Two of the young African American activists who helped disrupt the Jeff Sessions confirmation hearing Jan. 10 talked to Fight Back! about the action that gained worldwide attention.

On Nov. 16, three Somali American youth were sentenced to decades in prison. Guled Omar was given a prison sentence of 35 years and Abdirahman Daud and Mohamed Farah were each given sentences of 30 years in prison by Judge Davis in what the mainstream media has called the ‘ISIS trial.’

On Nov. 16, three Somali American youth were sentenced to decades in prison. Guled Omar was given a prison sentence of 35 years and Abdirahman Daud and Mohamed Farah were each given sentences of 30 years in prison by Judge Davis in what the mainstream media has called the ‘ISIS trial.’

Tallahassee, FL – On Oct. 22, 30 students rallied at Florida State University (FSU) as part of a national day of protest against police brutality. The students gave speeches and began their march at the Integration Statue on campus.

New York, NY – Supporters of Palestinian American leader Rasmea Odeh will be rallying here, June 10, 4:00 until 7:00 p.m., at G4S Secure Solutions (19 W 44th St.), to demand justice in her case. Odeh, an icon in the Palestinian community, was convicted on a politically-motivated immigration charge in 2014, and sentenced to 18 months in prison and deportation.

Demands Legalization for all, dump Trump, stop police killings of Chicano youth

Los Angeles, CA – A militant march and rally was held on International Workers Day, May 1 that brought out the Boyle Heights community by the hundreds. Raising the demands of Legalization for all, dump Trump, and stop police killings of Chicanos, the protest was organized by Centro Community Service Organization (Centro CSO).

Jacksonville, FL – Over two dozen protesters gathered in front of Angela Corey's office, April 27, to demand she be removed from office. In Jacksonville, State Attorney Angela Corey is responsible for leading Florida in the imprisonment of juvenile offenders, most of whom are Black. From 2009 to 2013, Corey's office incarcerated 1475 juveniles in the Jacksonville area alone, compared to just 32 in Miami during the same period. In almost four out of five of cases, Corey threatened the juvenile defendant with being charged as an adult in order to coerce a plea deal, since adult charges carry harsher consequences.

Jacksonville, FL – About 25 people gathered in Friendship Park here, April 9, for a press conference to demand Angela Corey be removed from office. Angela Corey is the Florida state attorney responsible for prosecuting more death penalty cases in Duval County than anywhere else in the country, and for being third in the country for the number of minor offenders charged as adults. An overwhelming majority of those minors charged as adults with felonies are African American. Angela Corey is also responsible for letting George Zimmerman walk after the murder of Trayvon Martin and for locking Marissa Alexander up after Alexander was found guilty of firing a warning shot against her abusive husband. The press conference was called for by the Jacksonville Leadership Coalition, headed by the Reverend R.L. Gundy.

Jacksonville, FL – More than 30 protesters marched on W.W. Gay Mechanical Contractors, Inc., Feb. 28, for its financial support of State Attorney Angela Corey. The mid-morning protest drew supporters from across Jacksonville and around the state who oppose Corey and her racist attacks on African-Americans.

Minneapolis, MN – Around 200 people rallied and marched in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood against Islamopobia, Feb. 20. The protest was organized by a new coalition of some two dozen state organizations calling themselves Minnesotans Against Islamophobia.

Los Angeles, CA – Family, friends and supporters of Edwin Rodriguez united to protest his murder by Sheriff’s Deputies of East Los Angeles, Feb. 20. Rodriguez was pulled over by East Los Angeles (ELA) Sheriffs, beaten and shot to death on Feb. 14th. He was shot over ten times. The sheriffs claimed that Rodriguez was in a stolen car. However, the car was not stolen; it belonged to the driver’s mother. Antonio Rodriguez, the family's attorney said, “There was no reason to pull them over.”

Chicago, IL – Chanting, “How many shots? 16 shots!” the second walk-out in a week took the streets in downtown Chicago Dec 18. Protest organizers like Lamon Reccord and Rousemary Vega called for Mayor Rahm Emanuel to resign because he covered up the murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald for 13 months.

St. Paul, MN – 150 people protested at the Twin Cities marathon here, Oct. 4, to call attention to police violence on Black and Native people. Organized by Black Lives Matter-Saint Paul, the #BlackMarathon protest focused on the cases of Phill Quinn, Tyree Tucker and Marcus Golden. The protest began with a rally in Boyd Park featuring speeches by members of the Quinn, Tucker and Golden families, continued with a march through the community and was followed by a die-in at the Twin Cities marathon finish line.

Chicago, IL – When thousands of people gathered at Federal Plaza Saturday, August 29, LaCreshia Birts and Michael Sampson of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression started the rally with a chant: “When we say fight back, you say CPAC!”

Photos by Jacob Flom from the historic August, 29, 2015 mobilization in Chicago’s Loop, when 3000 people marched to demand an elected, civilian police accountability council.

Chicago, IL – An historic mobilization took place in Chicago’s Loop, the center of the city, August 29, when 3000 people marched to demand an elected, civilian police accountability council.

Interview with Frank Chapman

The Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR) is calling for a march on August 29 to demand civilian control of the police. They have written legislation to create a Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC), elected by the voters. Fight Back! interviewed Frank Chapman, Field Organizer of the Alliance, about the fight against police crimes, the march in August and CPAC. Fight Back!: Why is the Alliance campaigning for this legislation? Doesn’t Chicago already have a civilian review board?

Hempstead, TX – Over 300 people gathered on August 9 in front of Waller County Jail, where Sandra Bland was murdered last month. The large crowd rallied to protest racist police brutality and remember its victims. An hour northwest of Houston, people listened to inspiring speeches and uplifting poetry, and then marched around the Waller jailhouse.

Chicago, IL – On August 8, about 100 people marched to stop police crimes at the historic Bud Billiken Parade. The parade, the oldest and largest African American parade in the U.S. attracted thousands of residents in Chicago’s South Side.

Jacksonville, FL – On August 2, more than 35 people from across Jacksonville attended a forum on institutionalized racism. Sponsored by the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition (JPC), the event featured a stack of speakers who addressed the Black Lives Matter movement, the struggle against police crimes and the fight against mass incarceration.