Portland, OR – On Saturday, January 25, about 200 people rallied at Terry Schrunk Plaza in Portland for a post-inauguration protest of Donald Trump. Many protesters held signs denouncing Trump and in defense of the people’s movements. After the rally, the protesters took the streets in a march through downtown.

Portland for Palestine organizer Kacey DeSantis welcomed the crowd, saying, “It is so good to see Portland standing against Trump and his reactionary, right-wing politics. As he repeals over 60 years of progressive legislation, we show up today to say that we will not go backwards. We must fight back against these attacks on our communities!”

Immediately after taking office, Trump greenlit action against immigrants, allowing raids to be conducted in churches, schools and hospitals. As a response, Mayor Keith Wilson reaffirmed Portland’s status as a sanctuary city and the importance of immigrants in our community. Despite this, local organizations and activists have become more vigilant due to the increased ICE presence across the country.

Omar Gil from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization spoke to the crowd, “these attacks were not possible without the inaction of the Democrats. Under Biden, border militarization and deportations continued. Trump is not an isolated evil; he is the inheritor of a system that operates like this by design. He is a representation of the fetter that capitalism has on the progression of society!”

Mutaz Al-Shawa spoke of his own experience as a Palestinian with family in Gaza, the utter defeat of Israel in accepting a ceasefire, and the inevitability of Palestinian liberation. Elaine Armstrong of CODEPINK Portland spoke of her personal experience growing up during the northern Ireland conflict, drawing parallels to the immense trauma that the children of Gaza have endured during the past 68 weeks of genocide.

When asked about Gaza, Donald Trump’s reactionary rhetoric is one of “cleaning out” Gaza, forcing neighboring countries to take in Palestinians, in an attempt to end the Palestinian national liberation struggle.

Sky Reimer, a member of Students for a Democratic Society at Portland State University, spoke on student’s rights and the importance of putting pressure on Portland State University administration. Portland State is currently under federal investigation for violation of Title VI, a section of federal civil rights law that protects students from discrimination based on race, color or national origin.

Reimer stated, “Islamophobic posters, hate speech, and harassment are allowed on campus. Meanwhile, PSU administration reprimands and expels students for protesting PSU’s ties to the genocide of Palestinians. They've put pro-Palestine organizations on probation, threatening them with dissolution. But the truth is clear, the administration is scared of us. They're scared because by fighting for positive change alongside each other, by joining organizations like SDS, we can make positive change, both on campus, and in the world!”

Trump has voiced support for the police crackdowns on the student encampments of 2024. He has vowed to increase repression on students, threatening foreign students with deportation if they dare to struggle against their administrations’ties to Israel and war profiteers.

Other speakers included a Starbucks Workers United member on worker’s rights and the necessity for class struggle unionism, and an organizer from the People’s March on women’s rights and healthcare.

During the march, protest chants like “No Trump, no KKK, no racist USA!” and “No ban, no wall, sanctuary for all!” echoed throughout the crowd. Cars drove past honking in support. Bystanders waved and raised fists in solidarity, some of them joined the march. People from a pro-immigrant demonstration also joined the march as it passed by Pioneer Courthouse Square.

The march ended with high energy and many people showed interest in how to get further involved. When asked about the event, Raea Dente replied, “What always has me coming back to events like these is community, uniting with others and passionately fighting for our collective future. It’s so empowering to see people show up and fight back together- this rally showed the heart and determination that Portland has.”

The organizers concluded the protest by urging attendees to organize and to continue building the mass movements necessary for the fight against Donald Trump and his right-wing reactionary agenda. The protest was organized by Portland for Palestine in coalition with SDS, FRSO and CODEPINK.

#PortlandOR #SDS #FRSO #CODEPINK #PortlandForPalestine #FreePalestine #SBWU #Trump #Inauguration #PSU

New York, NY – On January 24, over 50 NYU students gathered at a rally called by the NYU Students for a Democratic Society (NYU SDS) to protest against Trump’s backwards agenda for his second term as president. The rally took place at Garibaldi Plaza at Washington Square Park, a popular rallying spot for NYU student organizations. 

