Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

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By Hannah Keith

UCLA workers strike after crackdown on pro-Palestine activism.  | Fight Back! News/staff

Los Angeles CA – On Tuesday, May 28, hundreds of workers and students at the University of California Los Angeles walked off the job in response to the university’s brutal crackdown on pro-Palestine encampments earlier this month.

The striking workers are graduate students and academic researchers represented by the United Auto Workers union local 4811 (UAW) which represents 50,000 workers across the UC school system. The UAW declared the university’s response to the protest an unfair labor practice and will be on strike until at least June 30 or later if the strike is extended.

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By Marisol Márquez

Students at Mendez High School walk out of classes demanding rehiring of the school principal.  | Fight Back! News/staff

Los Angeles, CA – On the morning of May 28, over 100 Chicano students at Mendez High School walked out of their classes. Students were demanding that their school principal Mauro Bautista be brought back after mysteriously being removed for more than a month now from the school.

Starting at 9 a.m., the students walked out of their classes and marched along the front of the school, holding a banner that read, “Free Jefe!” After the march and coming back to school premises, the students refused to return to classes and staged a sit-in, where organizers read their demands and made speeches.

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By staff

Los Angeles event demands charges against the Uhuru 3 be dropped.  | Fight Back! News/staff

Los Angeles, CA – In a packed room of Black and Chicano activists, high school students, and other supporters, a May 23 forum was held in support of the Hands Off the Uhuru 3 movement. The Uhuru movement is led by the African People's Socialist Party, which is facing political attacks by the FBI.

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By Henry Cornejo

Chicanos rally in East Los Angeles in solidarity with Palestine.  | Fight Back! News/staff

Los Angeles, CA – On May 17, Chicanos from the Boyle Heights neighborhood in Los Angeles, California held a rally for the 76th anniversary of the Nakba. Chants like “Desde el río hasta el mar, Palestina va ganar!” rang through the Cesar E. Chavez and Soto intersection. The rally was organized by members of Centro CSO, a Chicano-led grassroots organization, fighting for oppressed people in Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles.

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By Victor Rodriguez and Julianna Castellon

Los Angeles, CA – On Tuesday, May 7, the campus of California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA) witnessed a powerful display of solidarity as hundreds of students, led by Students 4 Justice in Palestine, united with community members and alumni at their campus’ student encampment. Their collective voice demanded “Hands off Rafah” and for the CSU system to sever all financial ties with Israel.

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By Carlos Montes

UTLA and SEIU 99 rally in front of LAUSD Headquarters May 7.  | Photo: Sukhbir Gill

Los Angeles, CA – Thousands of spirited Los Angles Unified School District (LAUSD) workers rallied on May 7 to protest proposed cutbacks and layoffs by Superintendent Alberto Carvalho.

In front of LAUSD headquarters, the educator’s union, United Teachers of Los Angles (UTLA) and SEIU 99 school workers voiced a united strong message of “no cutbacks and no layoffs” that will hurt students.

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By Reuben Navarrete

Crowd gathers holding the Mexican flag and signs with slogans like "Legalization for all".

Los Angeles, CA – On May 1, over 100 people gathered at Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights to commemorate May Day, the International Workers Day. Across the world workers celebrate this day to highlight the contributions of the working class, regardless of their immigration status. It originated in Chicago, where in 1886, striking workers were attacked by police while fighting for the eight-hour workday, the right to unionize and safer working conditions. Eight of the organizers were convicted and four of them publicly executed by hanging.

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By Luis Sifuentes

Pro-Palestine protest at USC. | Fight Back! News/Luis Sifuentes

Los Angeles, CA – On April 24, thousands of student activists and community members occupied Alumni Park in the middle of the University of Southern California (USC) to protest the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Student activists demanded that the university divest from corporations that sell weapons and technology to Israel, a complete academic boycott of Israel, and an end to its silence on the genocide of Palestine.

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By Gabriel Quiroz Jr.

LA protest against attacks on Iran and Palestine.  | Fight Back! News/Gabriel Quiroz

Los Angeles, CA – In response to the U.S. threatening war with Iran and other Arab countries that launched retaliatory air attacks against Israel, hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Los Angeles on April 15. Organized by local Palestinian groups including U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), the protest’s goal was to demonstrate solidarity with Palestine and Iran as well as demand the end of genocide in Gaza by shutting down LA’s Financial District.

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By staff

Los Angeles protest demands justice for Christian Escobedo. | Fight Back! News/staff

Los Angeles, CA – On April 11, the family of Christian Escobedo continued their fight for justice as they pursue accountability for his tragic murder on January 14, 2018 by LAPD Officer Edward Artiaga from the Hollenbeck Division.

Six years after Escobedo’s murder, there are court hearings for his family’s civil lawsuit against Officer Artiaga, a display of the unwavering determination of his loved ones.

