Omar Flores, of the Coalition to March on the RNC, stated, “We are very proud to announce that as of 11 a.m. today, we have reached a handshake agreement with the city of Milwaukee that will allow us to march within sight and sound of the Fiserv Forum. A member of the city attorney’s office will be observing the march at the very front, to make sure things go without a hitch.”

Flores continued, “This agreement is greatly beneficial to the coalition, as we can tell our partners that we can march on the route we want to without being impeded by the police. We are encouraging all of conscience to march on the RNC with our 125 endorsing organizations. Join us to fight against the Republicans’ racist and reactionary agenda, to stand with Palestine, to defend women’s, LGBTQ and reproductive rights, to defend and expand immigrant rights, and to advocate for peace, justice and equity for all.”

Protesters will begin gathering at 10 a.m. in Milwaukee’s Red Arrow Park, July 15. A rally is set for 11 a.m. followed by a march. 

“We are so overjoyed to be able to show that we can fight for our rights, and we can win,” stated Flores

#MilwaukeeWI #CoalitionToMarchOnTheRNC #CoalitionToMarchOnRNC #RNC2024 #RNC

Milwaukee, WI – Nearly 30 protesters with the Coalition to March on the RNC 2024 massed outside the Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee on the evening of August 22 to protest Riley Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer turned right-wing anti-trans personality. Protesters chanted “Transphobic, anti-gay, Riley Gaines, go away!” “Can’t swim Riley” and “Sore loser Riley” as they picketed outside the hotel. They carried a large banner that read “Stop trans genocide” and received a great deal of support from passing cars and people walking by.

Gaines originally gained notoriety in March 2022 for protesting the fact that she lost to transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in a NCAA 500-yard freestyle championship swim meet. She parlayed this loss – which included a fifth place tie with Thomas during the same meet in the 200-yard freestyle category – into her current grift. She’s now the director of the Riley Gaines Center at the Leadership Institute, has her own podcast, and is set for her own show on Fox News. She endorsed Florida governor Ron DeSantis for president.

Chrisley Carpio, a resident of Tampa, Florida who is facing ten years in prison and who is up against the type of political repression that Ron DeSantis personifies, was a special guest speaker at the event. She talked briefly about the Tampa 5, a group of young women activists that includes herself who were assaulted by police during a rally opposing cuts to DEI at the University of South Florida. She used this talking point to set up a broader message about the attacks on trans people in her state being championed by DeSantis.

“In Florida, we've seen more than half a dozen bills passed lately that deny the most basic things to trans people – and DeSantis started with the youth – from gender affirming healthcare, to gender expression in schools, to bathrooms, even to loving parents,” Carpio said. “We shouldn't wait for these attacks to spread from state to state, nor for Governor DeSantis to increase them as president. We should build a movement now, stomp out these transphobic policies, and sink DeSantis' presidential campaign before it takes off!”

Ahead of the first Republican primary debate, the nationally-recognized hate group Moms for Liberty, together with the Leadership Institute, held a couple of events on August 22. They would have had a third – a town hall with several of the Republican candidates for president – but two separate venues canceled the reservation as a result of community pressure.

With the Republican National Convention coming to Milwaukee in July of next year, many right-wing groups and personalities will be descending on the city over the coming months. Progressive forces are also getting organized to fight back against the racist and reactionary agenda of the Republicans, primarily through the Coalition to March on the RNC. The coalition has vowed to protest the Republicans and their surrogates at every turn whenever they come to Milwaukee.

#MilwaukeeWI #LGBTQRights #CoalitionToMarchOnTheRNC #sports #Tampa5 #RileyGaines

Milwaukee, WI – Cameras and microphones of news outlets were out in force the afternoon of August 5 as members of organizations hosted a press conference outside City Hall in downtown Milwaukee to announce the formation of the Coalition to March on the RNC 2024. The press conference came only a few hours after the decision of the Republican National Committee became official following a vote at their summer meeting in Chicago.

“Today we stand here, with our coalition partners, to make our intentions clear to the RNC and the city of Milwaukee: We will not let the Republicans and their reactionary ideas flourish in Milwaukee. We will not let them visit without resistance and without letting it be known that they are not welcome here, regardless of what our city officials say,” said Omar Flores of the Coalition to March on the RNC, the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO).

FRSO has a history of helping to lead coalition protests against the RNC, having done so in Minneapolis in 2008, Tampa in 2012 and Cleveland in 2016 (the in-person event in 2020 was canceled). They’ve also helped lead a protest against the Democratic National Convention when it was hosted in Milwaukee in 2020. The city of Milwaukee was less than accommodating over the course of organizing for the demonstration at the DNC. Organizers expect nothing less this time around with the RNC coming to town.

