Jacksonville, FL – On September 12, the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance (JIRA) led a car caravan toward the immigration camp in Baker, dubbed Baker Cruelty Camp, to protest the torturous conditions those within are subjected to.

30 brave people marched in solidarity, including members of other activist groups, such as the Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance (TIRA).

With an increase in ICE activity throughout Jacksonville, the local grassroots organization has naturally kept its eye on the nearest detainment camp in Baker County, where residents of Duval County will be taken when arrested by ICE agents.

Recently, there have been hunger strikes by the detainees inside, and while they may have recently ended, the fight has not. Especially when detainees are being denied necessities like clean food and water and necessary medication, leading to severe seizures and, most recently, a case of death due to a detainee being denied his insulin.

The JIRA-led caravan came to a nearby park, where those participating marched to the camp itself in protest. From outside the gates, protesters were able to hear detainees inside banging on their windows and calling out in solidarity.

A member of JIRA stated, “The fire within us, whatever the conditions we face, cannot and will not die. The fire of the people unites us all, beyond the walls of these camps, and the people united will never be defeated.”

JIRA’s end goal is legalization for all, which would eliminate the need for things like Temporary Protected Status, which has been proven can be snatched away at any moment. In the meantime, JIRA continues the fight on the streets to defend the rights of immigrants.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #JIRA #TIRA

Jacksonville, FL – On Tuesday, August 8, community members of the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network (JPSN) mobilized to Jacksonville City Council to demand the Police and Fire Pension Fund Board of Trustees not reinvest into TEVA Pharmaceuticals and divest its investment portfolios from Israel and Israeli companies.

TEVA Pharmaceuticals is a predatory company that helped fuel the fentanyl crisis, and it functions as an economic and societal pillar of the genocidal, war-mongering state of Israel. Despite the Jacksonville’s Police and Fire Pension Fund (PFPF) being in a 45% underfunded state of crisis, it currently has $200 million invested in Israeli bonds with $2 million invested into TEVA Pharmaceutical junk bonds specifically, one of which is up for renewal on October 1, less than a month away.

The press conference at the start of the mobilization served as the official launch of the new campaign, detailing reasons for the community and the PFPF board to act with urgency on the matter of divestment.

JPSN’s press representative stated, “While everyday Jacksonville residents are struggling to afford basic medical care, in just the past decade, Teva has been found guilty in multiple lawsuits, settling for billions of dollars for fraudulence and drug price fixing.”

Public comment from community members echoed shared sentiments of struggling to afford basic needs and advocated for better funding for social programs. One speaker stated, “The $2 million invested into TEVA could provide 20 million meals, according to Feeding America, for Jacksonville families that have recently experienced a lapse in SNAP benefits.”

Speakers presented the case that investments in companies like TEVA are a root cause of skyrocketing city debt that diverts funds from the community.

Immediately after the mobilization, members of JPSN conversed with Jacksonville residents and found unity on the demands that our tax dollars should benefit the people of Jacksonville, not an Israeli foreign corporate entity, that repeatedly breaks U.S. laws, actively chooses to harm our communities, drains local resources, and perpetuates the genocide of the Palestinian people.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #AntiWarMovement #BDS #Palestine #TevaPharmaceuticals

Jacksonville, FL – On the evening of September 3, at Memorial Park, dozens gathered for Asia Bennett’s vigil.

The gathering was held in memory of Asia Bennett, 22, who was fatally shot by Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Deputies (JSO) on August 11, 2026. Bennett was a victim of domestic violence, and she needed help. JSO instead shot her twice.

Body-worn camera footage was released to the family weeks later. Relatives have since stated that the recording contradicts the official account provided by JSO officials in the days after the incident.

Those close to Bennett describe her as a gentle and kind individual. The vigil drew many families who have experienced similar losses due to police encounters. Representatives from A Mother's Cry, a support organization for mothers who have lost children to police violence, addressed the crowd. Each speaker shared a personal account of loss, and each echoed a consistent sentiment: Bennett posed no threat and should have survived the encounter.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump also attended, offering praise to the ongoing work of the Jacksonville Community Action Committee (JCAC). He pledged to continue pursuing accountability in Bennett's case and emphasized that they would be “focused like a laser until they get justice for Asia.”

Speakers pointed to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office’s growing budget, which has increased in recent cycles despite repeated incidents involving the use of deadly force. The agency has the largest portion of the city’s budget, yet questions persist regarding its ability to respond appropriately to domestic violence calls without resorting to lethal action.

