New York, NY – Filipino community organizations and their allies rallied outside of the Philippine Consulate in New York City, April 20, to call for an end to U.S. military involvement in the Philippines.

The protest marks the beginning of the month-long Balikatan joint military exercises between the United States, the Philippines, Japan, Canada, France and New Zealand. The organizers included the New York Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (NYCHRP), Malaya Movement, and BAYAN. Speakers also included members of Anakbayan as well as Filipino residents whose families are still living in the country.

An unconscionable waste of needed fuel

In the midst of crisis-level fuel prices, criminalization of labor organizing and protest, and exorbitant military spending, these war preparations come at a steep price for the average Filipino family, and should be terminated immediately.

The United States and Israel’s war on Iran has spiked fuel prices across the globe and has had a devastating effect in the Philippines. The average price for one liter of fuel currently exceeds the daily minimum wage in the country, and many Filipinos are unable to pay. Filipino workers and parents are having to skip meals and make other serious sacrifices in order to make ends meet. Meanwhile, the Marcos-Duterte regime has stockpiled enough fuel for an entire month of military drills—fuel that is desperately needed by the Filipino people.

No support for immigrant workers

Community organizers denounced Marcos’ bid to join the United Nations Security Council, as well as the UN’s decision to use the Philippines’ migrant worker policies as a model for the rest of the world. Those policies have caused severe harm to the Filipino people and should not be emulated.

Speakers denounced the ways that the Marcos-Duterte regime has turned its back on immigrant workers, including by refusing to support Filipino immigrants kidnapped by ICE and detained for months without a trial. The Philippines supplies more than 20% of the world’s seafarers, including commercial shipping workers as well as cruise workers. Right now, many of those same Filipino workers are stranded on oil tankers in or near the Strait of Hormuz as a result of Trump’s illegal war. Those workers are not being paid but are unable to return home, while their government continues to support the United States and Israel’s war.

The expansion of U.S. military presence and the campaign to kick Cerberus out of the Philippines

NYCHRP members also announced a new campaign targeting Cerberus Capital Management (CCM), a Manhattan-based private equity firm that has unjustly acquired 300 hectares of land on a former U.S. military base in Subic Bay, in the Philippines. The U.S. Navy was expelled from Subic Bay in 1991 after massive community uprisings against human rights abuses and environmental destruction by the U.S. military. Now, CCM is leasing that same land to U.S. weapons and defense contractors, and plans were recently announced to build the world’s largest munitions factory on that same land in Subic Bay, which will be the first U.S. ammunition plan in Asia.

The presence of CCM in Subic Bay has additional devastating effects on the local working-class communities: peasant communities are subject to bombings and displacement, fisherfolk are not permitted to fish during military drills, including the Balikatan exercises, and women and children living near U.S. bases are frequent victims of sex trafficking and assault.

NYCHRP and BAYAN members who visited Subic Bay in November 2025 reported: “Fisherfolk whose livelihoods depend on fishing near Subic Bay now face more and more problems with more coastal guards, maritime guards and militarization of the sea. The areas they are able to fish are now heavily restricted. There have been incidents of fishermen venturing out to get better catches and the Chinese Coast Guard is shooting water cannons at them. They can’t even pass close by to Cerberus’s complex because private security will point guns at them.”

This issue is especially pertinent for New Yorkers because the New York City Employees Retirement System and the New York State Teachers Retirement System have invested funds in Cerberus. To join NYCHRP’s campaign against Cerberus, email nychrp@protonmail.com.

#NewYorkNY #NY #NYC #Philippines #Bayan #International #NYCHRP #AntiWarMovement

New York, NY – Organizers from the New York Alliance Against Racist and Political Oppression held a speakout outside New York City Hall on Friday, April 18, to protest the dramatic rise in police violence against Black men across the city since the beginning of April.

New York Alliance Chair Shivani Ishwar noted that, in April alone, the NYPD has shot three Black men – Lucien Colon, Carlos Santiago and Anthony Griffin – and maimed another, Timothy Brown, in a racist attack in downtown Brooklyn.

The speakout began on the corner of Center and Chamber Streets, where members of the New York Alliance handed out flyers, gave fiery speeches, and connected New Yorkers to their campaign for community control of the police.

Organizers staged their protest near a busy subway station, where they were able to take advantage of rush-hour traffic to educate the community about police violence and the struggle for community control.

“We are here today because we demand justice for Lucien Colon, Carlos Santiago and Anthony Griffin,” NYAARPR organizer Quinn Hughes. “We are here to say that we refuse these conditions. Our demands are clear. We call on Mayor Zohran Mamdani to fire and arrest these officers, justice for all victims of police violence, and community control now.”

In her speech, NYAARPR organizer Ruby Doswell said there are “no excuses for the police to kill a man.”

“Police should not feel comfortable enough to kill a person in any circumstance,” Doswell said. “It’s no coincidence that Black and brown men are consistently met with violence and force instead of de-escalation, care, or support.”

