News and Views from the People's Struggle
Milwaukee, WI – After a five-day trial, a jury acquitted former Milwaukee police officer Michael Mattioli of first-degree reckless homicide on Friday, November 10. Mattioli was on trial for the murder of Joel Acevedo, which took place in April 2020 and was one of the central cases during the 2020 uprising in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee, WI – The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors convened on Thursday, November 9, to adopt the 2024 County Budget. Included in this year’s budget was an amendment package that included $250,000 for a third-party audit of the County Jail. The adoption of the amended budget marks a step towards securing transparency and accountability in the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO).
Milwaukee, WI – On November 2, over 50 students at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee (UWM) rallied then marched for the National Students for a Democratic Society Day of Action to demand justice for Palestine. The event began and ended in front of the university library, named after Zionist and former Prime Minister of Israel Golda Meir.
Milwaukee, WI – 30 students, faculty and others attended a town hall meeting with the new Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Dr. Andrew Daire, at the Fireside Lounge on the campus of UW-Milwaukee (UWM) on October 31. Some of those in attendance were mobilized to the meeting by the UWM chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).
The purpose of the talk was to present on the current enrollment situation at the university. Numbers have declined steadily since 2010 with nearly 7000 fewer students attending UWM in 2023 than a decade ago. One of the most glaring enrollment statistics is that UWM’s student body is only 6% Black. For context, Milwaukee has a population that is roughly 40% Black, and Milwaukee Public Schools has a student body which is 50% Black.
“The discrepancy between enrollment numbers of Black students at UWM and the population of Milwaukee and the public schools is despicable. It demonstrates that there is an overall lack of commitment from the administration at this university to live up to their claims of being a diverse and inclusive campus,” said Patricia Fish, a leader in SDS.
SDS members grilled the provost with questions about what he and the administration were going to do to address the situation, but Daire proved skillful in spending a lot of time saying nothing of substance and passing the buck on to others, claiming that he “has no power” to make the changes he wants.
The efforts around holding Daire’s feet to the fire are a part of SDS’s broader campaign to increase Black enrollment at UWM, which also includes demands around increasing the hiring of Black faculty and staff, the targeted recruitment of Black students from Milwaukee Public Schools, an increase in the scholarships and other financial aid offered to incoming students as well as for those students already attending UWM to assist with retention, and defending and expanding the funding for the Black Student Cultural Center.
Milwaukee, WI – On Monday, October 30, the County Board of Supervisors held their annual public hearing to discuss the proposed 2024 county budget. One of the proposals within this budget was an increase to the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) of $7 million. Although people attended the public hearing to discuss a wide range of issues, such as taking into account the safety of Milwaukee County Transit System’s drivers or better accessibility for the disabled community within the county, the majority of public testimonies demanded increased spending for public goods and services rather than continual increase to the MCSO.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Coalition to March on the RNC 2024.
Republican Party leaders have ramped up racist, dehumanizing statements toward Palestinians, Arabs, and Muslims since fighting broke out between Israeli and Palestinian forces on October 7th. Israel’s ensuing siege of Gaza and indiscriminate aerial assault on 2.3 million stateless Palestinians trapped in an open-air prison is now in its fourth week.
Milwaukee, WI – This past Saturday, October 28, over 300 people attended a joint solidarity march linking the struggle against U.S. imperialism in both Haiti and Palestine. The event called for an end to U.S. support for the UN intervention in Haiti, and an end to continued U.S. funding of genocide in Palestine.
Milwaukee, WI – On October 25, nearly 150 students answered the call of UW-Milwaukee Students for a Democratic Society for a local action in solidarity with Palestine as a part of a much broader coordinated national walk out involving more than a half dozen groups.
Milwaukee, WI – Upwards of 4000 people marched in support of Palestine and to call for an end to the genocide against Gaza, October 22, doubling the number of people in attendance at the large march just a week before.
Led by a tow truck decorated in Palestinian flags and a 30-foot banner reading “Love live the popular Palestinian resistance,” the passionate crowd marched through downtown Milwaukee, chanting, “Free free Palestine!” “Biden, Biden, you can’t hide! We charge you with genocide!” and “Gaza Gaza don’t you cry, we will never let you die!”
Milwaukee, WI – On October 20, dozens of healthcare workers joined a press conference to condemn the unprecedented public health crisis being caused by Israel's criminal siege and bombardment of 2.3 million civilians in Gaza.
“As healthcare workers in the Milwaukee area, we are deeply disturbed by the current Israeli war on Gaza, and the large toll of civilians that have been killed and injured, particularly children,” said Dr. Hashim Zaibak, a Palestinian-American doctor from Gaza.