Community advocates have issued a series of demands, including: criminal convictions for the officers involved, rather than administrative reassignment or paid leave; establishment of a civilian-led Public Safety Committee to provide independent oversight of police conduct; creation of a Mental Health Emergency Response Team staffed by professionals trained in de-escalation techniques, and, an end to police violence in Jacksonville, with advocates citing the need to prevent further loss of life.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #InJusticeSystem #JCAC #KillerCops #Feature

Jacksonville, FL – On September 3, over 20 supporters from around Jacksonville, Florida attended a pro-Venezuela film screening hosted by the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network (JPSN). Attendees watched The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. The documentary is a firsthand account of the failed 2002 CIA coup attempt against elected Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. It was produced by Irish filmmakers Kim Bartley and Donnacha Ó Briain.

After the film, JPSN’s Hands Off Latin America work team chair and recently released political prisoner Conor Cauley led a film discussion and comparison of the 2002 coup to the current situation in Venezuela. One common theme in that discussion was that corporate media continues to be a favorite weapon of Wall Street and the U.S. government.

In 2002, much of the failed coup attempt was done in direct collaboration with the reactionary news outlets inside of Venezuela. They employed false claims of Chavez supporters shooting at protestors. Some of the privately owned news outlets directly collaborated with CIA-aligned traitors inside the Venezuelan military to organize and execute the coup strategy.

Today, some of those same channels, which represent the wealthy right-wing political minority in Venezuela, work with the U.S. to sell the kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduro and Celia Flores to the American people. In tandem, we see U.S. corporate media excluding from their coverage massive pro-Maduro demonstrations in Venezuela. They also give little attention to the growing number of people here in the U.S. who insist President Maduro and First Lady Flores be released. There is little coverage of American opposition calling for Trump to end his so-called “Donroe Doctrine” attacks on Venezuela, or to lift the U.S. sanctions, or to return control of Venezuelan oil.

After the discussion, participants worked together to write letters to Florida Senators Rick Scott and Ashley Moody. The group is writing to reinforce demands being circulated by the Anti-War Action Network (AWAN) to end all U.S. sanctions on Venezuela, unfreeze all Venezuelan assets, and free Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and First Lady Flores.

“Some people might be wondering why we organized this event for Venezuela if we’re a Palestine organization,” said AWAN steering committee member Ryan Delaney, as they recruited attendees at JPSN’s outreach table.

Delaney answered the question, “But JPSN’s analysis is that we aren’t free until everyone is free. That means if we want to fight for Palestine, especially from here in the U.S., that’s a fight against the whole U.S. war machine that makes genocide and Zionist occupation possible. If we want to fight for Palestine, we need to fight for Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, Lebanon, Yemen; we have to fight for everyone else that’s been bound up in the fight against U.S. wars and interventions. So, when a longstanding ally to the Palestinian cause like President Nicolas Maduro gets kidnapped by the U.S., after winning an election where the main opposition party was openly campaigning on Zionism, we as a Palestine solidarity organization need to respond.”

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #JPSN #AWAN #Maduro

Tampa, FL- On September 1, the Tampa chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held a rally, formally launching a sanctuary campus campaign. The call for a sanctuary campus at USF comes with demands such as “No collaboration with ICE,” “End 287(g) cooperation with ICE,” “Protect immigrant and undocumented students” and “No Customs and Border Patrol at career fairs.”

SDS member Ryan Freymueller spoke, “Immigrant, undocumented and international students are an irreplaceable part of this campus We are here today to tell USF administration that we see our peers, we value them, and we will defend them.”

The energy of the rally matched this sentiment with chants such as “Power to the people, no one is illegal!” and “USF, shame on you, protect your immigrant students too!”

For the University of South Florida, a sanctuary campus means enacting policies that protect undocumented students and staff from immigration and customs enforcement. The Trump administration has prided itself on its violent and aggressive tactics toward immigrant communities by utilizing ICE, police and the National Guard. Additionally, the University of South Florida currently has an active 287(g) agreement, allowing campus police officers to act as ICE agents.

Earlier this year, the Florida Board of Governors voted to ban undocumented students from the state college system. A proposal for the same policy in the state university system was passed this month. Meanwhile, federal law does not prohibit undocumented students from obtaining higher education.

The campaign for a sanctuary campus at USF is also supported by Tampa Immigrants’ Rights Committee (TIRC). The Tampa Immigrants’ Rights Committee is part of the national network Legalization for All. The students at the University of South Florida will continue this campaign through the fall semester.

#TampaFL #FL #StudentMovement #ImmigrantRights #ICE #SanctuaryCampus #UniversityofSouthFlorida

Abraham Flores-Tercero was brought into the federal courtroom wearing shackles, dehumanizing him from the second he walked in the door. Abraham, who doesn't speak much English, had to make his plea in Spanish to a translator, who repeatedly interrupted him.