Organizers likewise observed this isn't a new phenomenon. They noted that the case of Eudes Pierre, another Black man shot and killed by the police in December of 2021, follows the exact same pattern of racist violence. As organizers wrapped up the action, they affirmed their commitment to continue the struggle for community control of the police, a fight which takes on renewed urgency under the recent wave of NYPD violence.

#NewYorkNY #NY #NYC #NYAARPR #NAARPR #InJusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities #KillerCop #EudesPierre

New York, NY – On March 12, around 20 NYU students and faculty picketed at the front of the Kimmel Center, where the university senate was set to take place. The Students for a Democratic Society at NYU organized the picket to demand a sanctuary campus.

The picket comes after the organization’s petition delivery on February 20, where students rallied and delivered a petition with over 600 signatures demanding the administration implement a sanctuary campus. The administration has yet to provide any response to SDS’ demands.

Protesters chanted “NYU, hear our call! Sanctuary for all!” and “Say it once, say it twice! We will not put up with ICE!” as they picketed. Protesters also held signs reading, “Sanctuary campus now!” and “ICE murders, ICE lies! We can see it with our eyes!” As people passed by, they joined along with the chants, clapped in approval, and took photos of the picket. NYPD and NYU campus security officers stood by watching as well.

Andres Luke from the NYU Young Democratic Socialists stated, “NYU has a clear political allegiance. That being said, student safety is not political! No matter what Linda Mills and her administration may claim. We are not asking them to violate the law to protect our students, we are asking them to protect our students from violations of the law.”

Sonya Posmentier from the NYU Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine told the crowd, “I’ve seen our students and colleagues put their bodies on the line to stop federal agents from taking our neighbors on Canal Street and at Federal Plaza. And I’ve seen our students provide accompaniment and detention support. I’ve seen you set up rapid response networks, community defense, and alert systems when the university failed to do so.”

A member from the NYU SDS read a statement from Latinos Unidos Con Honor y Amistad (LUCHA), “The targeting of immigrant communities is our reality in 2026; it is a direct assault on human dignity. When families are separated, when students disappear from their classrooms and dorms, when communities live in fear, we cannot turn a blind eye and deny these human rights violations. LUCHA calls on NYU to align its actions with its stated values of inclusion, equity, and global citizenship.”

Patrick Reddy from NYU SDS stated, “NYU has done irreparable damage to its relationship with its students by bending to the will of a federal administration whose values directly contradict the diverse community this university proudly advertises in its promotional materials. Why? To avoid legal battles? To protect funding? At what point do you decide that protecting students matters more? The student body has had enough of being ignored. You may choose to back down and cower, but we will not. We will stand up for each other.
We will protect our peers.
And we will keep fighting until our university does the same.”

Protesters continued to picket after speakers – with their chants being heard from inside the meeting room of the university senate. Afterwards, protesters dispersed with a promise to continue taking action until their demands are met.

#NewYorkNY #NY #NYC #NYU #StudentMovement #SDS #ImmigrantRights

Brooklyn, NY — On the rainy and blustery evening, March 3, around 50 people gathered in front of the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

The protesters hailed from various antiwar organizations, such as Brooklyn Against War, Workers World Party, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, the Venezuela Solidarity Network, Black Alliance for Peace, and Bronx Antiwar.

March 3 marks the second month since President Maduro and First Lady Flores were kidnapped by the U.S. government. They are currently awaiting trial based on sham charges at the Metropolitan Detention Center.

The action was part of a day of action called by the UNAC, and the Antiwar Action Network.

Despite the frigid temperatures and rain, the protesters were passionate in their chants and speeches. Chants included “We want justice, you say how? Free Maduro right now! Free Cilia right now!”

Michela Martinazzi, a member of Brooklyn Against War, opened the action by saying, “We’re here because the U.S. government feels like they have a right to kidnap a democratically-elected president of a sovereign nation. This is wrong! This entire case is wrong!”

Sara Flounders of the Workers World Party spoke of the importance of showing solidarity with the people of Venezuela, stating, “We are joining thousands of people around the world. We are joining thousands of Venezuelans who want their president back.”

The rally continued with powerful speeches and with a message from Roger Waters, of Pink Floyd, who called into the rally to deliver a message of solidarity.

The action ended with Martinazzi reminding the crowd to continue showing support for President Maduro, Cilia Flores, and Venezuela on March 8 for International Women’s Day, and March 26 for their next court appearance.

#NewYorkNY #NY #NYC #Maduro #Venezuela #AntiWarMovement

New York, NY – On April 14, over 40 students, alumni, faculty and community members rallied at Washington Square Park to hold NYU accountable for a white supremacist event that had been set to take place a few days before.