Students chanted, “No Trump, no KKK, no racist USA!”, “Racist, sexist, anti-gay Donald Trump go away” and “Trump hear us loud and clear, immigrants are welcome here!” Hundreds of people walked by the rally, stopping for brief moments to take photos and videos or to catch parts of it. 

Speakers from the NYU SDS, NYU Queer Union, NYU Students for Justice in Palestine (NYU SJP), NYU Black Student Union and the NYU Young Democratic Socialists of America (NYU YDSA) brought attention to the various attacks that Trump had already launched or plans on launching on the American people, including the NYU student body. 

In response to these attacks, speakers called on the people to unite, build community and fight back. 

“We must continue to support efforts for diversity, equity and inclusion. To combat white supremacy, to fight against a world that only recognizes heterosexual attraction, to oppose a world where the gender binary is the only reality, we must be louder and more forceful,” said the speaker from the NYU Queer Union. 

The speaker for NYU YDSA, said “Let me tell you we cannot fall into this world of despair, misery and belief that all we can do is stand by as conditions get worse hoping that will wake people up on their own. The work starts now. To educate, agitate and organize for the better world that each and every one of us deserves.”

After the speakers, protesters marched by the NYU campus. As they marched, campus security officers ran to set up barriers by NYU Gould Plaza. Gould Plaza used to be a public space that anyone was able to enter. However, after the first encampment at NYU, the administration had walls and a checkpoint constructed, restricting access to the plaza to only NYU students. As protesters marched, they chanted “The students united will never be defeated” with hundreds of NYU students looking on and making way for the crowd. 

The march ended at Schwartz Plaza, the site of the NYU second encampment from last year. Schwartz Plaza is next to the John A. Paulson Center, named after a billionaire hedge funder who donated millions to the Trump campaign. Campus security rushed to put up barriers in front of the plaza to prevent protesters from entering it. 

Ebtesham Ahmed, the emcee and a member of NYU SDS, ended the rally by saying, “We will be here to resist. We will be here to fight back. No matter how much they try to repress our movement, they will fail. Because we are daring to struggle and daring to win! And from the bottom of my heart, I believe that we will win.”

#NewYorkCityNY #NYC #NYU #NYUSDS #SDS #NYUQueerUnion #NYUSJP #SJP #BSU #NYUBSU #NYUYDSA #YDSA #Trump #Inauguration

Orlando, FL – On January 20, organizations from around Central Florida rallied to protest the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump.

Jacob Muldoon, district organizer of the Orlando District of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization stated, “We are here to begin the resistance to an agenda trying to take each of us down, from students and labor organizers to women and anti-war protesters.”

The group began with chants of “They say go back, we say fight back!” and transitioned into speeches by local organizers on how they will be fighting against the Trump agenda.

A member of UCF Students for a Democratic Society stated, “Thus, our focus should not be only Trump himself, but how he has emboldened universities, including our own UCF, to limit student rights in order to fit their own agenda. Just this year the UCF board of trustees moved to not only pass anti-trans policies on campus, but also multiple anti-protesting regulations on campus, as a response to the pro-Palestine encampments of Spring 2024.”

“What's particularly insidious about Donald Trump is how much he always has and continues to tout himself as an anti-war candidate,” said Cassia Laham from Orlando for Peace and the United National Antiwar Coalition. “We must continue demanding justice in Palestine, demanding the U.S. stop arming and funding the genocidal Israeli state, and demanding a world without U.S. wars.”

Edmund Anglero from Orlando Against Police Crimes (OAPC) talked about the connection between the Trump agenda and local police agencies, stating, “Racist trigger-happy cops patrolling our community will be more willing to take someone’s life without fear of any repercussions. This is why we need to fight for police accountability, especially after the city dissolved the Civilian Police Review Board.”

The rally ended safely with a final chant of “Hey hey ho ho, the Trump agenda has got to go!”

The protest was led by the Orlando district of FRSO, alongside Orlando for Peace, UCF Students for a Democratic Society, Central Florida Queers for Palestine, American Party of Labor, Orlando DSA, Space Coast DSA, and Revolutionary Marxists of Orlando.