“We will be applying for a permit to march on the RNC, but we’ll be marching whether we have a permit or not,” Flores said. “We only hope that the city cooperates.”

“We are looking to unite all forces under the banner of our coalition who can be united with. As it was with our march on the DNC, we expect our event to take on a national character, with organizations from all around the U.S. joining us in our fight against the right,” Flores continued. “Folks from all walks of life that have a conscience, and want to fight against the Republican’s agenda, we invite you to join the mass march on the RNC in Milwaukee in 2024!”

Any groups or organizations interested in endorsing the coalition and becoming an official partner to the project should send inquiries to staff@marchonrnc2024.org. For more information about the coalition and what they’re up to, interested parties can follow their social media accounts on Facebook (@MarchOnTheRNC) and Instagram (@marchonrnc2024).

Fight against the Republican agenda! Defend and expand democratic rights! Demand peace, justice and equality!

#MilwaukeeWI #CoalitionToMarchOnTheRNC

The Coalition to March on the RNC is a national group that has experience organizing large marches against previous RNCs in Saint Paul (2008), Tampa (2012) and Cleveland (2016). The Coalition promised to march on the convention on August 27, with or without permits, but is glad that Trump has backed down and canceled his speaking event in Jacksonville. In his explanation, Trump mentioned two reasons for his decision, stating: “I said there's nothing more important in our country than keeping our people safe, whether it's from the China virus or the radical left mob.”

Trump’s words say a lot about his thinking. The comment describing the virus is openly racist and aimed to fuel anti-China feelings. Trump also indirectly admits the power that our growing movements are gaining this year in many areas of struggle. The Coalition to March on the RNC was organizing a march to be held on August 27 under the main slogan “We Can’t Breathe!” The slogan alluded to the popular uprising seen after the racist police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis earlier this summer. It is a good thing that Trump will no longer be speaking in Jacksonville.

Of note was the danger such an event would pose to people’s health and safety. Florida in general and Jacksonville in particular continue to see some of the highest rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the country. The RNC posed a serious health risk that working families and their communities did not want to take – not for a gathering of racist and right-wing bigots.

Activists all over the country should be proud that Trump has backed down after so many people began speaking out against holding the RNC in Jacksonville. After the recent repression seen in Portland at the hands of federal law enforcement officials, who unjustly arrested scores of people and whisked them away to unknown locations, it is a good thing to know that people are not intimidated and are fighting back and winning.

The time is right to continue organizing our movements, marching in the streets and fighting all forms of oppression. As the end of summer nears and the fall approaches, it will be important to continue struggling to defeat Donald Trump during the 2020 election. An important part of this struggle will play out in Milwaukee this August when the Coalition to March at the DNC marches to oppose Trump and hold the Democrats accountable to a progressive agenda. Everyone should continue to resist Trump’s backward, racist and reactionary policies as we fight for a better world.

#JacksonvilleFL #InJusticeSystem #PoliceBrutality #CoalitionToMarchOnTheRNC #Trump #COVID19

Jacksonville, FL – Members of the Coalition to March on the RNC applied for permits several weeks ago from the City of Jacksonville to march against Donald Trump and the Republican National Convention on August 27. After not receiving any response about the permit application for several weeks, the Coalition still plans to march against Trump and the RNC regardless of the city’s decision to issue or deny a permit for the march.

The Coalition to March on the RNC organized large protests against previous RNCs in 2008 (St. Paul), 2012 (Tampa), and 2016 (Cleveland). Thousands are expected to participate in the historic rally and march in Jacksonville. The event will begin with a rally including prominent speakers near the Duval County Clerk of Courts and will include a march through downtown Jacksonville. The march will pass within sight and sound of the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena and the Republicans.

The main slogan of the event is “We Can’t Breathe – Defeat Donald Trump.” The Coalition to March on the RNC is emphasizing the Black-led struggle against police brutality. The Coalition also stands for a people’s agenda – money for living wage jobs, education, universal healthcare, rights for immigrants, peace and equality.

Wells Todd, a main organizer of the event, says “The lack of police accountability nationwide, endless war, poverty wages, attacks on women’s rights, refusing to address climate change, the destruction of our public schools and the refusal by Trump to provide life-saving assistance during this pandemic are just a few of the reasons why we need to protest the RNC.”

On August 27, the Coalition to March on the RNC is preparing to march on the RNC at the same time as Donald Trump delivers his acceptance speech. Activists are traveling from all over the country to rally and march against the Republicans and the event is expected to be successful – regardless of whether the city issues permits or not.