The NYU College Republicans were set to host an April 10 panel on campus called “Immigrant Invasion.” The panel scheduled three speakers: Elijah Schaffer, Sarah Stock and Lucian Wintrich. Students quickly found out about the event, and many of them took note of its xenophobic nature and the white supremacist backgrounds of all of the speakers. One of the speakers, Elijah Schaffer, used a Studio Ghibli-styled AI-art generation to create a poster for the event which depicted racist caricatures of Black men.

On April 9, the NYU Students Democratic Society (SDS) mobilized several student organizations to release a petition and a statement demanding the event be shut down. Within just a few hours, the petition garnered over 4500 signatures, and the statement was endorsed by over 40 student organizations. Elijah Schaffer, after finding out about the petition and the massive student backlash towards the event, tweeted an ask for armed security to bring onto NYU campus. This call prompted the university to shut the event down, releasing a statement regarding the cancellation of the event.

However, many students quickly pointed out how NYU did not condemn the event on grounds of its racist and xenophobic nature or acknowledge that the NYU College Republicans organized the event. In addition, many students highlighted how this was only yet another event that put student groups at risk, noting an Islamophobic attack on the university prayer room, student visas being revoked, a racist cyberattack on the NYU website, punishment of pro-Palestine student protesters and free speech, and much more just this semester.

NYU SDS called for a rally to hold NYU accountable, receiving endorsements from over a dozen student organizations. At the rally, students chanted “NYU we know you, you invite racists too!” and “No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here!” As students chanted, members from the NYU College Republicans tried to record people’s faces and attempted to disrupt the action but were blocked from doing so by the rally’s marshals.

Amilcar Javier, from Omicron, which is the NYU chapter of La Unidad Latina fraternity, spoke on how the NYU College Republicans attempted to organize another xenophobic event in 2007 called “Find the Illegal Immigrant.” However, he highlighted how, even then, students mobilized together in their hundreds to disrupt the event from taking place. He emphasized the continued need to fight back against racism and injustices of all kinds.

After speakers, protesters marched around the area passing by several NYU buildings. They chanted “NYU! Shame on you!” and “El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!” As they marched, hundreds of students and community members took notice, with many recording, joining chants or expressing support through cheers. At the end of the march, protesters gathered at the front of the NYU Kimmel Center, which was the location where the white supremacist event was set to take place.

“White supremacy is rooted deep within American society. It continues to rear its ugly head all throughout this country, from our current president to these speakers and even at NYU,” said Ebtesham Ahmed, speaking for NYU SDS.

“As NYU continues to endanger our student aid community, it will be up to us to stand up and fight back! To come together as a community to protect our brothers, sisters and siblings – because NYU has clearly shown that they will actively work to endanger us,” Ahmed continued. “It is more important than ever to organize and fight back because by daring to struggle, you dare to win. And we have shown that we can win. And we will keep winning!”

The rally ended with chants of “Dare to struggle, dare to win!” and a call by NYU SDS to join them in future organizing meetings. NYU SDS has promised to continue its overall campaign demanding NYU end its compliance with Trump’s dicates.

#NewYorkNY #NY #StudentMovement #ImmigrantRights #SDS #NYC #WhiteSupremacists

New York, NY – On February 27, the New York University Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held a rally and picket outside the NYU Kimmel center to demand that the university senate refuse to comply with Donald Trump’s executive orders, and to commit to protecting its students from any attacks that may come in the future. 

Approximately 50 students marched outside the front entrance to the Kimmel center, where the U senate was meeting, and chanted “No compliance! With Trump’s violence!” and “When students are under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back!”

“NYU might promise to ‘comply with the law,’ but we will not comply with anyone, NYU-affiliated or otherwise, who seeks to threaten our rights, safety, or solidarity,” said an NYU student and speaker at the event. 

In the four weeks since Trump’s inauguration, he has enacted executive orders threatening the funding of institutions that welcome and protect trans, Black, brown, and immigrant students. Already, NYU has demonstrated a dangerous willingness to comply with these policies, preemptively canceling lifesaving gender affirming care at its institutional hospital and committing to “follow the law” when asked about allowing ICE on campus. 

The university administration has also attacked its students' rights to speech and protest, having suspended 13 activists and placed over 20 students on probation at the end of the winter term. This willingness to bend the knee to dangerous and discriminatory federal actions presents an ongoing threat to the safety of NYU’s student community.

NYU SDS commits to continued action to protect and serve our community. To quote the ending speech of the rally, “If the NYU administration refuses to defend its students against the Trump regime, we will defend ourselves.”

#NewYorkCityNY #NewYorkNY #NYC #ICE #SanctuaryCampus #NYU #SDS #NYUSDS #Trump

New York, NY – On February 25, over 20 NYU students, faculty and workers picketed the board of trustees meeting demanding they disclose and divest from all companies supplying Israel in its genocidal occupation of Palestine.

