New Orleans, LA – On Monday, January 19, 100 activists and community members marched through the busy streets of New Orleans to commemorate MLK’s long legacy.

The protest was headed by the New Orleans Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NOAARPR). Demands included an end to deportations and justice for victims of police brutality.

The protest began with a rally at A.L. Davis Park.

“King was taken from us too soon, but his words and deeds were not. We remember King as someone who fought not only to protect peace but to protect the dignity of all working people,” said Toni Jones, chair of NOAARPR. Jones later stated, “His actions are what are worth remembering in trying to change history.”

Mich Gonzales of Sanctuary Now Abolition Project quoted Martin Luther King Jr, saying, “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.” Gonzales then stated “We, the people of the United States, will not be spoken for by the filthy rich. The working-class people are rising up, and we are done!”

Before taking to the streets, Toni Mar from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) read from MLK’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, finishing with the line “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Mar then said, “We have to heed the call to take to the streets! We will not take one step backwards, we are only going forward!”

As the crowd marched through the streets, chants rang out such as “Cell blocks for crooked cops!” And “No justice! No peace!” Community support was high, with people along the streets chanting along with their fists in the air.

The march concluded in front of a sculpture commemorating MLK Jr. on Martin Luther King Boulevard in Central City.

Rosalina Framboise from Liberate and Unite New Orleans Students for a Democratic Society (LUNO SDS), spoke on the importance of remembering the true legacy of MLK, “This is not just something that we learn about in our classes. This is something we experience right here today in our real lives as we continue to shape history.”

Before the protest was over, the crowd gathered together and repeated Assata Shakur’s famous quote, “It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love and protect one another. We have nothing to lose but our chains.”

#NewOrleansLA #LA #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #MLKDay #NOAARPR #NAARPR

Dallas, TX – On January 19, National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression-Dallas honored the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the 97th anniversary of his birth, by participating in the MLK Day parade in Dallas. Marching through the streets with a banner reading “One day the South will recognize its real heroes” and “Freedom is a constant struggle,” NAARPR honored the radical legacy of MLK Jr.

In a time of ICE repression and the rolling back of the Civil Rights Act, NAARPR continues to remind the community of Dallas that there are still people who remember the dream of MLK and his movement.

Xavier Velasquez, the chair of NAARPR-Dallas, said, “We will live in a United States where ICE thugs kidnap innocent immigrants, tear families apart and murder people along the way. We also cannot ignore the warmongering against Venezuela and the illegal kidnapping of the president and first lady of that country. We have to remember that Martin Luther King Jr. said 'The evils of capitalism are as real as the evils of militarism and evils of racism.’”

The contingent of members of NAARPR chanted while parade onlookers joined in: “Power to the people!” “Community control now” and “DPD, ICE, KKK they're all the same!”

#DallasTX #TX #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #MLKDay #NAARPRDFW

Charleston, SC – On January 19, Charleston’s Elbit Out Of South Carolina (EOSC) coalition marched with a large contingent in the city’s Martin Luther King Day parade. Around 40 community members carried Palestinian flags, large banners, and a variety of signs criticizing Elbit Systems of America for producing weapons for Israel’s ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The coalition handed out hundreds of flyers with information about Elbit’s Charleston County facility as well as ways to get involved with the coalition's efforts to shut the factory down.

“It was so great to see families watching the parade from the sidelines light up when they saw a contingent in solidarity with Palestine,” said A