Flores-Tercero gave an emotional speech, begging to be deported, as he had plans to move his family to Nicaragua. Judge Winsor showed no humanity. Winsor simply ignored Abraham's plea and aimed to “make an example” out of him. Winsor sentenced Abraham to two years in federal prison before his deportation, so it would act as a “deterrent” to others.

Since August 21, Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance (TIRA) began circulating a petition to build publicity around Abraham's mistreatment by Judge Winsor leading up to his hearing in the appeals court.

The petition reads: “Trump appointed Judge Alan Winsor sentenced Abraham Flores twice the precedented time for entering into the U.S. undocumented. He ignored Flores' plea to be deported and instead stated the sentence needed to be increased, because he would want to visit his family and should serve as an example to others. Additionally, his ruling is very likely an example of double jeopardy, since he considered a 20-year-old previous charge when justifying his decision. Judge Winsor should face disciplinary action for his mismanagement of the case of Abraham Flores for his bias. In this time of increased prejudice, we must hold our officials accountable. The US judicial system must treat all people under trial impartially. Help Abraham Flores receive a fair trial with a fair outcome.”

Take part in the Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance's stand against judicial repression of immigrants and get justice for Abraham Flores: sign the petition.

Judge Winsor has an extensive history of attacking people’s rights. Winsor defends bans on same sex marriages and attacks women's reproductive rights.

#TallahasseeFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #InjusticeSystem #ICE #Deportations #AbrahamFloresTercero

Jacksonville, FL – On Saturday, August 15, community members and leaders of Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network (JPSN) rallied to demand an end to the U.S.-Israeli continued murder of Palestinian journalists.

The event was just five days after the anniversary of the martyrdom of Anas Al-Sharif, an award-winning frontline Palestinian journalist. Al-Sharif was murdered by a targeted airstrike on August 10, 2025, by the Israeli occupation forces.

The rally featured several speakers from JPSN who shared stories of the martyred journalists. People understand the journalists as the bearers of truth who risk their lives every day to capture the horrors of Israeli occupation for the world to see.

Reporting from Gaza has been in significant decline due to the systematic targeting of Palestinian journalists. Since the start of the escalated genocide in Gaza on October 7, 2023, there has been a recorded 242 Palestinian journalists killed by the Israeli occupation forces.

The loved ones of journalists are targets as well, with many families of journalists killed by the Israeli forces. Even after death, their stories and their voices live on through the steadfastness of the Palestinian people and their unified resistance.

Immediately after the rally, JPSN hosted a vigil to honor all of the martyred journalists, reading aloud the wills of Anas Al-Sharif, Saleh Aljafawari, and Hossam Shabat. This was followed by a moment of silence. Just as Palestinian journalists resolve to report on the war and genocide in the face of death, Jacksonville protesters promised to continue their solidarity effort to not let free speech die.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #Gaza #JPSN

Tallahassee, FL – On August 17, the Leon County Commission held a public hearing regarding the proposed Historic Harms amendment to the county charter. From the pressure of about a dozen speakers and the presence of dozens more, the commission voted 5-2 to advance the amendment to the November ballot for all county citizens to vote on. Commissioners Brian Welch and Christian Caban voted against the amendment. 

The Historic Harms amendment, if passed, would require the county to periodically investigate past county policies and determine what kind of harms were caused to certain geographic areas due to those policies.

The state of Florida’s SB 1134, which would end funding opportunities for programs based on diversity, equity, and inclusion or any programs that even seemed that way, was signed by Governor Ron DeSantis this past April. The original language of the Historic Harms amendment drew concerns from the Charter Review Committee and from the county attorney due to potentially coming into conflict with the new law. The amendment was rewritten to fit within these bounds – the new language looks purely at geographic neighborhoods regardless of the demographics of who was affected in those areas. This approach did get at least a tacit approval from the county attorney and did get voted through by the review committee.

Members of the Tallahassee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (TallyAARPR), the Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance (TIRA), Capital Area Justice Ministry, the League of Women Voters, and Tallahassee ALERT, which wrote the amendment, spoke out in favor on Monday.

“I believe there are many communities in Tallahassee that have been left behind, and this amendment is the first step to really looking at the problems with the city and attempting to rectify them,” said Delilah Pierre with the Tallahassee Alliance.

Brandon Beckett with TIRA said, “I think we need to leave it in the people’s hands to address their futures,” adding, “This amendment is addressing community members that have been left behind through the development of Tallahassee.”