In addition to disclosure and divestment, the NYU People’s Solidarity Coalition demanded the closure of the NYU Tel Aviv campus, built upon stolen Palestinian land, and the reversal of all suspensions and probation charges of Palestine student activists. The coalition’s demands aim to cut the university’s ties to the state of Israel.

As board of trustee members were escorted into their meeting by campus security officers, they were confronted by picketersdemanding that they disclose and divest. As the meeting went on, picketers chanted “Trustees pick a side, justice or genocide” and “We want justice you say how! Answer our demands now!”

The picket was called for by the NYU People’s Solidarity Coalition, which consists of the NYU Students for a Democratic Society, NYU Students for Justice in Palestine, Shut It Down NYU, NYU Graduate Student Workers Union – UAW, and several other organizations.

The participating organizations vow to continue their fight against NYU, no matter what repressive tactics are thrown their way. They will continue struggling until they win all their demands.

#NewYorkCityNY #NewYorkNY #NYC #NYU NYUPSC #SDS #NYUSDS #NYUSJP #SJP #BDS #UAW #NYUGSWU #FreePalestine #Disclose #Divest

New York, NY – On January 24, over 50 NYU students gathered at a rally called by the NYU Students for a Democratic Society (NYU SDS) to protest against Trump’s backwards agenda for his second term as president. The rally took place at Garibaldi Plaza at Washington Square Park, a popular rallying spot for NYU student organizations. 

Students chanted, “No Trump, no KKK, no racist USA!”, “Racist, sexist, anti-gay Donald Trump go away” and “Trump hear us loud and clear, immigrants are welcome here!” Hundreds of people walked by the rally, stopping for brief moments to take photos and videos or to catch parts of it. 

Speakers from the NYU SDS, NYU Queer Union, NYU Students for Justice in Palestine (NYU SJP), NYU Black Student Union and the NYU Young Democratic Socialists of America (NYU YDSA) brought attention to the various attacks that Trump had already launched or plans on launching on the American people, including the NYU student body. 

In response to these attacks, speakers called on the people to unite, build community and fight back. 

“We must continue to support efforts for diversity, equity and inclusion. To combat white supremacy, to fight against a world that only recognizes heterosexual attraction, to oppose a world where the gender binary is the only reality, we must be louder and more forceful,” said the speaker from the NYU Queer Union. 

The speaker for NYU YDSA, said “Let me tell you we cannot fall into this world of despair, misery and belief that all we can do is stand by as conditions get worse hoping that will wake people up on their own. The work starts now. To educate, agitate and organize for the better world that each and every one of us deserves.”

After the speakers, protesters marched by the NYU campus. As they marched, campus security officers ran to set up barriers by NYU Gould Plaza. Gould Plaza used to be a public space that anyone was able to enter. However, after the first encampment at NYU, the administration had walls and a checkpoint constructed, restricting access to the plaza to only NYU students. As protesters marched, they chanted “The students united will never be defeated” with hundreds of NYU students looking on and making way for the crowd. 

The march ended at Schwartz Plaza, the site of the NYU second encampment from last year. Schwartz Plaza is next to the John A. Paulson Center, named after a billionaire hedge funder who donated millions to the Trump campaign. Campus security rushed to put up barriers in front of the plaza to prevent protesters from entering it. 

Ebtesham Ahmed, the emcee and a member of NYU SDS, ended the rally by saying, “We will be here to resist. We will be here to fight back. No matter how much they try to repress our movement, they will fail. Because we are daring to struggle and daring to win! And from the bottom of my heart, I believe that we will win.”

#NewYorkCityNY #NYC #NYU #NYUSDS #SDS #NYUQueerUnion #NYUSJP #SJP #BSU #NYUBSU #NYUYDSA #YDSA #Trump #Inauguration

New York, NY – Several hundred people gathered in midtown Manhattan at The People’s Forum to launch Nodutdol’s U.S. Out of Korea campaign. Hundreds more gathered at events in Oakland and Los Angeles for similar launch events.

The event began with Nodutdol organizers presenting the background of the organization. Nodutdol (노듯돌, meaning stepping-stone) has roots in the 1990s when members of the Korean movement would travel to Korea to learn from the people in the South and North of the peninsula about their organizing against U.S. domination. They became fully established in 1999 in Queens, New York and in the early 2000s pivoted their focus to anti-war efforts in the Middle East. They continued their delegation trips to Korea and deepened their anti-imperialist resolve.

The organizers also gave a brief but in-depth review of the history of the Korean war. They began from when the Japan imperial flag was lowered in 1945 to how the U.S. military swept in immediately to quell any rising socialist sentiments. The Korean people were forced to trade from one brutal, imperialist force to another. The U.S. helped lead a murderous campaign against the Korean people to eliminate any opposition. At the time, it was estimated that 70% of the people of Korea were interested in socialism and the U.S. effectively eliminated close to 3 million of them.

With the U.S. still present in the peninsula, this makes it the longest running war in U.S. history.

