Los Angeles, CA – John Sermeno was once a gang member who would go on to become a revolutionary and Marxist-Leninist. He died on August 12, 2026. Born August 2, 1944, Sermeno was raised in Boyle Heights’ Ramona Gardens housing projects. In his youth he joined the Big Hazard gang.

I first met John in Boyle Heights during the rise of Chicano Power movement. I was in the Brown Berets, John was part of forming La Junta. La Junta united gang members to promote peace in the neighborhoods and social activism. He later was part of forming La Colectiva, a revolutionary group that began to study Mao Tse Tung and other Marxist readings. He was instrumental in recruiting gang members to the Chicano movement and to socialism.

Lisbon, Portugal – Protesters gathered October 7 in Lisbon to oppose U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s presence in Portugal for a meeting with government officials.

The theme of the protest was “Marco Rubio is not welcome here!” with the main slogans being “Peace in the world! No war! End the genocide against the Palestinian people! Stop the aggression against Cuba!”

What began with the eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid has quickly developed into a mass movement of hundreds of thousands of people in the streets throughout the Spanish state. They are demanding housing as a right and not an investment vehicle to be profited on by private equity firms and rich landlords.

The movement has included massive marches, ongoing encampments, growing calls for a general strike, and Prime Minister Sanchez now calling for a snap national election in response to the movement.

Santa Ana, CA – El miércoles 23 de septiembre, se escuchaban consignas como “¡Kingsley, escucha, estamos en la lucha!” en la calle Sullivan.Rain Mendoza, de la Organización de Servicio Comunitario del Condado de Orange (CSO OC), inició la manifestación declarando: “Estamos aquí hoy debido a los años de acoso a los que Kingsley Management Corporation ha sometido a los residentes de Coach Royal, en su mayoría inmigrantes de clase trabajadora”.

Tallahassee, FL – On September 22, Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) rallied at the Integration Statue and then marched to Wescott Fountain to protest the unjust firing of Tally SDS Vice President Mariana Guimaraes from the FSU Victim Advocate Program for her role in SDS’s anti-rape culture campaign and her public advocacy for a survivor.

Guimaraes called out this decision, asking, “When an advocate says publicly, clearly, and with conviction that the systems we have are failing, that we need better for students, and they are terminated without a real reason, what message does that send to survivors?”

Santa Ana, CA – On Wednesday, September 23, chants of “Kingsley escucha, estamos en la lucha!” could be heard on Sullivan Street.

Rain Mendoza with Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) kicked off a rally, stating, “We are here today because of the years of harassment the majority working-class immigrant residents of Coach Royal have been subjected to under Kingsley Management Corporation.”

35 people, including residents of Coach Royal Mobile Home Park and community members, rallied in front of the park to demand a stopping of all fence removals, allowing residents to keep their air conditioning, and maintaining all allotted property sizes. Kingsley uses these bogus violations and changes to the rules to begin the process of stealing homes from the residents.

Portland, OR – Multnomah County issued an arrest warrant on September 22 for right-wing extremist Thomas Allen for the assault of immigrant rights protester Holly Brown.

The warrant came after a campaign demanding Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez press charges.

Allen is a right-wing influencer known for showing up at anti-Trump and anti-ICE protests in Portland to harass and assault progressive activists. Despite many instances of assault and using chemical weapons on protesters in front of police, he was only arrested once, in October 2025, for punching an anti-ICE protester at the Portland ICE facility. He pled guilty then to a charge of disorderly conduct.

Portland, OR – On September 21, transphobic right-wing extremists led by Thomas Allen returned to a queer-friendly establishment, the Sports Bra, to harass patrons. This was their second protest there in two weeks. Trans rights activists also returned to counter-protest and pushed the anti-trans agitators out of the area for the second week in a row.

By Jake Hanawalt and Kobi Guillory

Chicago, IL – Thousands of Chicagoans lined up around the block to celebrate the launch of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s re-election campaign at the DuSable Black History Museum on the South Side of Chicago. Overcast skies and drizzling rain did nothing to dampen the spirits of Johnson’s supporters. The crowd represented a vast range of community organizations, unions, faith-based groups, elected officials, youth organizations, and individuals in working and oppressed communities.

