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 Alfred Peeler, of the Charleston District of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO). “It showed that the community supports our efforts to do our part locally in demanding an end to the U.S.’s role in supporting the genocide.”

Elbit Systems of America opened its Charleston factory in 2023 to construct Next Generation Sigma 155 mm Howitzer cannons for Israel, and at least two loads of weapons and other munitions have already been shipped.

“It’s important for us to take every opportunity we can to publicly show our support for Palestinians and bring attention to the ways our community is wrapped up in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza,” stated Nate Hubler, an EOSC organizer. “Most people are unaware that Elbit was given tax breaks by our county council to operate here, depriving the public of hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.”

The Elbit Out Of SC Coalition formed at the end of 2024 to shut the factory down and has pursued a variety of tactics including weekly pickets in front of the facility for over a year, regular teach-ins at community meetings, speaking at county council to scrap the tax breaks, and appealing to labor unions and religious institutions.

The Coalition consists of Free Palestine Charleston (FPC), Charleston DSA, the Lowcountry Action Committee and FRSO Charleston as well as numerous at-large organizers.

The coalition kept the energy up for the entire length of the parade, chanting for an hour and a half. Attendees were led in chants like “Free, free Palestine!” and “Money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation!”

“It was so great to see the people chant along with us, especially the kids,” said Autumn Waddell, an organizer with FPC and EOSC.

Volunteers with the Charleston Linea Directa Comunitaria Inmigrante, the local Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) verification hotline, also marched with the coalition. Representatives handed out flyers to spread the word about the hotline’s phone number and made connections between attacks on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, and attacks on immigrants in the U.S.

“It looks like the local news covering the parade turned off their coverage as we approached, which they did last year as well,” said Alfred Peeler. “But it’s all good, we’ve been getting more and more coverage, more and more engagement, and Elbit facilities are shutting down across the globe. We are winning!”

#CharlestonSC #SC #AntiWarMovement #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #MLKDay #FPC #EOSC

Orlando, FL – On Saturday, January 17, dozens of organizations joined a parade in downtown Orlando to commemorate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

While the parade included local police, one of the organizations that marched in the parade wanted to send a clear message to the police, the city and county governments to hold police accountable, jail killer cops, and reinstitute a civilian police review board.

Orlando Against Police Crimes (OAPC) is a local, grassroots organization in central Florida that fights for justice for victims of police crimes and political repression. Activists in the group have worked to support the families of those killed by police and demand State Attorney Monique Worrell press charges against cops who kill community members.

“The police were not friends of Martin Luther King, of Black people on general, or of the Civil Rights movement! Why not babe the parade led by the Klan?” said OAPC organizer David Porter. “The police have not changed. And it's an insult to have them leading this parade!”

For the parade, members of OAPC marched with large posters that served as memorials for those recently killed by Orange County Sheriff's Office and OPD. The names and faces on posters and moving billboard were of Luis Lopez, Tyrone Bartley, Kaleb Williams, Juan Silva, Ronald Greene, Salaythis Melvin, Clarence Lake and Karvas Gamble, Jr., all of whom were killed by police.

#OrlandoFL #FL #InJusticeSystem #PoliceCrimes #OAPC #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #MLKDay

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

Detroit, Michigan – On January 16, Martin Luther King Jr Day, the Detroit MLK Day Committee organized a large gathering, which took place at Historic Saint Matthew's-Saint Joseph's Episcopal Church with the theme of “Six Decades of Mass Movements, The Struggle Continues.” Issues addressed included winning full funding for the Right to Counsel Ordinance and ensuring that all Detroit residents have access to quality housing, water services, good schools, environmentally sound communities, and healthy food. Marchers also demanded an end to police crimes, no more funds to NATO and ending the proxy war in Ukraine. Several FRSO members took part in and provided logistical support for the event.

Detroit has a long legacy of struggle based around Martin Luther King Jr. Sixty years ago on June 23, 1963, it was the site of the Detroit Walk to Freedom, which was the largest civil rights demonstration to ever take place in U.S. history, with attendance ranging from 125,000 to 500,000 with the keynote speaker being delivered by Martin Luther King Jr, who gave an early version of his “I have a Dream” speech.

The Detroit MLK Day Committee continues to strive for equality, housing rights, economic justice, social justice and anti-militarism.

After a speakout, there was a short march down Woodward Avenue to a new Black food cooperative down the street which is in the process of being built.

Chants during the march declared that housing, water, jobs, education, right to counsel are human rights (“Fight, fight fight!”) and to free Palestine.

#DetroitMichigan #DetroitMI #AfricanAmerican #DrMartinLutherKingJr #MLKDay

Chicago, IL – 500 people gathered in Federal Plaza today with a banner reading, “End the Trump era” and “End white supremacy!” Organizers including the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation, and Chicago Democratic Socialists of America. Also joining were SEIU Local 73 and other unions as well as Black, Latino and other organizations.