Beckett continued, “It’s their community as well. We need to make sure every member of this community feels respected and doesn't feel as if they’re left behind.”

The amendment will now appear on the ballot in the November elections. State Representative Angie Nixon won an upset victory for the Democratic nomination and will appear on the ballot. As well, there are three Tallahassee city commission seats in the runoff election. The Tallahassee Alliance will spread information about the amendment to educate the public and get people to vote in favor of it.

#TallahasseeFL #FL #PeoplesStruggles #InjusticeSystem #HistoricHarms #OppressedNationalities

Tampa, FL – On August 20, community members spoke at a Tampa City Council meeting demanding they pass an ordinance to end ICE cooperation.

The Tampa Police Department and ICE cooperate based on a federal 287(g) agreement. A 287(g) agreement creates a formal partnership that allows ICE to deputize local law enforcement to carry out the duties of federal immigration enforcement officers. 

“I have been speaking with my neighbors, with church leaders, business owners and everyday Tampa residents. There’s always one thing that keeps coming up in the conversations and it is the impact of ICE in our city and in our neighborhoods,” Erain Boxtha, a member of Tampa Immigrants Rights Committee (IRC) stated.

Boxtha continued, “We are seeing businesses lose traffic because of ICE activity in our community. Churches closing because of impacted communities. And we are seeing families torn apart and left to pick up the pieces.” 

Tampa City Councilmember Bill Carlson commented on the public’s opposition to the 287(g) agreement, saying, “it was not an act of city council” and “city council is very limited in what we can do.”

The 287(g)-agreement was signed in the spring of 2025 between TPD and ICE under Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and the Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw. They have the power to cancel the agreement.

Tampa IRC continues the fight to end local police cooperation with ICE. They are educating the public and targeting the city council, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, and the new police chief.

Members of the Tampa Immigrants Rights Committee, along with individuals from Indivisible Pinellas, League of Women Voters and Partido Nacionalista de Puerto Rico, all spoke on public record.

#TampaFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #ICE #287g

Melbourne, FL – On Saturday, August 8, over 30 community members from throughout Florida's Space Coast gathered in Melbourn to a protest called by the Space Coast Immigrant Rights Alliance (SCIRA).

Florida contains the highest population of Haitian immigrants of all 50 states, with over 4000 of residing in Brevard County.

Demonstrators gathered in front of the office complex housing the office of Representative Mike Haridopolos, demanding the U.S. government reinstate Temporary Protected Status for Haitian and Syrian immigrants, a policy recently cancelled by the Trump administration as part of its escalating terror campaign against immigrants.

The protest was attended by activists from groups including Brevard Youth for Democracy, Awake Brevard Action Alliance, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization Orlando, all of whom held signs and chanted facing the busy intersection.

Jack Apostos with Brevard Youth Democracy told the crowd “The fight doesn’t end here today and pick up at the next rally; it is 24/7, seven days a week until we win.”

A member of the Space Coast Immigrant Rights Alliance stated, “Haiti, an island nation founded by formerly enslaved Africans, has never seen a day of peace ever since they declared independence in 1804.” He continued, “There must be an end to 287(g) immediately. We cannot allow this constant cycle of abuse. We cannot allow a felon and his masked thugs to hide behind the police department and other local law enforcement entities.”

#MelbourneFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #Haitians

Tampa, FL – On Sunday, August 8,about 20 people came out to downtown Tampa to demand that Trump and ICE stop their attacks on Haitian immigrants, after the revocation of Temporary Protected Status.

Since the end of TPS, Haitians have been subject to cruel and inhumane treatment, such as being told to report for self-deportation or face humiliating measures like ankle-monitors. They have been targeted in large scale immigration raids in places like Immokalee, a rural mostly farmworker community in southwest Florida. The activists rallied under the slogans of legalization for all, stop the deportations, and protect TPS.

One in ten Haitians have had to flee Haiti due to the violence brought about by U.S.-led interventions that have destabilized the country, resulting in over 8100 killings last year.

5.7 million people face starvation, as cholera runs rampant due to a non-existent health system. To say that Haitians here do not deserve protected status is as absurd as it is racist. Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (TAARPR) and Tampa Immigrants’ Rights Committee (Tampa IRC) organized this action, as part of a call to action by the Legalization for All network.

Emma Rice, an organizer with TAARPR stated, “Haiti has also suffered massive ecological disasters. Its original TPS designation came after the 2010 earthquake, when DHS granted temporary protections for Haitians already in the U.S. Yet UN camp conditions sparked a cholera outbreak that killed over 10,000 people. While the U.S. and its allies claim they want to ‘stabilize’ Haiti, their interference has fueled the gang violence, political chaos, and economic collapse we see today.”