“We came together four years ago and said ‘It’s time to get a brother from Chicago on the fifth floor. Someone who will fight for the working class,’” said State Senator Graciela Guzmán, kicking off the event by describing Johnson’s first campaign.

Portland, OR – On September 11, right-wing extremist Thomas Allen announced plans to protest the Sports Bra, a local gay bar catering to women’s sports fans. Allen was protesting a viral video where Sports Bras employees refused service to customers with transphobic shirts. Pro-trans activists showed up and ran Allen out of the area.

Allen is known for harassing protests around Portland, often getting violent. He posted on X calling for a “rally to support women and girls” and demand “men out of womens spaces” at the Sports Bra.

Pro-trans activists mobilized to defend the bar. Allen showed up with a small group of people, and they were quickly outnumbered by a crowd chanting for trans rights.

Denver, CO – On Monday, September 7, more than 80 workers gathered near the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment office for a Labor Day rally under the slogan “Workers Over Billionaires!”

Emcees Katherine Draken and Miles Thompson started the rally with a brief history of Labor Day and some historic strikes in the United States. They stressed that the struggle still exists to this day, and it is important to continue to fight in the face of continued repression from the Trump administration.

Dallas, TX – 400 people took to the streets of Dallas on September 10 to protest the Republican Party’s midterm convention and demonstrate opposition to the Trump agenda. Organized by the Dallas Against the Trump Agenda (DATA) Coalition, the protest brought together workers, community activists, socialists, immigrant-rights organizers and others who marched to bring their opposition to the Republican convention directly to the streets surrounding the American Airlines Center.

The action began at Pike Park. Demonstrators marched toward the convention. Hundreds of protesters participated in the march, which made its way toward the security perimeter surrounding the convention.

Charleston, SC – On September 8, community members mobilized to the Charleston City Council meeting demanding a repeal of the repressive First Amendment Demonstration Ordinance (1A) and to drop the charges against Lowcountry Action Committee member Matt Colburn, who was charged under the ordinance in June 2025 and has yet to receive his day in court. 

17 people signed up for the public comment section to speak, but were only allowed one minute each, rather than the customary two minutes.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Dallas Against the Trump Agenda Coalition. The group plans to march on the RNC in Dallas on September 10.

Dallas Office of Special Events has cancelled our permit application to protest the RNC

As organizers attempt to exercise their First Amendment right to protest the midterm Republican National Convention, the city of Dallas has escalated from stalling our permit request to cancelling it.

St. Paul, MN – Amid a nationwide wave of outrage against Flock automatic license plate readers, community members packed city council chambers on August 26 for a public hearing on police surveillance technology and data privacy. Dozens of community members testified to their opposition to the city’s use of the artificial intelligence (AI)-powered cameras made by Flock and Axon, as well as autonomous drones manufactured by Skydio.

Minneapolis, MN – On August 22, at 11:30 a.m. the People’s Action Coalition Against Trump (PACAT) organized a counter-protest to the Jake Lang hate rally. More than 100 protesters showed up in opposition to Lang’s white supremacist hate speech, aimed this time at the Black community. Lang has also called for the reinstitution of Jim Crow laws, calls to deport all immigrants from the U.S., and anti-Muslim hate speech.

When counter-protest organizers arrived at city hall, Minneapolis Police Department officers threatened to tow away their sound and medic vehicles. But when Jake Lang and his band of less than ten supporters showed up with two vehicles, MPD allowed them to drive onto the sidewalk. Officers surrounded Lang’s vehicles as they moved forward, effectively providing them with an armed escort.

Los Angeles, CA – The start of the new school year brought good news in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). At the Breed Street, 2nd Street and Eastman Avenue Elementary Schools, Extera charter school has finally moved out.

Chicago, IL– 30 Chicago community members from the South and West sides gathered at the office of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression on Saturday, August 15 for an event discussing the widespread attacks on Black political power and Freedom Road Socialist Organization’s (FRSO) political line on the struggle to defend voting rights.