In the last few years, the U.S. military activity has sharply increased in recent years. In 2023, U.S. forces conducted 200 days of military exercises. In mid-August, the U.S. and the Republic of Korea (ROK) will hold nuclear war exercises in Korea in joint military drills. These drills will occur during the Democratic National Convention in the U.S.

The escalation on behalf of the U.S. and the ROK has increased tensions with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). This led to the DPRK’s announcement earlier this year that they can’t see a future where peaceful reunification is possible with the ROK. As long as the ROK is not just under U.S. influence, but actively seeks to ally themselves with them, there can’t be a peaceful process.

Additionally, under President Biden's administration, the U.S., ROK and Japan have joined in an alliance called JAROKUS and are on the way to build the new “Asian NATO.”

Ju-Hyun Park, the Nodutdol lead organizer for the U.S. Out of Korea campaign, stated “We are just weeks away from the U.S. conduction nuclear war exercises in Korea. These drills do not keep Koreans safe—in fact, they are pushing the Korean Peninsula towards open warfare. For more than 70 years the U.S. government has pursued a failed strategy of aggression against North Korea. Now, the U.S. is escalating its aggression to try to turn Korea into a battlefield for the New Cold War.”

Once the attendees understood the history of the region, Nodutdol organizers presented the campaign demands to an enthusiastic crowd. The demands, reprinted here are:

• US OUT OF KOREA: the full and permanent withdrawal of US troops and weapons systems from Korea. We demand all Korean land, water, and airspace appropriated for the US military be returned to the Korean people.
• END THE U.S.-SOUTH KOREA ALLIANCE: an end to ALL US-South Korea alliances, including the JAKUS trilateral security cooperation. We demand an end to ALL US-South Korea joint command structures—the Combined Forces Command, and the UN Command. 
• END ALL AGGRESSION AGAINST NORTH KOREA: We demand an end to ALL US military exercises in Korea. We demand ALL sanctions against North Korea be lifted.
• END THE WAR ECONOMY: We demand the US government divert spending from war, prisons, and policing. We demand housing, education, healthcare, and climate justice for working people.

The crowd clapped as each demand was listed.

Park continued, “As Koreans in the diaspora, we refuse to stand by as the U.S. foments war in our homeland. We believe standing up to U.S. imperialism in Korea is not just in our interests as Korean people, but in the interests of the majority of people in the U.S. as well. It’s time to work together to stop U.S. warmongering in Korea and around the world.”

Over 30 organizations have endorsed the campaign, including: Black Alliance for Peace, Codepink, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and Bayan USA.

The next event will be a rally on August 18 to protest the U.S. and ROK war games.

 #NewYorkNY #NYC #DPRK #USOutOfKorea #BlackAllianceforPeace #BAP #Codepink #FRSO #BayanUSA #ROK #RepublicOfKorea #Korea #Nudutdol #JAROKUS #Japan #ThePeoplesForum

New York, NY -This past week reports poured in as New York City opened and built several new medical support structures to aid the overwhelmed city hospital network. Over the weekend, pictures of the converted Javits Center, a huge convention center in Midtown, were circling around, boasting 1200 new hospital beds.

On Tuesday, March 30, tents began going up in Central Park. The makeshift tent hospital will have 68 beds, each with their own respiratory equipment. It will treat overflow patients from Mount Sinai Hospital as the spread of COVID-19 continues to overwhelm NYC hospitals. As Mayor Bill de Blasio praised the new makeshift hospital, he glossed over the finer details of the organization which funded and erected the new facility – Samaritan’s Purse.

Samaritan’s Purse is led by Franklin Graham, an anti-LGBTQ and Islamophobic preacher, who has used humanitarian and charitable missions to preach an evangelical agenda.

Samaritan’s Purse is already hard at work with its bigoted agenda as Graham’s son, Billy Graham, is seeking to recruit only Christian medical staff to the facility in Central Park. Graham and his son are asking all volunteers and staff to adhere to their statement of faith, where they define marriage as “exclusively the union of one genetic male and one genetic female” and the unrighteous are sentenced to “everlasting punishment in hell.”

Under normal circumstances, involvement from a right-wing fundamentalist organization in the medical field is troubling. During a pandemic, it’s dangerous and could cost the lives of hundreds. Under normal circumstances, folks have a choice to disregard certain medical facilities. During a pandemic, where hospitals are overwhelmed and access to a ventilator is a matter of life or death, many will have to turn to makeshift facilities.

A NYC city hall spokesperson stated that any field hospital must operate as an extension of the permanent facility, and therefore their code of conduct. The Samaritan’s Purse facility should be operating under Mount Sinai and therefore must adhere to the hospital's policy against discrimination.

Later that day, Mayor DeBlasio finally spoke about it. “We're going to send people over from the mayor's office to monitor,” de Blasio said. “I am very concerned that this is done right. But if it is done right, we need all the help we can get.”