#OrlandoFL #SDS #FRSO #DSA #UCF #QueersforPalestine #Trump #Inauguration #OAPC #CPRB

By staff

San José, CA – On MLK Day, upwards of 600 San José residents came out to protest Trump's inauguration and fight back against his anti-immigrant agenda.

The protest mobilized a broad array of progressive organizations in the South Bay, all united against Trump. The Silicon Valley Immigration Committee and Papeles Para Todos coordinated the rally and march.

The rally began at 4 p.m. at the intersection of Stevens Creek and Winchester Boulevard, a commercial center where many gather to shop. Before the protest started, a mass of people had already gathered on the sidewalks with Mexican flags, pickets featuring the Virgin Mary, and Huelga flags. Together the crowd chanted, “¡El Pueblo unido, jamás será vencido!” meaning “The people united, will never be defeated!”

Sebastian Salinas, a community organizer with the Silicon Valley Immigration Committee, kicked off the protest with a series of chants shoulder to shoulder with SEIU 2015 union members. Together they chanted, “Who’s got the power? We got the power! What kind of power? Union power!”, alternating the final phrase with chants of “people power” as well.

The program began with the Raging Grannies Action League’s anti-Trump song reaffirming civil rights in the United States. Shortly after, José Rubén from the Comité de Solidaridad con la Lucha de los Inmigrantes Detenidos shared his experience of participating in a labor and hunger strike while being detained in a for-profit prison.

“On the 18th day of the hunger strike, we had a visit from ICE and GEO dressed in military gear, in riot gear, with deadly weapons,” Rubén recalled. Rubén asked to speak to his lawyers,but ICE officials responded by dragging Rubén and throwing him on to the ground. In 2023, Rubén gained his freedom. “It was possible because of the support of the community that I was able to be liberated,” he stated.

The program included moments that reflected on what MLK Day is about and Martin Luther King Jr.’s radical legacy. Allie Yixuan from San José Against War spoke about MLK Jr.’s opposition to the Vietnam War. Yixuan stated, “It is clear that if Dr. King were around today, he would agree that spending enormous amounts of our tax dollars on military aid to bomb civilians and children in occupied Palestine is unacceptable!”

A community organizer with Papeles Para Todos, Verónica Avendano Ibáñez, soon followed, stating, “I have spent 25 years here and have spent more than a decade organizing my community here.” Ibáñez continued, “I learned that it is important that our community is united and that we fight for our solidarity to achieve our goals,” adding, “Everyone has a right to visit their countries of origin and return to their home in the United States of America, because we have grown roots in this community.”

Uriel Magdaleno of the Silicon Valley Immigration stated, “As President Trump is sworn in, many sanctuary cities are wavering on their support for their immigrant communities and pledge to work with ICE, which is why it is important for San José to reaffirm as a sanctuary city, and it will not cooperate with ICE.”

Magdaleno closed by reading an excerpt of the Legalization for All Network’s statement, “It is through the peoples’ struggle and the peoples’ movements that we will resist Trump and the racist institutions that he will try to use to attack us. Our rights and our place in these lands were not given to us, but won through protracted and sharp struggle. Whether we were born here or if we came here as immigrants, we have every right to exist here.”

After the speeches, Sebastian Salinas prepared the crowd to march into the streets. The attendees followed, with SEIU union members leading with their banner and chants. As the march started, cars passing by honked in support. The crowd chanted, “Whose streets? Our streets!” After a block, the march headed directly into the center of Santana Row, one of San José’s busiest shopping centers. The crowd continued to chant, “What do we want? Justice! How are we gonna get it? People power! If we don't get it? Shut it down!”

The march included a number of different contingents including a Filipino contingent made up of Malaya South Bay, PAWIS South Bay and the League of Filipino Students at San José State University.

After the march, Misrayn Mendoza with Amigos de Guadalupe continued the program, stating, “As you have seen during the last couple of weeks, months and years, we have been under attack by the presidency administration that will be entering today.” Mendoza continued, “Beyond the fear that they want us to feel, there's an unbreakable resiliency, courage and valor to continue in community with one another without fear we'll walk together and change the fear for love and justice.”