#JacksonvilleFL #US #CoalitionToMarchOnTheRNC #DonaldTrump #2020RepublicanNationalConventionRNC #WeCantBreathe

On June 26, a national call was sent out by organizers in Jacksonville, Florida to join them in marching on the Republican National Convention. The main slogan of this action is “We Can’t Breathe – Defeat Donald Trump!” – a strong message in the midst of continuing protests stemming from the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and so many others.

On August 27, Donald Trump will be at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena to deliver an acceptance speech for his re-election bid for president. Organizers in Jacksonville have moved decisively to form the Coalition to March on the RNC to ensure that Trump is met with a massive response from the people.

1000 miles to the north, the Coalition to March on the Democratic National Convention has been organizing since April 2019 to lead a mass mobilization on the first day of the DNC in Milwaukee. The expressed goal of this coalition from the start has been the defeat of Donald Trump through the promotion of a broad people’s agenda and the strengthening of the people’s movements needed to win the demands.

This being the case, it has been unanimously agreed that the Coalition to March on the DNC has officially moved to endorse the action being organized by the Coalition to March on the RNC.

“Donald Trump is a racist; Donald Trump is a bigot; and Donald Trump is anti-worker,” said Ryan Hamann, co-chair of the Coalition to March on the DNC. “Trump has given lip-service to the movements in the streets, saying the killing of George Floyd was a ‘terrible thing,’ but these words are meaningless from a man who has instigated racist violence every step of the way on his march to the White House.”

Hamann continued, “The Coalition to March on the DNC is proud to endorse the action in Jacksonville against Trump. This president is the best representative of a system in its death throes. He is the wretched underbelly of this country exposed in all its infamy. The people will continue to rise to meet Trump wherever he is. Whether it’s at the ballot box or in the streets, we will beat him and all he stands for.”

#MilwaukeeWI #CoalitionToMarchOnTheRNC #CoalitionToMarchOnTheDNC

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following call from the Coalition to March on the RNC.

On Thursday, August 27, 2020 Donald Trump will be nominated to run for a second term of office by the Republican National Convention. He will deliver his acceptance speech in Jacksonville, Florida at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. On that day, the Coalition to March on the RNC will hold a demonstration and march through downtown Jacksonville in opposition to Trump and his right-wing, reactionary agenda. Everyone who wants to defeat Trump in November is invited to march with the coalition.

The main slogan of the event will be “We Can’t Breathe – Defeat Donald Trump.” The Coalition to March on the RNC plans to emphasize the Black-led struggle against police brutality under the past four years of Trump in office. The coalition itself is a national group of organizations and activists that demand justice, peace and equality. Many local community organizations in Jacksonville have joined together with groups around the U.S. and are preparing for the coalition’s August 27 demonstration.

The Trump administration has made the pandemic worse. We urge everyone who joins us in Jacksonville to wear masks and practice social distancing.

Members of the coalition organized large protests against previous Republican national conventions in 2008 (Minneapolis), 2012 (Tampa), and 2016 (Cleveland). The coalition expects thousands or more from all over to participate in the historic rally and march. The event will begin with a demonstration near the Duval County Clerk of Courts building, followed by march through downtown Jacksonville, passing within sight and sound of the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena.

On August 27, 2020, millions around the world will have eyes on Jacksonville. The people opposed to Donald Trump and his wretched policies must speak out against injustice and struggle to build a movement capable of defeating his agenda. Trump has failed to protect the health and safety of working people and our communities during the pandemic. His time in office must end. The Coalition to March on the RNC invites everyone who loves peace, justice and equality to join our work and participate in the demonstration.

-- We Can’t Breathe – Defeat Donald Trump!

-- Stop Police Crimes! Community Control of the Police Now!

-- Jobs and Income Now! Extend and Expand Unemployment Insurance!

-- Stop Attacks on Immigrants! Legalization, Not Deportations!

-- Peace, Justice, and Equality for All!

For more information, or to endorse the upcoming event, please email the Coalition to March on the RNC at MarchOnRNCJAX@gmail.com.

#JacksonvilleFL #ImmigrantRights #CapitalismAndEconomy #PoorPeoplesMovements #StudentMovement #InJusticeSystem #Labor #OppressedNationalities #US #Healthcare #CoalitionToMarchOnTheRNC #Antiracism #Elections #DonaldTrump #2020RepublicanNationalConventionRNC

Jacksonville, FL – The Coalition to March on the RNC applied for permits from the city of Jacksonville, June 17, to hold a rally and march opposed to Donald Trump and the Republican National Convention.

The main slogan of the event will be “We Can’t Breathe – Defeat Donald Trump.” The Coalition to March on the RNC will seek to emphasize the Black-led struggle against police brutality under the past four years of Trump in office. The Coalition also stands for a people’s agenda – money for living-wage jobs, education, universal healthcare, peace and equality.