The protest was called in response to the white supremacist insurrection and attempted coup in DC on January 6. The aim of the racists was to invalidate the votes of hundreds of thousands of Black people in Atlanta, Detroit, Philadelphia and Milwaukee, and Chicanos/Mexicanos in Phoenix. The protest in Chicago demanded the immediate removal of Donald Trump from office and his arrest.

Aislinn Pulley of Black Lives Matter-Chicago spoke about the historic rebellion against police crimes in the summer of 2020. She said about the white supremacists’ revolt, “The reason that happened is because our movement has forced a political crisis. They are responding to our power. They’re fighting to hold on to their dominance.”

Kobi Guillory of FRSO spoke. “My ancestors were brought here in the hull of a slave ship. They resisted, and just like our ancestors, we will continue to fight. Black people, Latinos, immigrants, Palestinians, Filipinos, and everyone who works eight hours a day and then comes home knowing they have been robbed. The police, the racists and the rich can never outnumber us.”

The rally also called for community control of the police and to defund the police.

#ChicagoIL #InJusticeSystem #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #NAARPR #MLKDay

Chicago, IL – 500 people gathered in Federal Plaza today with a banner reading, “End the Trump era” and “End white supremacy!” Organizers including the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation, and Chicago Democratic Socialists of America. Also joining were SEIU Local 73 and other unions as well as Black, Latino and other organizations.

The protest was called in response to the white supremacist insurrection and attempted coup in DC on January 6. The aim of the racists was to invalidate the votes of hundreds of thousands of Black people in Atlanta, Detroit, Philadelphia and Milwaukee, and Chicanos/Mexicanos in Phoenix. The protest in Chicago demanded the immediate removal of Donald Trump from office and his arrest.

Aislinn Pulley of Black Lives Matter-Chicago spoke about the historic rebellion against police crimes in the summer of 2020. She said about the white supremacists’ revolt, “The reason that happened is because our movement has forced a political crisis. They are responding to our power. They’re fighting to hold on to their dominance.”

Kobi Guillory of FRSO spoke. “My ancestors were brought here in the hull of a slave ship. They resisted, and just like our ancestors, we will continue to fight. Black people, Latinos, immigrants, Palestinians, Filipinos, and everyone who works eight hours a day and then comes home knowing they have been robbed. The police, the racists and the rich can never outnumber us.”

The rally also called for community control of the police and to defund the police.

#ChicagoIL #InJusticeSystem #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #NAARPR #MLKDay

Chicago, IL – 500 people gathered in Federal Plaza today with a banner reading, “End the Trump era” and “End white supremacy!” Organizers including the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation, and Chicago Democratic Socialists of America. Also joining were SEIU Local 73 and other unions as well as Black, Latino and other organizations.

The protest was called in response to the white supremacist insurrection and attempted coup in DC on January 6. The aim of the racists was to invalidate the votes of hundreds of thousands of Black people in Atlanta, Detroit, Philadelphia and Milwaukee, and Chicanos/Mexicanos in Phoenix. The protest in Chicago demanded the immediate removal of Donald Trump from office and his arrest.

Aislinn Pulley of Black Lives Matter-Chicago spoke about the historic rebellion against police crimes in the summer of 2020. She said about the white supremacists’ revolt, “The reason that happened is because our movement has forced a political crisis. They are responding to our power. They’re fighting to hold on to their dominance.”

Kobi Guillory of FRSO spoke. “My ancestors were brought here in the hull of a slave ship. They resisted, and just like our ancestors, we will continue to fight. Black people, Latinos, immigrants, Palestinians, Filipinos, and everyone who works eight hours a day and then comes home knowing they have been robbed. The police, the racists and the rich can never outnumber us.”

The rally also called for community control of the police and to defund the police.

#ChicagoIL #InJusticeSystem #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #NAARPR #MLKDay

New Orleans, LA – Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) will host a Martin Luther King Day Virtual Rally this Monday, January 18. In support of a call from the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, New Orleans FRSO demands a mass release from prisons during the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. The rally will also demand justice for Jacob Blake and an end to police crimes everywhere. The gathering will take place over Zoom, as the city recently transitioned to stricter COVID safety measures.

After a long holiday season, this will be an opportunity for the community to regroup. “I’m just excited to get things going again,” says Antonia Mar, who will read excerpts from MLK’s Letter from Birmingham Jail. “This winter has been isolating, but Zoom events at least give us a chance to see some familiar faces, talk, and strategize about what’s going on!”

Even during COVID challenges, the people continue to be creative and resourceful with what resources we have. The MLK Day Virtual Rally aims to relate the struggle of the Civil Rights movement with the political energy of today. History is vital to the fight against racism and police repression. Speakers will reflect on resistance to police crimes in the city, including the work of college students fighting police presence on school campuses. Other topics will include the history of the Black liberation movement and calls to action, giving special attention to the words and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King.

As he said in his Letter from Birmingham Jail: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

Register to participate in the MLK Day Virtual Rally.

#NewOrleansLA #PeoplesStruggles #MLK #Antiracism #Louisiana #MLKDay