Joe Nohava, of the Tampa IRC, spoke about Tampa Police Department officers participating in these deportations through its 287(g) agreement with ICE, asking, “Do we want our local police force to be part of this atrocity? Our city council and mayor could put an end to this- by passing an ordinance to end 287(g), and banning cooperation with ICE and immigration police, they could make this city a safer place for Haitian and all immigrants. They could do this tomorrow.”

All speakers and organizations present agreed to come out the next time Trump attacks the people. As emcee Yunqing Zheng put it, “Donald Trump has pissed a lot of people off, and so he creates his own enemies. It’s up to us to organize everyone he’s pissed off.”

#TampaFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #Haitians #Haiti #TAARPR #TIRC #TPS

Jacksonville, FL – On Wednesday, August 5, Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network held their first class in a series of free educational sessions, inspired by the popular education that arose as a form of resistance in the First Intifada.

Approximately 30 community members attended this teach-in to learn about the phases and effects of the First and Second Intifada, and the history of popular education in Palestine, which was necessitated by the closing of schools by Israeli occupying forces.

Attendees were provided with literature, including a collection of excerpts outlining the origin and revolutionary nature of education in Palestine. During breakout sessions groups were provided with different topics to discuss and present to the class. The conclusion drawn by each group during discussion was abundantly clear – regardless of the force exerted upon them, Palestinians will always remain resilient, and each attack by the enemy only hardens their resolve.

“We see another example of repression just breeding more resistance. Kicking people out of schools simply created another opportunity for Palestinians to root themselves in their identities and open another avenue of resistance,” stated Lindsay Bowyer of the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network.

“It caused education to seep into other areas of the resistance. They responded more fired up because of these policies,” said another attendee.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #AntiWarMovement #Palestine

Tampa, FL – Some 50 people gathered in front of Tampa City Hall, Sunday, July 19, to honor the three lives recently stolen from their families and communities by ICE murderers. The protest was organized by the Tampa Immigrants’ Rights Committee (TampaIRC) as a part of the Legalization for All national week of action.

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo from Houston, Texas, and Joan Sebastian Guerrero, from Maine, were gunned down when they were stopped by ICE in their vehicles. ICE claimed both men weaponized their vehicles – the same justification utilized when immigration enforcement killed Renee Good in Minneapolis in January. Videos that surfaced in all three cases contradicted the agency’s account. The other person killed was Juan Jairo Coronilla Duran, a tourist from Mexico, who was hit by a semi-truck as he ran away from ICE in St. Augustine, Florida.

No ICE agent has been arrested for their deaths.

Protesters chanted, “No Trump, no KKK, no racist USA,” “No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here” and, “When immigrants are under attack what do we do? Stand up fight back!”

Attention was also drawn to the grand jury investigation of Los Angeles-based immigrant rights activist Nadia Topete, a 21-year-old Chicana immigrant rights activist with Centro Community Service Organization in Los Angeles, who was targeted and subpoenaed by the FBI for her organizing work. She was called to appear before a grand jury where she exercised her right to stay silent.

Alvaro Montealegre, member of TIRC said, “it is clear she is facing repression for demanding justice for our immigrant and undocumented community members. We all stand in solidarity with Nadia and everyone facing repression for protecting the rights of immigrants. Today it’s Nadia; tomorrow it could be any one of us.”

The chair of the Tampa Immigrants’ Rights Committee, said, “it's not enough to simply get rid of ICE. What we need is legalization for all. Because, before ICE, there was the Immigration and Naturalization Services, the INS, which was restructured into ICE. The violent tactics that we see from ICE existed long before ICE. We need legalization for all. Legalization for all would mean that immigrants would not be criminalized regardless of documentation status, without the need to give up the citizenship of their country of origin. We need to remove the basis that criminalizes us immigrants to begin with. If no one can ever be illegal on U.S. soil, there would be no need for ICE, Border Patrol, 287(g) agreements or whatever else the federal and state governments cook up.”

Before an enthusiastic crowd, they ended with the chant, “What do we want? Legalization! When do we want it? Now!”

The rally ended just in time, as heavy rain began to fall.

#TampaFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #ICE #NadiaTopete #LorenzoSalgadoAraujo #JoanSebastianGuerrero

Orlando, FL – On Saturday, July 18, about 50 members of the Puerto Rican community and allies in Orlando gathered on the corner of Semoran and Curry Ford to demand Puerto Rico’s independence from the U.S., the dissolution of the fiscal oversight and management board, and an end to the United States’ colonial occupation. The rally and march coincided with the annual Marcha Por La Independencia happening in San Juan.