Other doctors have spoken about their concerns of Samaritan’s Purse setting up in Central Park. They’ve mentioned that Samaritan’s Purse’s response to other crises, such as Ebola, was disastrous and only caused confusion and chaos.

Graham went on Sean Hannity’s FOX news show on Tuesday night to attempt to calm fears and salvage their image. “We're going to give the best health care we can to all New Yorkers, it doesn't matter who they are or what they are,” he said. “We're going to give them the best medical care that we possibly can in Jesus' name.”

New Yorkers shouldn’t have to worry about whether their doctors and specialists are discriminating against them, especially during this pandemic. This global virus continues to push the contradictions of imperialism and more and more working-class people are forced into a smaller and smaller corner.

#NewYorkNY #CapitalismAndEconomy #PoorPeoplesMovements #LGBTQ #SpecialCoverage #Healthcare #NYC #Coronavirus #COVID19 #CentralPark #SamaritansPurse

New York, NY – On Sunday, June 30, 45,000 marched in the alternative Pride in protest of the corporatized World Pride event happening at the same time. The rally and march were organized by the Reclaim Pride Coalition, which formed as a response to last year’s Manhattan Pride celebration.

Every year, the city of Manhattan hosts one of the largest Pride parades in the world. As Manhattan is the birthplace of Pride, it’s fitting that the city should celebrate the monumental event of the Stonewall riots. However, as decades pass, Pride has turned from a militant march to a corporate parade. Last year was exceptionally glaring, as all the activists and organizers were placed at the end of the parade to let the cops, banks, electoral candidates, etc. lead the parade. A few groups attempted to resist and protest at the Pride parade last year, but it was clear that what was once a space for queer people to fight back had been taken over by corporate interests.

Organizers stated, “The 2019 Queer Liberation March is a people’s political march – no corporate floats, and no police in our march. This is a truly grassroots action that will mobilize the community to address the many social and political battles that continue to be fought locally, nationally and globally. We recognize the powerful legacy of the Stonewall Rebellion by highlighting the most marginalized members of our community.”

The march kicked off at Sheridan Square, opposite the Stonewall Inn, and thousands marched uptown to Bryant Park, where they picked up several thousands more. The route followed the original route marched by the Gay Liberation Front on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Riot.

Throughout the whole march, people chanted about everything from Palestine, Black Lives Matter, immigration, to anti-war and anti-cop. Whenever the marchers passed an anti-people establishment, such as Chik-Fil-A or a Trump building, they would rowdily chant at it.

The march was completely unpermitted with very few cops present. The march ended in Central Park on the Great Lawn. Everyone gathered to listen to speeches, music, and celebrate being queer and militant. The rally opened with living members of the Gay Liberation Front, many who had been at Stonewall on that fateful evening. Speeches talked about needing queer liberation alongside the liberation of Palestine, fighting for climate change, acknowledging that they were speaking on stolen land, and needing a revolution to fully be free. The messaging of the day was that we will not be free until all of us are.

#NewYorkNY #PeoplesStruggles #Pride #CSFR #NYC #WorldPride

The Freedom Road Socialist organization is calling for all strands of the Black liberation movement and broader movement against police crimes to hit the streets on Sept. 5 to demand community control of the police and an end to police killings of African Americans, Chicanos, other oppressed nationalities, and working-class people. The Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (the Alliance), in coordination with the National Committee Against Police Crimes, is leading the call to stand up to demand justice for Laquan McDonald, who was brutally shot 16 times execution-style by white Chicago Police Department officer Jason Van Dyke on the night of October 20, 2014. The Alliance and the NCAPC are calling for solidarity actions nationwide in support of the people’s efforts in Chicago to hold killer cop Jason Van Dyke accountable for the murder of Laquan McDonald.The eyes of people around the country are on Chicago for the movement against police crimes. This is the first time in the city’s history, and possibly the history of the nation, that a white police officer has been indicted for first-degree murder for killing an unarmed Black person. From the beginning of Laquan’s murder, starting with the cover-up of the video recording of the murder by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the entire system seemed determined to not allow justice to prevail in this case. Without a movement, there is no guarantee of justice. As of the end of August 2018, at least 679 people in the country have been shot and killed by police, with African American, native peoples, Chicano and other oppressed nationalities over proportionately bearing the brunt of these police killings. The demand for accountability and community control of the police has been put forth by the Alliance and other organizations nationwide. However, this demand for justice and broader democracy has been met by racist politicians and cop unions with a movement of their own which seeks to strengthen the right of cops to escape accountability, and murder with impunity, under the guise of ‘Blue Lives Matter.’Sept. 5 is a pivotal day for the Black liberation movement nationally and the movement against police crimes. It is our chance to make sure a killer cop is held accountable for his crimes and to build the movement to win more victories like this. On Sept. 5, the Chicago Alliance calls for a mass protest outside the courthouse at 26th Street and California Avenue to begin at 8:00 a.m. We urge all organizations in Chicago and in the Midwest to unite with the call and join them.For those outside of Chicago and surrounding area, we are calling on you to organize a solidarity demonstration in your own city and town, to protest police crimes and call for real police accountability and community control of the police.