Tarentz Charite, of the San José State University chapter of Students for a Democratic Society, told the crowd, “Dare to struggle, dare to win!” Charite described their experience as a student activist on campus “constantly in battle of reactionary ideology on campus.” They condemned the university's tolerance of the reactionary group Turning Point USA on campus.

After Charite, Héctor Rincón from La Voz de los Trabajadoresbegan by saying, “Long live the working class struggle, long live the women's rights struggle, long live the trans rights struggle and long live the struggle of all oppressed peoples!”

John Duroyan from the San José district of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization ended the program, saying, “Today marks a moment of vital importance, for many reasons. Firstly, on this day, we honor the memory of a titan, and a hero in this nation’s long legacy of activism.” Duroyan continued, “What better representation of those evils exists than the wretched reactionary Donald Trump, and his gang of bigots and greedy businessmen! Today, Trump was sworn in, an insult to the legacy of Dr. King! Let every organization here, no matter their personal mission, stand united in declaring that the far right’s hatred and greed is not welcome here! And that so long as we have anything to say about it, Trump’s administration will not lay so much as a hand on the people without us fighting back with all our rage and fury!”

#SanJoseCA #Trump #Inauguration #FRSO #MLK #MLKday #TransRights #WomensRights #SDS #SJSU #TurningPointUSA #TurningPOint #SJSUSDS #MALAYA #ImmigrantRights #Legalization4All #SEIU #UnionPower #SiliconValleyImmigrationCommittee #PapelesParaTodos

Jacksonville, FL – On January 20, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a broad coalition of 20 organizations united to bring out over 150 people to the Duval County Courthouse to protest Trump’s agenda. Hearing from speakers representing various struggles, the people of Jacksonville affirm their fight for national liberation movements, workers, immigrants, LGBTQ rights, reproductive rights and more.

With a backdrop of the American flag, the Jacksonville community stood committed to making Trump’s America ungovernable; “We are here to honor Dr. King’s dream by being Trump’s nightmare,” said a member of the Jacksonville Community Action Committee.

The crowd also heard from organizations such as the Freedom Road Socialist Organization and Students for a Democratic Society. To combat Trump’s racist, reactionary agenda over these next four years, these organizations stressed the necessity of uniting various people’s movements. Passersby could hear the crowd chanting, “The people united, will never be defeated!”

A second Trump term promises an escalation of discrimination and repression of Arab communities, reminiscent of the 2017 Muslim ban. Far from an anti-war administration, the impunity provided to Israel by the U.S will not lessen.

“The last 15 months of genocide in Gaza and the persistence of resistance has given new life to people’s movements all around the globe, signaling a decline of imperial powers and a broadening of political consciousness. We must use this moment not to relax our fight for Palestinian liberation, but to escalate it,” said Ryan Delaney from the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network.

A general theme heard throughout the evening was of perseverance; that the people must not despair and instead get organized. It was emphasized that over the next four years, the people in Jacksonville will not falter in the struggle against Trump's agenda.

#JacksonvilleFL #Jax #JCAC #Trump #Inauguration #JPSN #FreePalestine #MLK #MLKday #FRSO #SDS

Tacoma, WA – Seventeen coalitions came together January 20, rallying hundreds of people at Fireman’s Park before taking to the streets to protest Trump’s inauguration on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 

The coalition addressed a broad array of issues, including immigration, Palestinian liberation, Black liberation, worker’s rights, climate justice, and more. United under three core demands – an end to the attacks on the people, defeat Trump’s agenda, and resist U.S. imperialism – these allied forces marched in solidarity, demonstrating a powerful commitment of the peoples’ movements to resist in the coming years of Trump’s presidency. 

Organizer Miriam Barnett started her speech by stating, “We celebrate the greatness of MLK today and we stand together to vow to fight the evilness of Trump. We will never embrace the Trump agenda.” 

The roars of the crowd echoed the sentiment of resistance to this administration. Organizers also emphasized that their fight transcends any single administration. 

“We would be taking to the streets no matter the outcome of this election.” said Talison Crosby, a long-time organizer with the Freedom Road Socialist Organization. “The system gave us two rotten choices that resulted in a rotten outcome. Neither party represents the people.”