The Coalition to March on the RNC is a national formation of community organizations and activists that seeks to defeat Donald Trump and stop his right-wing, reactionary agenda. The rally and march will take place on August 27, on the day Donald Trump gives his acceptance speech at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in downtown Jacksonville.

Members of the Coalition to March on the RNC organized large protests against previous Republican national conventions in 2008 (Minneapolis), 2012 (Tampa), and 2016 (Cleveland). The Coalition expects thousands or more from all around the United States to participate in the historic rally and march. The event will consist of a rally with prominent speakers near the Duval County Clerk of Courts building, followed by march through downtown Jacksonville, passing within sight and sound of the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena.

According to a Coalition statement, “On August 27, 2020, millions around the world will have eyes on Jacksonville. The people opposed to Donald Trump and his wretched policies must speak out against injustice and struggle to build a movement capable of defeating his agenda.”

For more information, please email the Coalition to March on the RNC at MarchOnRNCJAX@gmail.com.

#JacksonvilleFL #ImmigrantRights #PoorPeoplesMovements #StudentMovement #InJusticeSystem #Labor #OppressedNationalities #US #SpecialCoverage #PoliceBrutality #CoalitionToMarchOnTheRNC #DonaldTrump #2020RepublicanNationalConventionRNC

Cleveland, OH – Organizers from the Coalition to Stop Trump and March on the RNC hit the streets of downtown Cleveland, July, 15, taking out the word about the national protest set for the opening day of the Republican National Convention.

Unfurling a large anti-Trump banner in Mall A, located on Saint Clair Avenue and Mall Drive, activists leafleted passersbys and gave many interviews to the media that is covering the upcoming convention.

Mick Kelly, of the Coalition to Stop Trump and March on the RNC states, “We let the people of Cleveland know that Mall A is the place and 12:00 noon is the time to rally against the bigot Trump and the Republican agenda.”

Danya Zituni of National Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), who is in Cleveland to build for the protest said, “SDS has hosted ‘Dump Trump’ protests on campuses across the country. Trump has been a major rallying point for white supremacists, and we believe everyone should join this protest against him.”

The activists then moved to Cleveland Public Square where many people said they looked forward to the protest and posed for photos in front of the banner.

Also present in the Square were members of the immigrant rights activists from the Faith, Life, and Hope Mission, who, under the leadership of Father Jose Landaverde, were concluding a 26-day march from Chicago to Cleveland to show opposition to Trump and supporting legalization for all. They are planning on joining the July 18 march on the RNC.

#ClevelandOH #Elections #US #PeoplesStruggles #CoalitionToMarchOnTheRNC #Antiracism #Antifascism #DumpTrump

The Coalition to March on the RNC, with an impressive list of endorsers demanding, “Good jobs, affordable education, health care, equality and peace,” led the largest of several events protesting the Republicans and their right-wing agenda of hate and war. The Freedom Road Socialist Organization played an active role in the Coalition to March on the RNC in 2012, just as it did in 2008 when protesters marched on the RNC in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

We are well aware that police intelligence operations began soon after we announced our plans to march on the Republicans the year before the RNC.

We also know the dedicated and hard-working activists who led the meetings, press conferences, planning sessions and the big march itself. While we are open and democratic with many people participating, the leadership of the Coalition to March on the RNC consisted of a close-knit group of young friends. They went to college together and knew each other since before they were even interested in politics. While many activists came forward and played important roles in organizing against the Republicans, we are confident in our leadership and clear about the empty boasting by the police.

The leaders of the Coalition to March on the RNC made plans that were both politically and tactically sound, and successfully carried them out even when the state tried to impose a ‘clean zone’ around the RNC itself. The march was a big success and saw virtually no deviation from the plan. We captured the political spotlight that day, despite hurricane rains that caused the Republicans to cancel their opening day. The media covered our march with its people’s demands instead of Mitt Romney’s right-wing agenda of the 1%.

However, this does not prove that the police or other law enforcement agencies did not send spies and provocateurs into organizations mobilizing against the RNC that year – in fact, we know that the enemy has infiltrated the movement before and certainly conducted surveillance of social justice organizers in 2012. No one who loves peace and justice is unaware of the heavy amount of surveillance and repression of activists and community organizers carried out on a daily basis by the state and its agents. What is important is to take a stand against disruption and repression, and for activists to look out for each other and show solidarity with those under attack.

The repression of those who fight for peace and justice is part of the long history of state repression that organizers and revolutionaries, often anarchists and communists, face. This account serves as a backdrop for important conclusions to be drawn about the nature of state repression today and the enemy's spying on the 2012 RNC protests in Tampa, Florida.

