300 protest Trump's anti-Muslim refugee ban in Jacksonville, FL
Jacksonville, FL – Over 300 people gathered outside the Duval County Courthouse on Jan. 31 to call for the repeal of President Donald Trump's anti-Muslim refugee ban.
News and Views from the People's Struggle
Jacksonville, FL – Over 300 people gathered outside the Duval County Courthouse on Jan. 31 to call for the repeal of President Donald Trump's anti-Muslim refugee ban.
Jacksonville, FL – About 100 people gathered outside the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena to protest Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Aug. 3. Trump's campaign announced that the billionaire casino mogul would speak in Jacksonville with just three days notice. Local organizers and progressive activists immediately called the protest in response to Trump's openly racist campaign, which has targeted Latinos, Muslims, African Americans and others.
Jacksonville, FL – Over two dozen protesters gathered in front of Angela Corey's office, April 27, to demand she be removed from office. In Jacksonville, State Attorney Angela Corey is responsible for leading Florida in the imprisonment of juvenile offenders, most of whom are Black. From 2009 to 2013, Corey's office incarcerated 1475 juveniles in the Jacksonville area alone, compared to just 32 in Miami during the same period. In almost four out of five of cases, Corey threatened the juvenile defendant with being charged as an adult in order to coerce a plea deal, since adult charges carry harsher consequences.
Jacksonville, FL – About 25 people gathered in Friendship Park here, April 9, for a press conference to demand Angela Corey be removed from office. Angela Corey is the Florida state attorney responsible for prosecuting more death penalty cases in Duval County than anywhere else in the country, and for being third in the country for the number of minor offenders charged as adults. An overwhelming majority of those minors charged as adults with felonies are African American. Angela Corey is also responsible for letting George Zimmerman walk after the murder of Trayvon Martin and for locking Marissa Alexander up after Alexander was found guilty of firing a warning shot against her abusive husband. The press conference was called for by the Jacksonville Leadership Coalition, headed by the Reverend R.L. Gundy.
Jacksonville, FL – More than 30 protesters marched on W.W. Gay Mechanical Contractors, Inc., Feb. 28, for its financial support of State Attorney Angela Corey. The mid-morning protest drew supporters from across Jacksonville and around the state who oppose Corey and her racist attacks on African-Americans.
Jacksonville, FL – Members of the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition and other community organizations are mobilizing for protests against Florida State Attorney Angela Corey later in February. Corey is responsible for incarcerating more Black youth than any other state attorney in Florida and for failing to serve justice in several high-profile cases. Corey's record includes failing to convict George Zimmerman in the murder of Trayvon Martin, and locking up Marissa Alexander for defending herself against her violent estranged husband. In 2015, Corey also failed to deliver justice in the case of D'angelo Stallworth, a UPS employee murdered by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO).
Jacksonville, FL – On August 8, activists in Jacksonville staged two demonstrations tied to the Black Lives Matter movement. In the morning, community organizers rallied for a press conference outside of the Duval Regional Juvenile Detention Center against the mass incarceration of Black youth. Later that day, young activists led a Black Lives Matter march through downtown Jacksonville against racist police crimes.
Jacksonville, FL – On August 2, more than 35 people from across Jacksonville attended a forum on institutionalized racism. Sponsored by the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition (JPC), the event featured a stack of speakers who addressed the Black Lives Matter movement, the struggle against police crimes and the fight against mass incarceration.
Jacksonville, FL – Over 100 activists and community members gathered here, July 26, to honor Sandra Bland. Bland, who supported the Black Lives Matter movement, became national news when she was found dead in her jail cell after being arrested for a minor traffic offense. Many doubt the official story that Bland committed suicide, especially after video evidence surfaced of Bland being handled roughly by the police.
Protesters calling on state attorney to indict two killer cops
Jacksonville, FL – More than 50 people gathered outside the Duval County courthouse to demand justice for D'Angelo Stallworth, the 28-year-old African American man murdered by Jacksonville police in May. The crowd assembled around noon, carrying signs and wearing t-shirts with the slogan “Justice 4 Dee.”
Jacksonville, FL – On June 13, over 30 activists assembled at the International Association of Machinists hall to discuss methods, share strategies and to discuss points of political unity within the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition (JPC).
Jacksonville, FL – On March 30, about 150 people gathered throughout the afternoon to demand justice for Devanta Jones. Jacksonville Sheriff's officer Cliff Sames shot Jones, an unarmed African American, just the day before, after responding to Jones' phone call for help. After shooting Jones, the police told the media that Jones had been strangling his girlfriend, but his girlfriend immediately told reporters that was false. The shooting and subsequent rally took place at the Cleveland Arms Apartments complex in Jacksonville. This was not the first time that officer Sames shot someone.
Jacksonville, FL – A Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) officer shot an unarmed Black man multiple times, at around 9:00 a.m., March 29, at the Cleveland Arms apartment complex. Neighbors say he is in his early 20s and was not at fault. The officer who shot him has been previously involved in multiple incidents. The young man is currently in the hospital, and his condition is reportedly stable.
Jacksonville, FL – 19 protesters arrested for shutting down the Hart Bridge in Jacksonville were released from jail on Dec. 9.
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.
Protest spoke out against local state’s attorney for supporting killer cops
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.