All out on September 5th!

Justice for Laquan McDonald and all victims of police terror!Community Control of the Police now!

#Chicago #PoliceBrutality #PeoplesStruggles #FreedomRoadSocialistOrganization #Jacksonville #SaltLakeCity #NYC #PoliceCrimes

New York, NY – Several hundred people gathered in Union Square Park to rally and march in celebration of International Workers Day, May 1. The event was pulled together by over 60 organizations, under the leadership of the organizations in the International League of Peoples’ Struggle.

The celebration began on the north side of Union Square Park, which was a change from the last ten decades when May Day was celebrated on the south side. This move was an initial deterrent by the NYC Parks and Recreation Department to stop May Day. However, the organizers were ready to rally regardless of attempts of political repression.

Forces began gathering at noon and were greeted by songs of liberation and revolution. The first round of emcees stood on the bed of pick-up truck with a banner emblazoned, “Fight together! Strike to win! Migrants and workers run the world!”

The series of speeches were militant and kept the crowd going. In between speeches, there were chants that ranged from, “Money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation!” to “We fight together! We strike to win! New York we know you’re listening!”

Jessica Schwartz, an organizer from the Committee to Stop FBI Repression-NY, gave a speech that reviewed the history political repression and May Day. Part of her speech was announcing the new CSFR-NY campaign, which is targeting the sector of the NYPD called the Strategic Response Group (SRG). The SRG is a highly-militarized response unit that was created post 9/11 to respond to terrorism. However, in the last years it’s been used to highly police and repress protests. Schwartz ended her speech by saying, “That is why, to honor the original martyrs of May Day, the Committee to Stop FBI Repression wants everyone here to organize in their communities when they’re under attack, whether it’s anti-gentrification, immigrant rights, workers’ rights, or any other issue. The Committee to Stop FBI Repression asks that you join us in our demand to have the NYPD and Security Response Group stop targeting and arresting activists.”

One of the next speakers was Nadz Martinez, representing Bayan USA North East, who gave a rousing and passionate overview of how the U.S. has puppets throughout the world. Martinez focused on the Duterte’s fascist regime in the Philippines and how he’s carrying out three wars against the people. They touched upon how these various struggles are fighting back and the importance of standing in solidarity with them. They ended their speech with a chant, “When workers’ rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up! Fight back!”

The march began at 5 p.m. and headed to Foley Square, the Federal Plaza in New York. While the marchers kept their spirits up, the NYPD tried several times to stop, deter and break up the march. The main occurrence was when they attempted to break up the front of the march near the corner of Washington Square Park – where Mayor De Blasio was holding his event. However, the organizers out-maneuvered the cops and were able to get their march back together and end in Foley Square!

The day ended with small speak-outs, chants and a recommitment to the movement.

#NewYorkNY #MayDay #PeoplesStruggles #NYC #UnionSquare

New York, NY – Around 30 protesters gathered in Washington Square Park, April 20 to stand in solidarity with Palestinians protesting on the border of Gaza.

This is the fourth week in a row that protesters have gathered to support their allies abroad during the Great Return March. The protest was called for by the group Within Our Lifetime. Palestinians have said that they will march for six weeks leading up to Nakba Day.

There were rounds of speeches and chants, along the lines of “Not another nickel, not another dime, no more money for Israel’s crimes!”

In the middle of the rally, a contingent of activists from a different protest joined in solidarity. The other protest was for the deportation of human rights activist, Jerome Aba. Aba was detained by the U.S. government for 24 hours before he was deported. During this time, he had to suffer inhumane treatment and torture.

The two groups began chanting together and the speeches drew connections to both causes.

Jessica Schwartz, an organizer with the Committee to Stop FBI NYC, said, “It is extremely fitting that the women’s committee put out a call for action, because women are often times at the forefront of struggle and face added violence under imperialism.

“Along with those brave fighters being targeted and killed in Palestine, Palestinians in the U.S. face repression for merely speaking out against their people’s oppression. Rasmea Odeh was deported to Jordan after a years long battle with the U.S. after being found guilty of trumped up charges. This was not merely an immigration case, it was a meticulous attack on her as an activist.”

The protest ended with a group picture and chants that spoke towards the further liberation of Palestine.

#NewYorkNY #AntiwarMovement #Gaza #Palestine #PeoplesStruggles #PoliticalRepression #RasmeaOdeh #NYC #GreatReturnMarch #WashingtonSquarePark #MarchOfGreatReturn #MiddleEast

New York, NY—On Jan. 18, several dozen organizers gathered in the below-freezing evening to demand an end to all U.S.-led wars and imperialism.