The police and law enforcement agencies hate activists and organizers who fight for a better world and will do anything to suppress them or stop them from achieving their goals. This fact was well known to those who organized in Tampa in 2012, and to other forces in movements like Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter.

It is certain that the police sent spies to meetings, marches and rallies – with the purpose to disrupt, divide and destroy an open, democratic and progressive march and other protest events against the Republicans. It is even likely that some of the police spies stuck around after the march was over in Tampa, as was the case with police spy “Karen Sullivan” in Minneapolis-Saint Paul in 2008. If so, then they have failed to meet their objectives and instead have witnessed a growing people's movement in Florida and the rest of the country that is resistant to provocateurs, sabotage, co-option and wrecking by the enemies of the people.

The Coalition to March on the RNC's event was a huge success despite Tropical Storm Isaac soaking Tampa on the day of the big march. That day, veteran activists along with new organizers dealt a blow to the 1%, the imperialist class in the U.S. Just as police spies and all the forces of nature could not impede the march on the RNC in Tampa, so too will the oppressed and the working class ultimately emerge victorious against capitalism.

#UnitedStates #Editorials #FreedomRoadSocialistOrganization #2012RepublicanNationalConvention #CoalitionToMarchOnTheRNC #RepublicanNationalConvention2012 #PoliticalRepression

Tampa, FL – According to an August 3 report in the Tampa Bay Times, Major Marc Hamlin, the head of Special Operations for the Tampa Police Department, is boasting about the political spying carried out at the 2012 Republican National Convention.

The article states, “Normally, police wouldn't acknowledge, let alone discuss, such an undercover operation. But Hamlin talked a little about the 2012 RNC efforts Monday because the secret was already out. Last month, a reporter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, attending a maritime security conference in Cleveland (which is hosting the 2016 RNC), heard him describe how police managed to join and ‘take over' protest groups.”

Over 1000 people rallied and marched in the streets of Tampa, August 27, 2012, to demand good jobs, affordable education, healthcare, equality and peace. Although the Republicans canceled the first day of their convention due to Tropical Storm Isaac, organizers with the Coalition to March on the RNC went through with their promise to march to the site of the convention.

Local authorities tried to block the protest by imposing a repressive ‘Clean Zone,’ which limited First Amendment rights and also refused to grant permits for the mass march until the last moment. The city was forced to give the permits due to a public outcry and the stand of protest organizers that the march on the site of the RNC would take place “with or without permits.”

Jared Hamil, who was an organizer of the Coalition to March on the RNC states, “The cops say they infiltrated protest groups during the preparation for the March on the RNC. I’m not surprised they tried, but that didn't stop us from holding a successful mass march that told the Republicans, and the 1% they serve, to go home. They tried the same thing in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 2008. It just shows you that you can't really reason with the cops or the politicians that answer to the rich and powerful.”

A number of smaller protests also took place during the course of the Tampa RNC.

Pattern of government spying and repression

“Government spying and repression targeting protests has long been a standard feature at conventions of the major political parties,” stated Mick Kelly, of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, who helped to organize the mass marches at the 2008 RNC in Saint Paul and again in Tampa in 2012.

Kelly relates that in the run up to the 2008 RNC protests, a police officer going by the name of “Karen Sullivan” came into the Anti-War Committee, one of the of the core organizations in Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War. Sullivan stayed on after the convention where she, along with another agent, prepared the groundwork for the Sept. 24, 2010 raids, when over 70 FBI agents simultaneously invaded the homes and served grand jury subpoenas to prominent anti-war and international solidarity activists in Minneapolis, Chicago, and the Michigan city of Grand Rapids.

Kelly was among those whose home was raided by the FBI.

In total, 23 activists were summoned to a grand jury investigating trumped up ‘material support of terrorism’ charges. None those subpoenaed testified, but ongoing investigation led to arrests, on trumped up charges, of veteran Los Angeles Chicano leader Carlos Montes and the Chicago-based Palestinian American leader Rasmea Odeh.

The attempt to jail Montes was defeated, and he was one of the main speakers at the 2012 protest in Tampa. A national effort is currently underway to prevent the imprisonment and deportation of Odeh.

Fernando Figueroa, who came to Tampa in 2012 to help organize the march on the RNC states, “We had no doubt then, and the Tampa police are confirming what we have long known – the police spy on and work to repress those of us who fight for freedom, justice and equality. I am proud that we worked hard to create plans for the protest among a close circle of young friends who had known each other for half of their lives and only recently begun organizing at the time. We also worked hard to organize the march the RNC and did a great job.”