The event was organized by Floriboris – a local group that represents the interests of the Puerto Rican community in Florida and aims to unite Puerto Ricans across the state through culture, education, community-building and action.

Attendees gathered on the corner of the busy intersection waving signs that read “Viva Borikén libre” and “Escencia no va” while shouting chants including “¡Perto Rico no se vende, Puerto Rico se defiende!” and “¡Par arriba, pa abajo, la Junta pal carajo!” The rally also commemorated Father Roberto Morales, a local priest and community leader who dedicated his life to the struggle for Puerto Rican independence.

Speakers highlighted the plight inflicted on Puerto Ricans by the U.S. colonial occupation and the need for resistance and independence. “La Junta is an unelected, undemocratic body that controls Puerto Rico’s economy without the consent of our people,” said Gisselle Bermudez, an organizer with Diaspora Pa’lante Collective. “It has enriched corporations while imposing austerity measures on our communities, privatizing public services, cutting pensions and closing schools and hospitals in Puerto Rico. After 128 years of colonial rule, we say enough! Our liberation cannot wait.”

The rally also condemned Escencia, a widely unpopular $2 billion dollar luxury complex currently in development that would sit on 2000 acres of seized Puerto Rican land to siphon the wealth of the island into the hands of capitalists.

The long history of U.S. military testing in Puerto Rico was highlighted as well. “The military out of Vieques was a 60-year struggle. For 60 years they tested all kinds of weapons in Vieques, including radioactive experiments,” said Rafael Olivera-Cintrón, an organizer with Floriboris. “Now, the population in Vieques suffers heavily from higher rates of cancer than other parts of the island. Vieques is left behind. Vieques doesn’t have a functional hospital and a functional clinic because of this whole colonial structure that prevents us from being able to take care of ourselves!”

The group marched down the streets with lively chants, waving Puerto Rican flags and carrying a banner that read “Independcia ya! Despierten Boricuas!” People passing by on foot and in cars showed overwhelming support by honking in solidarity, singing and dancing, and joining in on chants, showing that the struggle for Puerto Rico’s independence is a popular sentiment in Orlando.

#OrlandoFL #FL #OppresseNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #PuertoRico

Orlando, FL – On Tuesday, July 14, a dozen members of the Orlando community gathered at Lake Eola for a vigil marking one month since an officer with the Senatobia Police Department in Mississippi shot and killed one-year-old Kohen Wiley.

The event was organized by Orlando Against Police Crimes to remember Wiley’s life, cut short by police violence, and to echo the family's call for transparency, accountability and justice for their baby boy.

“Wiley never had a chance to grow up to experience any number of things that we all take for granted on a daily basis – never got to form any childhood memories, never got to experience being a kid,” said Richard Thomas, member of Orlando Against Police Crimes.

Those who spoke made connections between this police shooting and several others that have happened in Orlando at the hands of Orlando Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff's Office. In particular, deadly incidents that occurred outside of Walmarts due to suspected theft.

“On February 19, 16-year-old Jairus Jones was shot and killed at a Walmart in Poinciana by an off-duty Osceola County deputy. Just three days later, Jason Anthony Beal, age 48, was shot by Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputies and taken to a hospital for his injuries. Both Jones and Beal were suspected of shoplifting.”

The group gathered under the Florida rain to hear speeches from various activists and sang songs of unity and perseverance, led by the Orlando Singing Resistance.

Before leaving, those in attendance called for local accountability by committing themselves to the ongoing campaign to reinstate the Orlando Civilian Police Review Board. They laid flowers at the foot of a large poster of Kohen Wiley and used tea light candles to spell out the word “Justice.”

#OrlandoFL #FL #InjusticeSystem #KohenWiley #KillerCop

The action happened in the wake of an increase of ICE activity in the area and just days after Juan Jario Carasquillo Durán, a local 28-year-old Mexican immigrant, was struck and killed by a semi truck while crossing a highway fleeing from ICE in Saint Augustine, a city only around 40 minutes away from Jacksonville.

Durán’s death marked the third death in the past week during an ICE interaction, with the second death being Joan Sebastian Guerrero, a 26-year-old Colombian father and husband who was shot and killed in front of his wife and daughter in Maine.

Around 100 local activists and community members gathered to demand justice for the victims. Organizations such as the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network, Jacksonville Community Action Committee, and 50501 Vets were among several groups that spoke. Signs held at the rally said, “ICE out of our community,” “Hands off Nadia Topete” and “Florida will melt ICE.”

