Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

GA

By Alex Carson

Atlanta, GA – Since August 2024, a dozen Black men at Virginia’s Red Onion supermax prison have set themselves on fire in a desperate attempt to escape conditions that amount to prolonged torture.

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By staff

Atlanta, GA- Dozens gathered outside of the Russell Federal building, November 6 to protest the results of the presidential election and demand a people’s agenda. Preparing for another Trump presidency, activists, students and community members spoke on the need to get organized and continue to fight for reproductive rights, against police violence, and for a free Palestine.

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By staff

Sheikh Naim Qassem.

Atlanta, GA – On October 29, Hezbollah announced the election of Sheikh Naim Qassem as the party’s new secretary-general. Qassem is the successor to Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who was assassinated by Israeli forces in an airstrike last month.

In a public statement, Hezbollah’s leading body, the Shura Council, recognized that the election of Sheikh Qassem represents a reaffirmation of the group’s long-standing commitment to defending Lebanon’s national sovereignty and the cause of Palestinian liberation.

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By staff

Atlanta vigil marks a year of genocide in Palestine.  | Staff/Fight Back! News

Atlanta, Ga – On October 9, students, faculty and community members gathered on the green space at Georgia State University (GSU) for a vigil for Palestine. Over 80 people joined in honoring the lives taken by the U.S./Israeli genocide in Gaza, and to call out GSU’s active involvement in the genocide.

The event began with an Islamic prayer practiced in times of calamity and in support of the oppressed. Tears ran down dozens of faces listening to the prayer pleading “O Allah, grant victory to the people of Palestine.” A few GSU cops popped up in full gear to watch students mourn.

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By staff

Atlanta, GA – In a surprising but significant turn of events, on September 24, Georgia prosecutors have dropped all 15 counts of money laundering against three prominent activists involved in the “Stop Cop City” movement.

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By Alex Carson

Atlanta, Georgia rally in solidarity with Lebanon.  | Staff/Fight Back! News

Atlanta, GA – About 100 community members gathered outside the Israeli consulate Tuesday evening, September 24, to protest the U.S.-backed Israeli aggression on Lebanon. The Israeli airstrikes on civilian homes and institutions signify a major escalation and are a futile attempt to quell the militant solidarity between Lebanese and Palestinian resistance groups.

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By staff

Striking AT&T workers on the picket line.  | Staff/Fight Back! News

Atlanta, GA – In a triumph for organized labor, the historic 30-day strike by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) against AT&T Southeast came to a close on September 15, with workers securing a strong tentative contract agreement. This hard-fought win, covering 17,000 workers across nine southeastern states, represents a significant victory for the labor movement in 2024 and serves as a testament to the power of strikes.

The strike—the longest in the region’s telecommunications history—was called after AT&T refused to bargain in good faith with the union. CWA members from Alabama to North Carolina held their picket lines amid the blistering summer heat. They fought for decent wages, affordable healthcare and a contract that reflected their essential role in maintaining AT&T’s network infrastructure. A statement by CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. emphasized that the determination of the members was essential to achieving this victory.

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By Taylor Cook

Atlanta, GA – During the September 10 daytime shift, at UPS SMART Hub, the building was evacuated due to a fire. The fire was due to a belt malfunction in the north-unload section of the building.

The fire broke out at approximately 12:30 p.m., leading to an evacuation of the whole building. Smoke began to affect workers near the fire before evacuation began and clouded their visibility. Workers were instructed to return to work at approximately 1:30, with smoke still in the building.

Workers in areas with the lingering smoke began to cough, feel ill, and cover their faces with masks and t-shirts. There was an overwhelming smell of electrical fire across the area. Instead of allowing the smoke to exit through the bay doors, management immediately began having trucks park into bay doors to be unloaded and resume production. A number of workers informed management that their asthma conditions were acting up, to which they were offered a surgical mask. UPS also made workers stay later than their usual shift to meet the production standards for the day.

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By staff

Family of Christon Collins holds press conference demanding justice for their loved one who died in Dekalb County, Georgia jail.  | Staff/Fight Back! News

Atlanta, GA – The family of Christon Collins, a 27-year-old veteran who died in Dekalb County Jail, held a press conference on Monday morning, July 22, to share new information about their son’s death.

Jonia Milburn, Collins’s mother, says she got mixed and confusing stories from the sheriff’s office. The family is asking for an independent investigation and for those responsible to be held accountable.

Emotions filled the room as Jonia Milburn talked about what she saw in the video of her son’s last moments in the jail. “My son laid on the floor for three hours with no care. Nobody noticed. No guards, no supervisors, no one but the inmates.” Milburn says the video shows her son losing balance and hitting his head, then lying on the floor for three hours in the common area of the jail with no one checking on him but the inmates. Documents shared by the family show that when Collins was finally attended to hours later, EMTs did not perform life-saving measures on him.

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By Bill Aiman

Atlanta pro-Palestine protest at Biden versus Trump debate.  | Staff/Fight Back! News

Atlanta, GA – Hundreds of community members gathered June 27 to protest the presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump in Midtown Atlanta. The event was sponsored by a broad coalition of Atlanta and Georgia-based activist groups united around the demand for a free Palestine.

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