Weighing legal action

According to the Tamp Bay Times article, “Organizing for the undercover operations began as soon as police began planning for the Republican convention, which took place the last week of August 2012.

‘You're only as good as your intelligence,’ Hamlin said. ‘Everything else is reactive.’”

Kelly states that organizers of the 2012 protest are consulting with attorneys about a possible legal response to the admitted spying. “We need to expose and oppose political repression any time that it takes place. In the past we have gone to court in order to get information that shines a light on the FBI investigation directed against us. We are talking with lawyers about what avenues might be open to us to find out exactly what the Tampa police were up to in 2012.”

Sol Márquez, who was a spokesperson for the Coalition to March on the RNC in 2012 stated, “We marched for good jobs, health care, affordable education, equality and peace, and undercover police carried out all kinds of surveillance. This is type of country we live in, and the struggle must continue. I would organize against the RNC all over again and plan on being present at the next one!”

#TampaFL #CoalitionToMarchOnTheRNC #PoliticalRepression

Tampa, FL – According to an August 3 report in the Tampa Bay Times, Major Marc Hamlin, the head of Special Operations for the Tampa Police Department, is boasting about the political spying carried out at the 2012 Republican National Convention.

The article states, “Normally, police wouldn't acknowledge, let alone discuss, such an undercover operation. But Hamlin talked a little about the 2012 RNC efforts Monday because the secret was already out. Last month, a reporter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, attending a maritime security conference in Cleveland (which is hosting the 2016 RNC), heard him describe how police managed to join and ‘take over; protest groups.”

Over 1000 people rallied and marched in the streets of Tampa, August 27, 2012, to demand good jobs, affordable education, healthcare, equality and peace. Although the Republicans canceled the first day of their convention due to Tropical Storm Isaac, organizers with the Coalition to March on the RNC went through with their promise to march to the site of the convention.

Local authorities tried to block the protest by imposing a repressive ‘Clean Zone,’ which limited First Amendment rights and also refused to grant permits for the mass march until the last moment. The city was forced to give the permits due to a public outcry and the stand of protest organizers that the march on the site of the RNC would take place “with or without permits.”

Jared Hamil, who was an organizer of the Coalition to March on the RNC states, “The cops say they infiltrated protest groups during the preparation for the March on the RNC. I’m not surprised they tried, but that didn't stop us from holding a successful mass march that told the Republicans, and the 1% they serve, to go home. They tried the same thing in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 2008. It just shows you that you can't really reason with the cops or the politicians that answer to the rich and powerful.”

A number of smaller protests also took place during the course of the Tampa RNC.

Pattern of government spying and repression

“Government spying and repression targeting protests has long been a standard feature at conventions of the major political parties,” stated Mick Kelly, of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, who helped to organize the mass marches at the 2008 RNC in Saint Paul and again in Tampa in 2012.

Kelly relates that in the run -p to the 2008 RNC protests, a police officer going by the name of “Karen Sullivan” came into the Anti-War Committee, one of the of the core organizations in Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War. Sullivan stayed on after the convention where she, along with another agent, prepared the groundwork for the Sept. 24, 2010 raids, when over 70 FBI agents simultaneously invaded the homes and served grand jury subpoenas to prominent anti-war and international solidarity activists in Minneapolis, Chicago, and the Michigan city of Grand Rapids.

Kelly was among those whose home was raided by the FBI.

In total, 23 activists were summoned to a grand jury investigating trumped up ‘material support of terrorism’ charges. None those subpoenaed testified, but ongoing investigation led to arrests, on trumped up charges, of veteran Los Angeles Chicano leader Carlos Montes and the Chicago-based Palestinian American leader Rasmea Odeh.

The attempt to jail Montes was defeated, and he was one of the main speakers at the 2012 protest in Tampa. A national effort is currently underway to prevent the imprisonment and deportation of Odeh.

Fernando Figueroa, who came to Tampa in 2012 to help organize the march on the RNC states, “We had no doubt then, and the Tampa police are confirming what we have long known – the police spy on and work to repress those of us who fight for freedom, justice and equality. I am proud that we worked hard to create plans for the protest among a close circle of young friends who had known each other for half of their lives and only recently begun organizing at the time. We also worked hard to organize the march the RNC and did a great job.”

Weighing legal action

According to the Tamp Bay Times article, “Organizing for the undercover operations began as soon as police began planning for the Republican convention, which took place the last week of August 2012. ‘You're only as good as your intelligence,’ Hamlin said. ‘Everything else is reactive.’”

Kelly states that organizers of the 2012 protest are consulting with attorneys about a possible legal response to the admitted spying. “We need to expose and oppose political repression any time that it takes place. In the past we have gone to court in order to get obtain information that a shines a light on the FBI investigation directed against us. We are talking with lawyers about what avenues might be open to us to bring find out exactly what the Tampa police were up to in 2012.”