“We can’t just let a member of our community pass away and not have anything to say about it,” said a member of the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance, “We can’t just stand by and watch as our other community members for weeks have been terrorized, scared to even leave their own homes to go to their jobs.”

JIRA continues to stand in solidarity with the families of the victims as they fight for justice for their loved ones and advocate for the rights of immigrants in Jacksonville through know your rights initiatives, demanding an end to the cruelty camps, and demanding an end to the 287(g) agreement, which allows local law enforcement to act as ICE.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #ICE #JIRA

Orlando, FL – On July 9, the family of Milagros “Millie” Ortiz, alongside attorney Ben Crump, announced plans to file a $92 million lawsuit following a t-bone collision by an Orlando Police Department officer on January 18, which resulted in her death.

This comes after the state attorney’s office for Orange and Osceola Counties declined to charge the officer responsible with vehicular manslaughter.

“I am here to say that we will not stop saying my grandmother's name, Milagros B. Ortiz, until justice is served,” her granddaughter Ashley Rodriguez said.

Ortiz, 92 years old, was in the passenger seat returning from her weekly Saturday night game of bingo. Footage obtained from a camera at the intersection of Semoran Boulevard and Hoffner Avenue shows an OPD vehicle stopped at a red light. OPD officer Andrew McKuhen reportedly saw another vehicle make an illegal U-turn, which prompted him to turn on his red and blue lights and begin driving through the intersection. However, the lights that came on were not flashing, but static, and an eyewitness reported not hearing the vehicle’s siren go off.

As the OPD vehicle crossed the middle of the intersection, the emergency lights shut off and the vehicle accelerated, slamming into the driver’s side of the car. Ortiz passed away at a local hospital several days later because of the crash injuries. Video from a nearby 7-Eleven convenience store shows the emergency lights on the vehicle coming back on 27 seconds after the crash.

According to OPD’s own preliminary crash report, the police vehicle “was at fault for the collision due to failure to yield right of way.” However, in June, after months of dodging questions from local news reporters pertaining to the crash, Chief Eric Smith appeared on a podcast and blamed the crash on faulty vehicle emergency lights.

“We will be filing a $92 million lawsuit against the Orlando Police Department, the maintenance company, and the product manufacturer because somebody is going to be held accountable,” Crump said.

During the press conference, Ortiz’s family surrounded the podium along with several large portraits depicting Ortiz. She was a beloved matriarch and a vibrant soul. Family members, including daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, spoke about who Ortiz was and her character.

“My mother was an angel,” daughter Judy Santiago said, adding, “If you all would have known her, you all would have fell in love with my mother.” Ortiz was full of life and vigor, and was known to all as the life of the party.

Ortiz’s family acknowledged that she is not the only victim of OPD traffic-related deaths in recent years, adding that they want to fight for change to ensure no other families experience such a tragedy.

“I don't know when our hearts are going to be healed, if ever,” Santiago said, “but justice for my mother, justice for Millie Ortiz.”

#OrlandoFL #FL #InjusticeSystem #MillieOrtiz #OPD #KillerCop #OppressedNationalities

Jacksonville, FL — On July 11, the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance (JIRA) held an emergency rally in an area that has been seeing a growing presence of ICE. There were approximately 50 attendees demanding ICE leave their community for good.

When speaking on the extreme increase in ICE activity within Jacksonville, one of JIRA's own members stated, “I mean look around where we’re at, people in this very community have been taken away from their homes, ripped apart from their family and friends. They target our working-class immigrants at our very doorstep, all because they are the most vulnerable. It doesn’t matter to them if your documents are in order, they profile you immediately based off of their notions on what an immigrant looks like.”

There was an additional call for justice at this rally, as this took place within a week of the murder of ICE Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.

JIRA stands in solidarity with the Lorenzo Salgado Araujo family in their demand for answers, as ICE has lied denied the family the right to claim his body while claiming to investigate their own crime.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #ICE #LorenzoSalgadoAraujo

Jacksonville, FL – While heat warnings shortened celebrations of the 250th July 4, the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network took to the hot Florida pavement to protest U.S. aggression both domestically and abroad, including its support for the genocide in Gaza.

The rally started at Memorial Park in the heart of Riverside, where members of organizations spoke on the injustices carried out by the U.S.

A member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) told the crowd, “Over the last three years, at least 75,000 Palestinians have been murdered in Israel’s genocide in Gaza, which the United States government has been bankrolling, another 1200 citizens in Syria killed in the regime change in their country, and another 3600 Iranians killed in the senseless war against their country and as if that's not bad enough, we have another 100 civilians of Venezuela killed in the kidnapping of their president, Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores.” The crowd yelled “Shame!” in response.