The event was organized by the different groups in the International League of Peoples’ Struggles as part of the #DaysOfRage. This whole week was marked by different actions by different New York groups as a way a build up to J20, which is this Saturday.

This Saturday marks the one-year anniversary of the Trump administration taking office. In this one year, we’ve seen a rise of protests against Trump’s policies of racism, islamophobia, queerphobia, sexism and bigotry. #DaysOfRage is a protest that denounces the Trump administration and capitalism.

The protesters gathered in Union Square handed out flyers listing out events and facts that occurred during the Trump era – such as deploying the Mother of All Bombs in Afghanistan and the approved $700 billion defense budget.

While handing out these flyers, protesters chanted, “From Palestine to the Philippines, stop the U.S war machine!”

There were speakers from several different groups from the ILPS that related war and imperialism back to the struggles they represented.

Mainly, organizers were pushing those passing by to attend the rally this coming Saturday.

The rally ended with a last round of chants, “U.S. imperialist! Number one terrorist!”

The J20 rally is going to be this Saturday, Jan. 20 at 4 p.m. in Grand Central Station.

#NewYorkNY #AntiwarMovement #InJusticeSystem #PeoplesStruggles #ILPS #InternationalLeagueOfPeoplesStruggle #Antifascism #NYC #J20

New York, NY – Organizers gathered at the International Action Center, Jan. 16, for a panel called “After J20: Fighting Back Against Political Repression.” The panel was organized by the Committee to Stop FBI Repression – NYC (CSFR) as part of the #DaysOfRage. The #DaysOfRage is building towards a final rally on Jan. 20, which is the one-year anniversary of the inauguration of Trump.

The purpose of the panel was to bring up cases of political repression during the Trump era, and how organizers fought back for victories.

The panel was emceed by Michela Martinazzi, an organizer with the CSFR, who began the event by explaining why the event was important in this time. Martinazzi stated, “Because what is political repression? It’s when the state attacks people who are actively organizing to dismantle a system – it’s targeting based on one’s political beliefs and actions. It takes on a different character than other state attacks, such as attacks on gender or race, and therefore must be organized around differently.”

The first speaker was Leilani Dowell from the Worker’s World Party. Dowell gave an excellent and in-depth overview of the case of the Durham Fighters – a group of activists who tore down a Confederate statue back in August 2017. These organizers initially were facing felony charges but, as Dowell explained, through organizing their charges were dropped to misdemeanors. Dowell finished by saying, “Since that statue came down in August, we coined that phrase ‘do it like Durham,’ which is a statement we can get behind. It’s an understanding of militant struggle and never ceasing organizing despite what the racist state put against them. We have to incorporate that in our bodies, souls, and organizing until we tear down the rotten system.”

The next speaker was Christian Valencia, one of the 200 J20 defendants arrested during the Jan. 20, 2017 inauguration protests. Valencia explained the details leading up to the mass arrest of and blanket felony charging of the 200 people.

Talking about the J20 case, Valencia stated, “It’s been difficult because many people have dismissed the J20 defendants as a bunch of people causing trouble and wrecking stuff. And not getting that it’s actually very important, regardless of the politics involved, because that was the first clash between the real resistance, and not the coopted Democrats’ resistance, and the Trump administration.” Valencia then finished by saying, “We can’t really be [engaged] in sectarianism right now because we’re all in the same boat. We’re all fighting against this regime. They don’t care what our ideological differences are. They just care that we’re against them.”

The panel was finished with Jessica Schwartz, an organizer with CSFR, who elucidated on different cases of political repression and the different tactics that were used to win those respective cases. She brought up the cases of the Anti-War 23, Carlos Montes, Rasmea Odeh, the Jax5, and the Holy Land 5. Schwartz stated, “As activists, we must organize campaigns that target laws and institutions that seek to repress us into complacency. As we’ve seen from history, with programs like COINTELPRO, the enemy is always watching and ready to wreck our movements from the inside. However, it is up to us to remain strong and fight back, never cowering in the face of the enemy.”

The panel ended with a brief Q and A and the chant, “When activists are under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back!”

The final action for the #DaysOfRage is this Saturday at 4 p.m. at Grand Central Station. All the groups who organized for the week of action will be attending and protesting Trump, his administration and the evils of capitalism.

#NewYorkNY #AntiwarMovement #PeoplesStruggles #PoliticalPrisoners #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #GrandJuries #PoliticalRepression #CSFR #RasmeaOdeh #Antifascism #NYC #J20 #DurhamFighters

New York, NY – Supporters of Palestine rallied in Times Square, July 17. The protest was initiated by Al-Awda Palestine Right To Return Coalition, International Action Center, May 1 Workers and Immigrant Rights Coalition and the Peoples Power Assembly.

#NewYorkNY #AntiwarMovement #Palestine #Israel #NYC #MiddleEast