Sol Márquez, who was a spokesperson for the Coalition to March on the RNC in 2012 stated, “We marched for good jobs, health care, affordable education, equality and peace, and undercover police carried out all kinds of surveillance. This is type of country we live in, and the struggle must continue. I would organize against the RNC all over again and plan on being present at the next one!”

#TampaFL #CoalitionToMarchOnTheRNC #PoliticalRepression

Tampa, FL – Over 1000 people rallied and marched in the streets of Tampa, August 27, to demand good jobs, affordable education, healthcare, equality and peace. Although the Republicans canceled the first day of their convention due to Tropical Storm Isaac, organizers with the Coalition to March on the RNC went through with their promise to march to the site of the convention to show their opposition to the agenda of the 1%.

The rally began at Perry Harvey Sr. Park at 10:00 a.m. with speakers, followed by a march through the streets of Tampa.

Notable speakers included Carlos Montes, a leading immigrant rights leader; Joe Iosbaker, an anti-war leader; Skye Schmelzer, representative of the National Students for a Democratic Society; and Medea Benjamin, a co-founder of Code Pink.

Organizations present included Students for a Democratic Society, Veterans for Peace, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, five Florida Occupy chapters, six Fight Back Florida chapters, Dream Defenders, United National Antiwar Coalition, the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, International Action Center, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Code Pink, four Florida AFL-CIO labor councils, and Region 3 of AFSCME Council 79.

Organizer Fernando Figueroa stated, “Today we took a stand with more than 1000 people against the Republicans and their agenda of hatred, poverty and war. Today we stand up for all the good things people need and to strike a blow against those who deprive us that.”

#TampaFL #RNC2012 #CoalitionToMarchOnTheRNC #1 #RepublicanNationalConvention2012

Jared Hamil, a lead organizer, stated, “We are going to march rain or shine.”

#TampaFL #RNC2012 #CoalitionToMarchOnTheRNC #RepublicanNationalConvention2012

Today, August 25, has seen student and labor activists hitting the streets of Tampa, including the major intersections surrounding Perry Harvey, Sr. Park – the site of the march on the RNC, to display the lead banner for the march, and to reach out to the surrounding communities. Motorists passing by honked their horns in a show of solidarity with the five demands set forth by the Coalition to March on the RNC: Good jobs, healthcare, affordable education, equality and peace.

“Reaching out to the working class neighborhoods felt really empowering, especially with the massive amount of support we saw from the community,” Michael Sampson, a student organizer from Florida State University in Tallahassee said. Thousands of fliers were passed out through the surrounding neighborhoods, which were happily received by the people who lived there, and many of whom committed to attending the protest on Monday.

“The people were happy to see us, were glad to receive fliers through their car windows, and plan to join us at our rally and march on Monday. Most people gave us the thumbs up, while people in luxury cars shook their heads at us. The level of excitement in Tampa continues to grow,” said Tom Burke, a national organizer with the Coalition to March on the RNC.

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Tampa, FL – Joe Iosbaker, a spokesperson for the largest anti-war coalition in the U.S., the United National Antiwar Coalition, spoke at a press conference here, August 24, stating that the peace movement will be joining the mass march on the Republican National Convention. “The Republicans have never met a war they didn’t like,” said Iosbaker. “They support all the wars the U.S. government is waging right now. We are going to march on the RNC and say no to the wars being waged on behalf of the 1%.”

Jared Hamil, a spokesperson for the Coalition to March on the RNC, talked about plans to deal with Tropical Storm Isaac, and stressed that the march on the RNC will take place rain or shine.

Marisol Marquez of Students Working for Equal Rights stated, “Racist hate laws like Arizona’s SB1070 are a direct reflection of how the parties of the 1% are not serving for the people. The ‘legitimate rape’ comments from the Republicans just days ago, were so obviously anti-me, anti-women’s groups that make up our Coalition, like Code Pink and Pinellas Now, and generally anti-women. The parties of the 1% will stop at nothing unless we do something to oppose their oppressiveness. So on Monday, August 27, at 10:00 a.m. I will be joining the Coalition to March on The RNC to say no to their hateful agenda as well as to demand good jobs, healthcare, affordable education, equality and peace.”

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Jared Hamil, spokesperson for the Coalition, announced several speakers who will greet the August 27 protest. They will include Carlos Montes, a prominent immigrant rights and anti-war leader from Los Angeles and James Lingley, Vice President of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1205. He also announced that Region 3 of AFSCME Council 79, representing 17 different local chapters, has also endorsed the Coalition to March on the RNC. Organizers are looking forward to the massive demonstration set for next week.

