New York, NY – On March 31 at 6 p.m., members of the New York Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NYAARPR) rallied near the Red Cube art installation in Lower Manhattan, next to New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office. NYAARPR was protesting James’ decision two years ago, on that same date, to not pursue charges against the officers who killed Eudes Pierre.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Freedom Road Socialist Organization NYC.

After a 22-day strike of correction officers across New York State, prison conditions are worsening statewide. The strike began due to the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement Act, known as the HALT Act for short, which limits the amount of time prisoners can be subjected to solitary confinement.

New York, NY – On March 11, over 1000 students from universities throughout the city rallied at Washington Square Park to protest the detention by ICE of Mahmoud Khalil, a recent Columbia graduate and Palestinian student activist.

On March 8, Columbia University allowed ICE agents to come onto campus to detain Mahmoud Khalil. Despite being a permanent lawful resident of the country due to his green card, he is being threatened with deportation from the country in response to his activism against Israel’s genocide of his own people.

New York, NY – About 200 people gathered in Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza on the beautiful Saturday afternoon, March 1, to protest the U.S./Republic of Korea (ROK) Freedom Shield exercises in Korea. Nodutdol organized the action, and it was part of a day of action where protests took place in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle to demand an end to U.S. militarization and escalation towards war.

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. 

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.

The New York City subway system serves as the primary avenue in which diverse groups of people come into contact. Recently, it’s become the center of many national issues coming up against each other. Economic issues stemming from not being able to afford basic cost of living, the attacks on immigrants, over-policing affecting Black and brown communities, and the rise of vigilantes, are all broad issues that share the NYC subway system as a common thread.

New York, NY – On February 12, the New York University Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held a picket outside of the NYU Kimmel Center to protest the presence of the Central Intelligence Agency at a school career fair.

New York, NY – On Friday, February 7, protesters gathered at City Hall facing 1 Police Plaza to protest the new NYPD Quality of Life Division. The creation of this division comes on the heels of cop-Mayor Eric Adams installing officers on every overnight train.

The Quality of Life Division targets poor and working-class New Yorkers. Officers in the division will go after panhandlers, public urination, those sleeping on the train, street vending, and other forms of “broken window” policing. The primary issue with this division is that it doesn’t address the underlying issues that cause people to resort to these actions.

New York, NY – At 4 p.m. on January 20, New Yorkers braved the cold and the snow to gather on the steps of the Brooklyn War Memorial to protest Trump’s presidency and to resist the Trump agenda.

New York, NY – On January 16, over 1000 New Yorkers gathered for a rally called for by the Palestinian Youth Movement in support of the recently announced ceasefire in Gaza. The rally took place in the middle of Times Square, where thousands of New Yorkers walked by either joining the rally, showing their support or simply taking photos of the event.

New York, NY – On a Saturday afternoon, November 9, a couple dozen people gathered to protest the increased presence of the NYPD in the NYC metro system, outside the Jay Street. Metro Tech subway stop in Brooklyn. The protest brought attention to NY Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression’s “Cops Off The Subway” campaign. The campaign demands that the NYPD, MTA PD, and National Guard leave the NYC transit system, end the new version of Stop and Frisk under mayor Eric Adams, and calls for funding communities and social services instead of the NYPD.

New York, NY – On the evening of November 6, over 100 people gathered in the heart of downtown Brooklyn at Cadman Plaza to protest the election of Donald Trump. Called by NYU Students for a Democratic Society with the slogan that “No matter who wins, the people lose,” the rally began with a consistent beat of chants. They ranged from “Racist, sexist, anti-gay! Donald Trump, go away!” “Not the church! Not the state! Women will decide their fate!” and “Say it loud! Say it clear! Refugees are welcome here!”

New York, NY – On Saturday, October 26, members of the New York Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NYAARPR) led a speakout in Restoration Plaza in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn. Speakers highlighted NYAARPR’s campaign, Cops Off the Trains - an initiative aimed at reducing the over-policing of the subway and buses.

New York, NY – On Saturday, October 19, members of the New York Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NYAARPR) gathered in Brooklyn’s Brownsville neighborhood to speak out against increased policing in the city’s transit system. The action occurred just a month after the police shot three people at the nearby Sutter Avenue subway station, over a suspected fare evasion.

New York, NY – Thousands took to the streets to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Palestinian resistance Operation Al Aqsa Flood. The people of New York have been marching militantly throughout the weekend, and on October 7 the last wave went block by block to mark the momentous event of resistance.

Protests began at 12 universities. Chapters of Students for a Democratic Society and Students for Justice in Palestine organized walkouts and rallies on their campuses. The students, many who had been involved in the encampments walked out of class chanting in support of the demands: disclosure and divestment from all companies aiding Israel in its genocide, cutting ties with all Zionist institutions, NYPD off their campuses, and protection of pro-Palestinian speech on campus with amnesty for all students who have been punished for their rightful activism.

New York, NY – On Thursday, October 3, around 45,000 dockworkers and longshoremen who are represented by the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) reached a tentative agreement – around wages – with their employers on the East and Gulf Coast ports.

New York, NY – At 12:01 am on Tuesday, October 1, around 50,000 longshoremen and dockworkers across the Gulf Coast and the East Coast walked off their jobs. Dockworkers and longshoremen are represented by the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the strike comes after negotiations of terms for a next union contract stalled out over pay and protections against automation.

The following speech was delivered by Mick Kelly, Political Secretary, Freedom Road Socialist Organization on September 29, at the New York City event marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

Comrades and friends,

We are gathered here for an event of genuine importance, and I would like to extend our gratitude to the Friends of Socialist China and the Workers World Party for taking the lead in making this happen.

For the past 75 years the People’s Republic of China, under the able leadership of the Communist Party, has accomplished so much for so many. From Chairman Mao Zedong’s 1949 proclamation, “The Chinese people have stood up,” right up until the present moment, China has set an example for the world. From carrying out a serious effort to eliminate poverty to being a leader in the application of green technology, socialist China has been showing the way.

There’s a new top cop in New York City. On Thursday, September 12, former NYPD captain and current NYC Mayor Eric Adams appointed Thomas Donlon as the new interim head of the NYPD. Donlon is a former FBI agent who specializes in counterintelligence and “counterterrorism.” His appointment signals a worrying turning point in the rising tide of political repression, particularly against activists engaged in the Palestinian liberation movement and in national liberation struggles generally.

Thomas Donlon replaces former NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban, who resigned earlier the same day on September 12, amidst an ongoing federal investigation into corruption among top NYPD officials.