San Jose, CA – On Saturday, June 22, around 200 people gathered in Saint James Park to celebrate the first San Jose Peoples’ Pride.. The event focused primarily on reclaiming the radical militant origins of Pride.

Drusie Kazanova of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization emceed the event and started the program by saying, “We are here today to take back the radical, militant origins of pride. We do not align with the corporations and politicians who try to co-opt our movement while they enable the genocide that Israel is committing against Palestinians.” She emphasized the importance of calling out mainstream Pride celebrations’ ties with genocidal politicians and corporations, such as Lockheed Martin and Nancy Pelosi.

Kazanova added, “Pride is a commemoration and celebration of the Stonewall uprising of 1969. Stonewall was a response to police violence, state repression, and systemic homophobia and transphobia.”

Kazanova finished by drawing parallels between the struggle against police brutality, for the full equality of LGBTQ people, and for a free Palestine, saying, “The oppressed peoples of this world have a common enemy in U.S. imperialism. Our struggles are interconnected. Every blow against our common enemy weakens U.S. imperialism and brings us closer to our collective liberation.”

Tarentz Charite, Haitian-American and member of Students for a Democratic Society, closed the program by speaking about the similarities between the struggles of Caribbean nations and Palestine in fighting against imperialism and neo-colonial foreign policy. “The Dominican Republic receives military training and violent border technology from the Zionist regime of Israel,” Charite stated, emphasizing the direct role that Israel plays in the national oppression of not only Palestine, but other nations as well.

The event was organized by a coalition made up of Students for a Democratic Society, Freedom Road Socialist Organization and Silicon Valley Immigration Committee, along with other organizations

After the program, San Jose Peoples' Pride continued for several hours with live DJs, bands, resource tables and vendors. Organizations present included the local San Jose Brown Berets Chapter, Food Not Bombs, and Justice for Palestinians. Amigos de Guadalupe, a local immigrant’s rights organization, sold tacos to fundraise for their campaign to update and restore immigration registry (HR 1511).

Organizers plan to hold San Jose Peoples’ Pride annually in order to build the popular movement for LGBTQ liberation and create a people-powered, community-oriented pride that prioritizes LGBTQ liberation over the corporate interests.

#SanJoseCA #CA #LGBTQ #Pride #FRSO #SDS #BrownBerets #FoodNotBombs #AmigosDeGuadalupe

Tallahassee, FL – On March 8, at 6 p.m., the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, along with the Tallahassee Dissenters, Students for a Democratic Society, Food Not Bombs, and the Tallahassee Community Action Committee, rallied at the Florida Historic Capitol building for a protest recognizing International Women’s Day and the ongoing struggle for Palestinian liberation.

Approximately 50 people gathered for the rally. Organizers spoke about the fight for women’s liberation and the importance of mass mobilization and organization for achieving our democratic rights. “The only way we can win our rights is by fighting for them,” said Joelle Nunez, the president of Students for a Democratic Society.

Speakers criticized Joe Biden and the Democratic Party for their active role in perpetuating the genocide against Palestinians, and for their lack of action on domestic issues. “We can’t rely on Joe Biden and the Democratic Party to change things in this country. We need a mass movement and people power to win,” said Delilah Pierre, president of the Tallahassee Community Action Committee.

The event emcee, Regina Joseph of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, talked about the connections between the movement for Palestinian liberation and Black liberation, stating, “When I went to Ferguson during the Mike Brown uprising, I was teargassed – the same teargas they use on Black Lives Matters protesters, they used for Palestine. Palestinians were telling us how to deal with being gassed. That’s real solidarity.”

The protest ended and organizers encouraged people to attend a showing of the film Gaza is Our Home held by the Tallahassee Dissenters. Organizers promised to keep rallying and organizing for Palestinian liberation, and to keep demanding an end to U.S. aid to Israel and an end to the occupation of Palestine.

#TallahasseeFL #FL #WomensMovement #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #InternationalWomensDay #TallyCAC #FRSO #SDS #Dissenters #FoodNotBombs