“Even until the final days before the event, we will continue to unite all groups and individuals that oppose the agenda of the Republicans and 1% and support a people’s agenda of good jobs, healthcare, affordable education, equality and peace,” said Hamil.

The recent endorsement by Get Equal, an LGBTQ rights group, was announced by Felipe Sousa-Rodriguez, who is the national field director of that organization. He also blasted the Republican Party for their attacks on the rights of LGBTQ and undocumented people.

The struggle for equality was also supported by Marisol Marquez in a prepared statement:

“On August 27, the parties of the 1% will continue to try oppressing immigrants and those who are LGBTQ. We will be there full-force to say no to their continued efforts to oppress us.” Marquez is a member of Students Working for Equal Rights at the University of South Florida.

The possibility of Tropical Depression Isaac entering the Gulf of Mexico and escalating to a larger storm caused questions from reporters. “We will be here on Monday morning to oppose the Republican Agenda, rain or shine,” said Mick Kelly of the Coalition to March on the RNC.

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Marisol Marquez of Students Working for Equal Rights states, “While undocumented students working tirelessly to pursue a higher education are being reported, the rich Republicans continue getting richer. The Republicans rejoice in their racism when undocumented students keep dying while fighting the rich man's war. While Deferred Action applications are being filled by hopeful immigrants, the rich try scamming them out of thousands of dollars with the promise of immediate citizenship.”

“The City of Tampa will be hosting the RNC, August 27. There, the richest bigots will gather to proclaim continued efforts to push their agenda that is filled with racism. At the Coalition to March on the RNC rally, we will be demanding equality along with our other four demands: good jobs, health care, affordable education and peace,” Marisol concluded.

One of the most prominent immigrant rights leaders in the county, Carlos Montes of the South California Immigration Coalition, will be traveling from Los Angeles to speak at the protest. “The immigrant rights movement is watching what happens in Tampa,” states Montes. “With legislation like SB1070 in Arizona, we know that the Republican Party has been waging a war on immigrants. I am proud to stand with the Coalition to March on the RNC.”

The August 27 RNC protest will begin with a 10:00 a.m. rally at Perry Harvey Sr. Park, located at 1200 N. Orange Ave in Tampa, FL. After speakers greet the crowd, demonstrators will join the permitted march to the Tampa Bay Times Forum – the site of the RNC – around noon.

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Tampa, FL – Standing in front of a wall of TV cameras and reporters, organizers from Coalition to March on the RNC spoke at a press conference here, August 14, giving important updates on the plans for the massive August 27 march that will coincide with the opening day of the Republican National Convention.

Jared Hamil, a spokesperson for the Coalition to March on the Republican National Convention, said “Thousands of people from around the country will be uniting to say no to the Republican and 1% agenda. We are here to promote a true people’s agenda, not an agenda of poverty, hate and war.”

Skye Schmelzer, the Student Coordinator for the Coalition to March on the RNC, stated, “This year the student debt crisis has reached a record high. Students are fed up with being ignored and marginalized by the parties of the 1%. Hundreds of students will march alongside people from all walks of life on August 27, the opening day of the RNC, to demand good jobs, healthcare, affordable education, equality and peace.”

The Coalition to March on the RNC has drawn major support from the labor movement. Fernando Figueroa, the Statewide Coordinator for the Coalition to March on the RNC, said, “Labor Councils and unions are mobilizing from across the state and across the country. On August 27 there will be Central Labor Councils mobilizing from Pensacola, Jacksonville, and Gainesville to protest the RNC. Members of trade unions like the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), the Teamsters and the International Association of Machinists will be marching in the streets alongside students, immigrants and community members to say no to the 1% and both their parties.”

Marisol Marquez with Students Working for Equal Rights in Tampa said, “Today is the beginning of Deferred Action Application submissions for undocumented youth. We know Deferred Action is not the end goal for the undocumented population. So on August 27, Tampa Students Working for Equal Rights along with the Dream Defenders, the Student Farm Worker Alliance and other immigrant rights groups from across the nation will be demanding equality for the undocumented.”

Mick Kelly, one of the main organizers of the massive 2008 RNC protest in Saint Paul, Minnesota also spoke at the press conference. “People from around the country are looking forward to marching on the RNC in Tampa. The Republican Party is waging a war on the working people of this country. We have had enough,” said Kelly.

The August 27 RNC protest will begin with a 10:00 a.m. rally at Perry Harvey Sr. Park, located at 1200 N. Orange Ave in Tampa. After speakers greet the crowd, demonstrators will march to the Tampa Bay Times Forum – the site of the RNC – around noon.

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