Terrance McCall, an organizer with the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party stated, “The attacks on the people will not come to an end by interventions made by the Democratic nor Republican Party, they will only be brought to an end by the power of the people.” McCall continued, The time is long overdue for us to unite as poor and working people, with the poor and oppressed of the world, to change every part of the production of the society from serving the interests of private wealth to serving the people. The people will be first.” 

Mylo Lang, a member of the International Association of Machinists Local 751, and a member of the Tacoma Democratic Socialists of America stated, “Trump has made his priorities more clear than most.” 

Lang continued, “When he promises to carry out a campaign of mass immigrant deportations, he threatens the most vulnerable workers among us, whose contributions to daily life so often go unrecognized. When he focuses so much of his rhetoric on cultural bogeymen, he shows how desperate he is to keep the working class divided and distracted.” 

Marilyn Kimmerling, a member of the Climate Alliance of the South Sound said, “We know the corporate ploy that is used to divide us - ‘Jobs versus environment’ - meaning you can’t have both, is a false choice. There are no jobs on a dead planet. And we know that everything is connected, so we stand with any progressive groups doing the work that needs to be done. Mutual aid, solidarity, community building, and working together may be the only way we can effectively fight the perils we now face.” 

When an enemy such as Trump is going to attack the people and escalate on all fronts, it is also necessary that people organize as such. This march met the moment by going from the sidewalks into the streets and occupying the busiest intersections in Tacoma.  

Participants chanted, “Up up with liberation, Down down with occupation” as the march concluded at the Federal Court House. This rally was one of many protests across the nation, marking the beginning of a resistance to this administration. 

Alisun Thompson, with Jewish Voice for Peace, spoke of the power of the march, stating, “This work really shows what we can do when we are united – we are stronger together.” Each speaker concluded with a call to action. “There’s a lot of organizations out here today. If you’re not in one, you need to be in one, we can’t do anything ourselves but together we can change the world,” McCall stated.’

#TacomaWA #MLK #MLKDay #Trump #Inauguration #FRSO #JewishVoiceforPeace #JVP #ClimateAlliance #ClimateAllianceoftheSouthSound #SouthSound #DSA #AAPRP

St. Paul, MN - As Donald Trump was inaugurated the 47th president of the United States on Monday, January 20, people gathered in Saint Paul to make a promise that from day one they would resist Trump’s agenda. 

The day began at the Saint Paul Police Department’s Western District precinct. With temperatures dipping to negative five degrees, a single hearse led a caravan of over 100 cars in remembrance of Marcus Golden. At the young age of 24, Mr. Golden was murdered by Saint Paul Police on January 14, 2015. He is the nephew of Black Lives Matter Twin Cities organizer Monique Cullars-Doty. 

The caravan participants decorated their cars with Palestinian flags and signs in support of the defense of Black lives, immigrant rights, and reproductive rights. The caravan proceeded from The Saint Paul Police Department’s Western District precinct along University Avenue. Two young men exited their parked cars in subzero weather to wave a Palestinian flag in support as the caravan passed. The caravan participants honked as they continued east toward downtown.

Cullars-Doty spoke about the significance of the single hearse leading the caravan today. “The hearse is from the same undertaker who took my nephew Marcus Golden’s body from Ramsey County Coroner’s office, but it also represents all the revolutionaries this country has killed and silenced. It is also symbolic that we all follow the hearse because we are still fighting. So as this Trump administration rolls in, we cannot let our dreams die. It means we have to keep fighting.” 

A coalition of organizations led by Black Lives Matter Twin Cities (BLM-TC Metro), the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), and Twin Cities Coalition for Justice (TCC4J) organized the car caravan and indoor rally.

In the shadow of the Minnesota State Capitol, the caravan arrived at Saint Paul College where 500 attendees filled the cafeteria to chants of “Black Lives, they matter here! and “Immigrants are welcome here!” 

Despite the somber occasion of Trump’s second inauguration, the room buzzed with enthusiasm as the emcees led the crowd in chants. Speaking for MIRAC was Manuel Pascual - a first generation Filipino immigrant who witnessed the violence of ICE raids against his community first hand. 

