off campus!”, “CIA, how many kids did you kill today?”, “CIA=Cocaine Importing Agency” and “Money for education, not for war!”

Another U.S. Army veteran and student, David Jennings said, “We stand in solidarity with Syrians in their struggle against CIA-trained and funded terrorists that compose the so-called ‘Free Syrian Army’.” The rally was part of a nationwide week of actions in solidarity with the anti-war and international solidarity activists raided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury two years ago this week.

After addressing the crowd opposing CIA crimes, protesters marched on the Office of Career Services and delivered a petition with over 125 signatures. The petition urged the university administration to uphold the student code of conduct – specifically that the university not allow any organization that routinely violates international law, commits human rights abuses, and/or operates in contradiction with the high standards outlined in the student code of conduct, to organize or recruit students on the Austin Peay State University campus.

Later, several people from the rally went into the CIA recruitment event and attempted to question the CIA representatives directly about their involvement in torture, assassinations, overthrowing democratically elected governments and other crimes. The CIA offered no response to these questions. Students handed out flyers with a timeline detailing the CIA’s nefarious actions since its establishment. The flyers called for an end to repression of anti-war and international solidarity activists. Then, members of the Clarksville police department forcibly dragged an SDS member out of the room, snatched the flyers out of his hands, and threatened to arrest everyone if they continued to hand out flyers, question the CIA, or otherwise exercise free speech and free assembly in the student union.

#ClarksvilleTN #AntiwarMovement #StudentMovement #StudentsForADemocraticSocietySDS #CIA #antiimperialism #AntiWar23 #AustinPeayStateUniversity