Focus was also brought to the attacks the Trump administration has made on immigrant communities. Crystal Aguilar of the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance stated, “250 years of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But for who? Certainly not for me, or for the millions of working-class people living in America. Not for the immigrants who die crossing the border every day to enter this country, those who have died in ICE detention, and those whose labor is being exploited by greedy corporations. Is this what we choose to stand for? Is this what we are going to continue to allow in our country?” The crowd yelled back, “No!”

The rally became mobile as the participants began marching down Riverside Avenue toward the bustling arts market hosted under the Fuller Warren Bridge. Patrons of the market could hear the marchers steadily approach as the chanting and drumming grew louder. Anyone in the vicinity could hear roars of, “No boots on the ground, no bombs in the air! U.S. out of everywhere!”

The chants echoed across the market with the help of the bridge's acoustics. Ryan Delaney of the Anti-War Action Network (AWAN) and a co-organizer of the march addressed the market’s attendees: “We are out here today as part of a national day of action called by the Anti-War Action Network. We are organizing in cities around the country, saying that we reject this idea of 250 years of freedom when we continue to take the freedom away from people around the world and in our own country.”

Most of the market patrons stopped what they were doing to see what was going on. They listened intently as a call to action was issued, “Everybody who's here at the Riverside Arts Market, I want you all to know that we are going to continue to fight for this. And we want all of you to get involved. We want every single person here to wake up and rise to this occasion and get ready for the real fight ahead of us. So for every single one of y'all out here, if you're with us, we want y'all to march with us. Because we are going to continue to march, and we're going to go back to Memorial Park, where we're going to continue our program.”

The march made its way back to Memorial Park with more people than it had started with. Upon returning, the attendees cooled down in the shade. Food and water were distributed as folks socialized and built community.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #AntiWarMovement #JPSN

Orlando, FL – On the evening of Friday, June 19, around 80 community members gathered from all over Orlando at the intersection of Anderson Street and Division Avenue. They carried signs that read “Defend voting rights” and “Justice for the victims of police crimes” as they marched toward city hall in response to Republican-led attacks on the voting rights of the Black community, as well as demanding community control of the police.

The protest was organized by Orlando Against Police Crimes (OAPC), a grassroots community organization fighting for the victims of police crimes. At the event, OAPC condemned recent attacks on voting rights by the Supreme Court of the United States in the Louisiana v. Callais case. The case made it harder to correct maps that dilute the voting rights of the Black community. It is a decision which also paved the way for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and right-wing legislators to redraw maps that undermine the political power of Black voters.

Gathered at the corner of Anderson and Division, the crowd was set to march across the Anderson Street Bridge as they made their way down to city hall. Community leader Lawanna Gelzer opened the event by talking about the significance of the location chosen. “They named this Division Avenue because it was the segregation line between Black and Caucasian people during Jim Crow. Now, Division Avenue stands for economic disparity and gentrification.”

Gelzer also spoke on the history of the Civil Rights Movement. She gave a particular focus to the historic march across the Edmund Pettus bridge in Selma, Alabama – the site of a brutal attack on protestors perpetrated by police known as Bloody Sunday.

“This march is a reenactment of that moment. They call us radicals when all we’re asking for is to respect the voting rights we fought for and to bring back the police civilian review board they took away from us,” said Gelzer.

Protesters then marched across the Anderson Street Bridge, local activists leading chants such as “Donald Trump you racist clown, tell your courts we won’t back down!” and “Ron DeSantis shame on you, the KKK fear Black votes too!” Protesters sang ballads from the Civil Rights Movement such as We Shall Overcome and Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round.

Once the protesters arrived at Orlando City Hall, OAPC member Edmund Anglero told the crowd, “Some of you may be wondering why a group focused on police crimes organized an event around voting rights. Our right to vote is a building block upon which we amass more political power. Those rights were fought for, and earned, in blood. We must defend them with everything we have. The struggle for community control of the police is ultimately about expanding our basic democratic rights.”

Anglero also highlighted the recent murder of Kohen Wiley, a one-year-old child killed by Mississippi police in a Walmart parking lot, and called for justice and accountability.

The Orlando Singing Resistance choir and 50501 Orlando ended the event with songs and speeches while OAPC put out a call to action. They urged members of the community to join OAPC’s campaign in reinstating the Civilian Review Board and getting involved in the struggle for police accountability and community control of the police in Orlando.

#OrlandoFL #FL #Juneteenth #OppressedNationalities #OAPC #NAARPR