Pascual stated, “Immigrants and the working class are the backbone of this country. It is extremely important we don’t panic or fall into despair in this time of uncertainty. Instead, we organize. We take to the streets. We continue speaking up, showing up, and fighting for one another.” 

Charlie Berg, a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, affirmed the task ahead of everyone in the room: “It is up to all of us to unite the many in order to defeat the few. We need to make this country ungovernable! Our job is to take the fight to higher stages than ever before.”

Toshira Garraway, the founder of Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence, whose fiancé was murdered by the Saint Paul Police in 2009, inspired the crowd saying, “When we see someone being hurt or harmed or mistreated for any reason at all it’s going to take every nationality of people from every walk of life to stand up against the evil and the corruption in this world and we are going to win!”

Sarah Murphy from the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee who spoke about the fight for abortion access under Trump and the fight against the predatory crisis pregnancy centers that are run by the Christian right and embed themselves in predominantly Black and brown working-class communities and college towns to dissuade people from getting abortions.

The crowd also heard speeches from the Climate Justice Committee, the TCC4J, the Minnesota Immigrant Movement, among many others. Other groups were present to table and talk to community members and other organizers throughout the day to share information and get more community members involved in joining the fight against Trump. 

Closing out the program was Anti-War Committee and Free Palestine Coalition member Sabry Wazwaz, who connected the fights for Black and Palestinian liberation, stating, “This connection is not something new. It has always been there. They don’t want us to remind each other that our struggle is one struggle! If you go to Palestine, you will see murals all along the apartheid walls of Martin Luther King, of Malcom X, of George Floyd - because our struggle is one struggle!”

After the program, participants returned to their cars to caravan to the Minnesota State Capitol building where they ended the day of protest honking outside of the Minnesota State Capitol to send the message that Minnesotans will be in the streets to fight Trump’s agenda starting on day one, even in extreme subzero weather.

#StPaulMN #MLKDay #MLK #Trump #Inauguration #Minnesota #AntiWarCommittee #FreePalestineCoalition #FreePalestine #Abortion #AbortionAccess #ReproductiveFreedom #ReproRights #BLM #BlackLivesMatter

Minneapolis, MN – More than 200 people gathered near South High School in Minneapolis, January 20, to demand a People’s Agenda that immediately reverses the policies of Trump and meets the demands of working people, immigrants and oppressed nationality communities. The protest rally started with the chant, “Indict, convict, send those killer cops to jail! The whole damn system is guilty as hell!”

Meredith Aby-Keirstead, a member of the MN Anti-War Committee, welcomed the crowd, “The Anti-War Committee and the Climate Justice Committee along with a coalition of many other organizations wanted to join together to say we are not going home. Today, we are in the streets to send a loud and clear message to Biden from day one we need change. We are tired of the status quo and we are here to make demands on Biden. He is making a lot of promises and we will hold him accountable.”

Throughout the rally and march, many groups spoke about these issues and put demands on Biden and all elected officials.

Autumn Lake from the Anti-War Committee emphasized, “One thing is abundantly clear: the U.S. war machine will not stop with the departure of Trump. Biden has already stacked his cabinet with foreign policy officials that are committed to continuing the U.S.’s destructive campaigns of intervention and war. The Democrat’s own legacy of war and intervention continues with the inauguration of Joe Biden. We’re going to stay in the streets and keep fighting for an end to U.S. wars, no matter who is calling the shots.”

“Defeating Trump is a victory for everyone concerned about justice,” said Austin Dewey from the Climate Justice Committee, “but Biden’s track record shows that he is unwilling to make the radical changes needed unless there’s pressure from a strong people’s movement.”

Jaylani Hussein, the executive director of the MN chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, rallied the crowd on the importance of staying in the streets, “They [the powers that be] want you to be scared to come out. But we are going to continue to be out in the streets until we get justice for all the stolen lives, until we bring back equality in all of our communities, until we free the wrongfully incarcerated, and until we protect water and our land from corporate greed that continues to rob people.”

