Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

JacksonvilleFl

By staff

Activists demand State Attorney Angela Corey return all belongings and 'Drop the Charges Now'

Jacksonville, FL – On Dec. 15, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office returned some of the phones they seized from the 19 protesters who shut down the Hart Bridge last week.

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By staff

Jacksonville, FL – 19 protesters arrested for shutting down the Hart Bridge in Jacksonville were released from jail on Dec. 9.

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By staff

Jacksonville Progressive Coalition organizers raise their fists

Jacksonville, FL – On Dec. 7, about 50 members of the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition attended the second annual People's Potluck. The event brings activists together before the holidays to look back on the year's accomplishments, enjoy a live rap show and eat good food.

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By staff

‘Free the Jax Justice Fighters’

Jacksonville, FL – Nearly 20 protesters were arrested by Jacksonville police for blocking afternoon traffic on the Hart Bridge on Dec. 8. The protesters staged the demonstration in response to the recent decision by a New York grand jury to not indict white police officer Daniel Pantaleo whose choking of Eric Garner, an African American man, led to his to death.

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By staff

Protest spoke out against local state’s attorney for supporting killer cops

Jacksonville protesters stage die-in at downtown Hemming Plaza

Jacksonville, FL – On Dec. 5, nearly 100 protesters gathered in downtown Jacksonville to demand justice for Eric Garner, the New York African American man who was choked to death by police. The protest was called in response to the decision by a New York grand jury earlier in the week to not indict the police officer who killed Garner.

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By Fern

Jacksonville, FL – Marissa Alexander took a plea deal offered by the State Attorney to avoid an upcoming trial on Dec. 8 where she would have faced up to 60 years in prison. Alexander was charged in 2012 with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after firing a warning shot to defend herself from her estranged abusive husband.

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By staff

Jacksonville protesters demand justice for Michael Brown

Jacksonville, FL – More than 30 people from the Jacksonville community gathered in Hemming Plaza downtown here, Nov. 24 to protest the Ferguson grand jury verdict and demand justice for Michael Brown.

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By Fern

Jacksonville Progress Coalition activists chant outside the courthouse

Jacksonville, FL – After a week and a half of keeping watch over the Duval County Courthouse, a verdict has been reached in the retrial of Michael Dunn, Oct. 1. Dunn is the white racist who murdered African American youth Jordan Davis in 2012. After two years and a mistrial, the family of Jordan Davis finally won some measure of justice today when the jury came back with a guilty verdict.

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By Fern

Ronald Davis, father of Jordan Davis, speaks to the crowd.

Jacksonville, FL – Two dozen protesters gathered outside of the courthouse here, Sept. 22, demanding justice for Jordan Davis as the retrial of Michael Dunn gets underway. Jury selection began today and protesters, many from the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition gathered at 8:00 a.m.

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By Fern

Protesters gather for a group photo while chanting "Hands up! Don't Shoot!"

Jacksonville, FL – The entire country is carefully watching what is going on right now in Ferguson, Missouri after the police murdered 18-year-old African American Michael Brown on Aug. 9. Black people around the country are the most interested, and in the South, where Black people often constitute a majority or large plurality in some areas, people want real change. Community members in Jacksonville came together and held a rally and march downtown here, Aug. 16, for Michael Brown and his family.

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By Fern

People get ready for Aug. 16 protest to demand justice for Michael Brown.

Jacksonville, FL – Members of the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition (JPC) will be hosting a solidarity march demanding “Justice for Michael Brown!” at 6:00 pm on Saturday, Aug. 16, starting at Hemming Plaza in downtown Jacksonville.

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By staff

Jacksonville, FL – On June 10, Circuit Judge James Daniel pushed back Marissa Alexander's retrial date from July 21 to Dec. 1. Alexander is a 33-year-old African-American mother facing 60 years in prison for firing a warning shot to fend off her abusive husband. Originally convicted of assault with a deadly weapon and sentenced to 20 years in prison, Alexander received a new trial in 2013 when a District Court of Appeals judge overturned the decision.

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By Fern

Jacksonville press conference announcing campaign to get Corey out of office

Jacksonville, FL – On May 27, two dozen supporters gathered for a press conference announcing the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition's (JPC) campaign launch to get State Attorney Angela Corey out of office. Angela Corey is responsible for letting George Zimmerman walk free after he murdered Trayvon Martin. Corey is also responsible for locking up Marissa Alexander for defending herself from her ex-husband. Corey followed this by botching the trial of Michael Dunn for the cold-blooded murder of African American teenager Jordan Davis. She is responsible for locking up a high number of Latino and African American youth in Jacksonville. The people of Jacksonville are ready to organize and get Angela Corey out of office.

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By staff

Joined by letter carriers, mail handlers, and UPS Teamsters

Postal Workers and other trade unionists protest USPS privatization.

Jacksonville, FL – Dozens of union workers rallied outside of the Staples store on Beach Boulevard here to oppose the proposed privatization of key United States Postal Service (USPS) jobs.

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By staff

Vow to 'Fight for our future' and rebuild a fighting labor movement

Jacksonville, FL – Around 40 workers from Jacksonville attended a backyard May Day cookout to celebrate International Workers Day. The event, hosted by the newly-formed Young Workers of Jacksonville (YWJ), drew workers from across many industries and unions. A giant black-and-white banner welcomed them, “The future is ours, Young Workers fight back.”

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By staff

Jacksonville Progressive Coalition at SCLC annual “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A

Jacksonville, FL – 150 people attended the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's (SCLC) annual “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Awards Dinner” on April 26. Hosted at the Sheraton in Deerwood, the dinner drew clergy, politicians and activists from across the Jacksonville community.

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By staff

Fight for full-time jobs, $15 minimum wage and child care for working mothers

Jacksonville, FL – After joining a successful statewide event for young workers at the Florida capitol, the Young Workers of Jacksonville (YWJ) are preparing for International Workers Day on May 1. The newly formed group will host a labor-themed cookout for young workers in the city to talk about the major issues affecting them as a class.

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By Dustin Ponder

Highlights the need for industry-wide organizing, unionizing FedEx workers

Jacksonville, FL – Despite ‘competing’ as the world's two largest parcel delivery and shipping companies, UPS and FedEx are owned by many of the same banks. According to NASDAQ's ownership summary of both companies, 12 of the top 20 owners of UPS and FedEx are the same banks, investment groups and financial institutions.

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By Dave Schneider

Latest U.S. moves to topple Venezuela's progressive Bolivarian government and inflict harm on the people

Jacksonville, FL – In the latest move by the U.S. to topple the progressive, democratic Venezuelan government, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz announced on March 3 that President Barack Obama was considering economic sanctions on Venezuela. Schultz, who represents a district in south Florida and who chairs the Democratic National Committee, made the disturbing announcement on the heels of a proposed Venezuela sanctions bill introduced and sponsored by Florida's two senators, Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson.

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By staff

Racist persecution of African American mother in warning shot case continues

Jacksonville, FL – Florida State Attorney Angela Corey announced on March 1, 2014, that her office is seeking a maximum 60-year sentence in the retrial of Marissa Alexander, beginning in late July.

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