The first action, called by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), was held in front of the Mickey Leland Federal Building. Activists held a Syrian flag and gave speeches denouncing the crimes of the U.S. government against the Syrian people.

Patrick Donovan, chair of SDS at the University of Houston, said, “Regardless of what one thinks about Assad, the U.S. has no right to invade Syria and drop bombs on its people. We demand an immediate end to the Israeli and U.S. bombings in Syria, and a complete end to the war”

The second action was held a little later and attended by well over 25 people. The protesters gathered in one of the busiest intersections in Houston to get the most visibility. They chanted, “Hey Trump, what do you say, how many bombs have you dropped today?” and “Hands off Syria.”

David Michael Smith, a member of the Houston Socialist Movement, stated, “For decades, the U.S. government has wanted to overthrow the government of Syria. In recent years, Washington has funded, trained, and supported reactionary forces trying to overthrow the Syrian regime. Now the flailing, discredited Trump administration has bombed Syria, using the pretext of recent civilian deaths there apparently caused by a chemical agent.”

Smith continued, “The war in Syria has claimed almost half a million lives. The country desperately needs peace and reconstruction – not an act of aggression by the most powerful imperialist country in the world. The racist, misogynist buffoon in the White House may find it in his interest to unleash more destruction and death on Syria, and to divert attention from the mounting scandals in his administration. But many people in the U.S. and throughout the world reject this brazen act of imperialist aggression.”

#HoustonTX #AntiwarMovement #StudentMovement #US #MiddleEast #PeoplesStruggles #StudentsForADemocraticSocietySDS #Syria #HoustonSocialistMovement #DonaldTrump

Houston, TX – There were a number of events here to celebrate International Workers’ Day on May 1. First, the Houston Socialist Movement held a May Day speak-out with many groups. Leaders spoke about the need to end capitalism, build a socialist movement and make a revolution. They denounced the anti-worker, anti-immigrant and racist Republican Party in Texas, led by Governor Greg Abott. Speaker after speaker expressed a great sense of unity and hope for a socialist future. Later in the evening, there was a May Day dinner to build a spirit of solidarity amongst revolutionaries.

Then on May 2, over 300 people marched in the annual May Day march. The march was led by immigrant rights organizations and trade unions, including SEIU and the AFL-CIO. Low-wage workers, part of the Fight For 15 campaign, marched despite many being undocumented. They chanted, “Sí se puede,” and “This is what democracy looks like.” They marched through a working class Chicano/Mexicano neighborhood as the community cheered them on.

In addition, the Higher-Education Workers Association participated, an organization for adjunct professors at community colleges in Houston. Their sign read, “Health benefits for all adjuncts,” and “Professors for immigration reform.” To show their solidarity, they chanted, “ “Down, down with deportation! Up, up with education.”

Rudolfo Palmo of the Higher-Education Workers Association said, “We are marching today because adjunct instructors are low-wage workers. We teach seven to ten courses per semester, which requires over 60 hours per week of work, yet we receive less than $2000 per course. We have no job security. We want health benefits, pensions and a higher wage. We also support immigration reform, as many of our students are effected by harsh immigration policies in Texas.”

In one of the most conservative states in the country, there is fortunately still a platform for progressive, as well as revolutionary politics.

#HoustonTX #Labor #MayDay #ChicanoLatino #internationalWorkersDay #HoustonSocialistMovement #HigherEducationWorkersAssociation