With the chant of “Who's streets? Our streets!” the marchers took to the streets, followed by a 50-car caravan down Lake Street to the former site of the 3rd Precinct police building, which was set ablaze during the George Floyd uprising this past summer.

Marching down Lake Street, people chanted, “Take it to the streets and fuck the police! No justice, no peace” and “Too many stolen lives, we refuse to close our eyes.”

Speaking on the need for a people's agenda, David Gilbert Pederson of MN Workers United stated, “As the elites gather in Washington to celebrate the changing of the guard, working-class people all across America are still in the trenches fighting a war against U.S. empire, fighting a war against the COVID-19 virus, fighting a war against greed and austerity, fighting a war against police brutality, against deportations, against pipelines through indigenous lands, and a battle of against horrors of American capitalism.”

Monique Cullars-Doty, representing Black Lives Matter MN, was the last to address the crowd before they marched back to South High School, “It's great to be out here, we have to be out here. The people in power don't care about us, they don't care about people who don't have a voice. We want justice for all the stolen lives. An important thing I do is to work in solidarity and come out to support other movements because we all are connected. We have to remember that. We can't do it alone and you shouldn't have to do it alone. This for all us to get together in the face of injustice. Now that we have Biden in office, we must remember who this man is, a father of mass incarceration. We want our people free.”

As the march was leaving the 3rd Precinct, Jae Yates, one of the emcees and an organizer with Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar, said, “Every time I see this place, I remember all of us together, watching it burn. It was a beautiful moment.”

The rally was initiated by the Anti-War Committee and the Climate Justice Committee. It was endorsed by AFSCME 34, AFSCME 2822, AFSCME 3800, Black Lives Matter Twin Cities Metro, Brown Berets MN, Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN), Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence, Good Trouble for Justice, Justice4MarcusGolden, May Day Books, Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, MN Peace Action Coalition, MN Workers United, MN Youth for Justice, Native Lives Matter, Nukewatch, Racial Justice Network, Students Against Pipelines, Students for a Democratic Society at UMN, Student Movement Activists of South High (SMASH), Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar, Twin Cities Peace Campaign, UMN Climate Strike, Veterans for Peace Chapter 27, Welfare Rights Committee, Women Against Military Madness, and others.

#MinneapolisMN #inauguration #J20 #Biden #Harris

Protesters will gather near South High School in Minneapolis at 5 p.m. The list of demands compiled by the coalition highlighted not only the failures and racist attacks from the Trump administration, but also what they see as omissions and shortcomings of Biden’s platform during the campaign.

As one of the protest’s initiating groups, the Anti-War Committee (AWC) called on the new administration to end U.S. intervention overseas. “It's important for folks to come out on January 20 to send a strong message to the Biden administration to pressure for money for human needs, not war. Biden didn't make many progressive promises on the campaign trail, so he needs to hear that we demand peace with justice,” said Meredith Aby-Keirstead of the AWC.

The action comes after a year which saw both a deadly pandemic as well as a mass rebellion against police violence. Organizers said the inauguration marked an opportunity to renew calls for real change that thus far have failed to materialize.

The action was initiated by the AWC and the Climate Justice Committee, and endorsed by AFSCME 2822, AFSCME 3800, Black Lives Matter Twin Cities Metro, Brown Berets MN, Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN), Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence, Good Trouble for Justice, Justice4MarcusGolden, May Day Books, MIRAC, MN Peace Action Coalition, MN Workers United, MN Youth for Justice, Native Lives Matter, Nukewatch, Racial Justice Network, Students Against Pipelines, Students for a Democratic Society at UMN, TCC4J, Twin Cities Peace Campaign, UMN Climate Strike, Veterans for Peace Chapter 27, Welfare Rights Committee, Women Against Military Madness, and others.

#MinneapolisMN #Trump #inauguration #J20 #Biden

The walkout, rally and march is being organized by a coalition of student groups at various campuses put together by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at the University of Minnesota.

Students are walking out to oppose Trump as well as highlight the continued struggle against Trump-like policies on campus perpetrated by those like University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler and his administration.