In 2018, Escobedo, a 22-year-old Chicano, was walking home at 6:30 a.m. with a friend when they stopped to rest on the sidewalk for a moment. LAPD arrived and shot him four times without provocation. With the support of Centro CSO, a community organization that fights against police crimes in East LA and Boyle Heights, Escobedo's family began organizing to demand accountability.

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By staff

A young person wearing a black hoodie holds up a sign that says "Fuck the banditos" and a drawing of a skeleton wearing a sombrero and holding a gun.

East Los Angeles, CA – On March 23, 50 people gathered at the East LA Sheriff Station to demand justice for David Ordaz Jr. and commemorate his three-year angelversary. On March 14, 2021, Los Angeles Sheriff's deputies killed Ordaz outside his family home after his family called 911 to request support for him while he was experiencing a mental health crisis.

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By staff

Neighborhood posters declaring victory over gentrification in Boyle Heights. | Fight Back! News/staff

Los Angeles, CA – On March 13, organized tenants from El Apetito-Finessa Colectivo, neighborhood council members, and concerned residents appeared before a hearing at Ramona Hall Community Center in Highland Park. They were supporting an appeal against a major corporate development in Boyle Heights.

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By Victor Rodriguez

International Women's Day celebration in Los Angeles. | Fight Back! News/staff

Los Angeles, CA – On March 9, over 50 people gathered at Salazar Park in East Los Angeles to participate in Centro CSO's 7th annual International Women's Day. The event was rally-style and free to the public.

Chants included, “Hey, hey, ho ho! Patriarchy has got to go!” and “¡Porque vivas nos queremos, tú machismo venceremos!” and the event featured music, poetry, food and a healing table.

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By Sol Márquez

Protesters hold signs saying "From the river to the sea Palestine will be free" and "End US Aid to Israel" while a lead protester chants on a bullhorn.

Hollywood, CA — A protest of 60 people gathered, March 10, near the Oscars to disrupt, chanting, “From the sea to the river, Palestine will live forever!”

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By Victor Rodriguez

Los Angeles demonstration for Palestine. | Fight Back! News/Luis Sifuentes

Los Angeles, CA – In a display of international solidarity, thousands of protesters flooded the streets of Los Angeles, March 1, joining millions across the globe in support of the Palestinian liberation to demand an end to Israeli attacks on Rafah.

The protesters rallied and then marched from LA City Hall through the streets of downtown Los Angeles, disrupting traffic and chanting along the way, “Free, free Palestine!” This ongoing mobilization of the working masses of Southern California is dedicated to the cause of justice and solidarity with the oppressed people of Palestine.

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By staff

Palestine solidarity protest at the Grammys. | Fight Back! News/Luis Sifuentes

Los Angeles, CA – Hundreds of spirited demonstrators took to the streets of downtown Los Angeles on February 4 to send a clear message that business will not go on as usual while Israel continues to savagely attack Gaza and the West Bank.

Multiple organizations, including Palestinian Youth Movement and the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), organized and led the march in a successful effort to disrupt the Grammys, which were being held at the nearby Crypto Arena. The demonstrators were full of energy as they chanted “Israel, Israel go to hell!” and “From the river to the sea Palestine will be free!”

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By staff

LA protest in support of Palestine. | Fight Back! News/staff

Los Angeles, CA – Chants of “Shut Sadaf down!” and “Boycott Sadaf!” echoed through an industrial area of Los Angeles as over 100 people rallied outside the Sadaf Foods building calling for a boycott of the company on January 5.

A member of U.S. Palestinian Community Network, along with Sol Marquez, a member of Centro CSO in Los Angeles and David Pulido, a member of CSO Orange County entered Sadaf Foods with the intention of negotiating and presenting their demands.

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By staff

Los Angeles protest demands justice for Alejandro Hernandez. | Fight Back! News/staff

Los Angeles, CA – The family of Alejandro Hernandez, community members and other impacted families protested outside of the East Los Angeles sheriff’s station, Saturday, November 25. All were demanding justice for the 34-year-old who was recently brutalized by two sheriff deputies during an arrest.

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By Carlos Montes

Los Lobos performs at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles. | Fight Back! News/staff

Los Angeles, CA – A full auditorium at East LA Garfield High School (GHS) greeted Los Lobos for their 50th anniversary concert celebration. The legendary East LA band gave a tremendous concert to the packed auditorium in the new auditorium. Band members include David Hidalgo on accordion and lead guitar, Cesar Rosas vocals and guitar, Louie Perez guitar and Conrado Terrazas on bass. Los Lobos are GHS alumni.

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By staff

Activist wearing a Centro CSO t-shirt chants on a bullhorn while activists are visible in the background waving a Palestinian flag.

Los Angeles – On November 4, hundreds of pro-Palestine Boyle Heights and East LA residents gathered at Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights. Israel increased its attacks on Palestine since October 7, sparking global outrage. Those present were supportive of Palestine and waved posters with messages like, “Chicanos against Palestinian genocide” and “End U.S. aid to Israel.”

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