According to a statement from walkout organizers, “Under Eric Kaler’s administration, students have seen tuition costs and student debt increase. Top-heavy administrators are making over $200,000/year – Eric Kaler himself making over $650,000 annually (more than President-elect Donald Trump will make). Progressive students have faced huge penalties for civil, non-violent protests on campus including some students almost having to go to trial in December 2016. All the while racist and xenophobic hate speech and actions against students of color, Muslims, immigrants and the LGBTQ community has been repeatedly defended as ‘free speech’ by the Kaler administration.”

Student groups are uniting around the following demands: No hate speech on campus, Cut administrative bloat, Drop tuition now, Diversify the university, Legalization for all, Sanctuary for all, Education for all.

The walkout is occurring in coordination with a national call from Students for a Democratic Society that has confirmed student walkouts on over 30 college campuses. For more information go to: http://www.newsds.org/2016/11/national-sds-call-to-action-student.html.

#MinneapolisMN #US #PeoplesStruggles #Protest #Elections #Trump #inauguration

This protest is part of a National Student Walkout organized by SDS to “disrupt operations on campuses everywhere.” According to the call, “We demand free tuition and equal access to education for Black, Chicano, Latino, and specifically undocumented students. We demand sanctuary campuses everywhere, the preservation of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and an end to deportations.”

“We’re here to stand up for all those who are in danger because of the Trump administration; undocumented people, Muslims, women, everyone Trump has decided to make his enemies. We are calling on students to get organized and ready to fight back against every attack on oppressed people,” said Katherine Draken, an FSU student organizing the walkout and president of SDS.

#TallahasseeFL #Elections #US #PeoplesStruggles #Protest #inauguration

Since early 2016, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) has been at the forefront of protests to stop Trump. Chapters and affiliates led protests from coast to coast, even helping to completely shut down his speaking event in Chicago. This summer, we attended and spoke at the March on the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio. From the beginning, SDS has said that Trump’s agenda of bigotry, misogyny, anti-immigrant, and Islamophobic attacks should not go unopposed.

Upon his election win, Clinton officially remarked that “We owe Trump an open mind”. The same rich politicians and corporate media pundits who told us that Trump could be defeated at the ballot box have offered no real solutions for how to stop his policy measures. Like in 2008, these politicians backed by Wall Street, bankers, and billionaires have proposed that we compromise, but SDS calls for students to mobilize.

We call upon students and all people to channel their anger into organizing, so we can defend our communities, and build sustainable movements independent of the political establishment that provides both Trump and Hillary as viable candidates.

On Inauguration Day, Jan 20th, SDS will hold a national student walkout, in alliance with many other student groups. We will disrupt operations on campuses everywhere. Whether it’s against segregation, deportation, or war, history shows that the fight for an education system based on peace, equality, and justice has always been spearheaded by students and youth, and never by the White House.

While we anticipate continued attacks on undocumented youth, we’ve already seen more deportations in the last eight years under President Obama than we’ve ever seen in US history. SDS has protested to end them every step of the way.

SDS will continue to fight for #EducationForAll and #LegalizationForAll. We will be joining the fight to establish sanctuary campuses everywhere.

We demand free tuition and equal access to education for Black, Chicano, Latino and specifically undocumented students. We demand sanctuary campuses everywhere, the preservation of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and an end to deportations.

Demands:

1. Free tuition! Accessibility at all public institutions.
2. Affirmative action, the end of racist testing, and quotas for admissions of African-American, Chicano, Latino, Asian, and students from other oppressed groups who are underrepresented at our institutions.
3. Equal access to education for undocumented students, from tuition equity to financial aid.
4. Non-cooperation with Immigration Customs Enforcement agents.
5. Protection of students’ information from law enforcement agencies, including residency status, religious affiliation, and other information from educational records protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
6. Federal protection for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, regardless of any Supreme Court ruling.

Moreover, we demand a just and fair education system on the basis of a just and fair society: no more wars, no US intervention, no police crimes, and no deportations. We will continue to mobilize until a fair and just society is won.

• Stop Trump!
• Sanctuary for All!
• Legalization For All!
• Education for All!

#UnitedStates #ImmigrantRights #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #SDS #PeoplesStruggles #DonaldTrump #inauguration