Milwaukee, WI – Nearly 400 people marched in the streets of Milwaukee on the evening of August 23 in protest of the first Republican presidential primary debate. Chants like “Racist, sexist, anti-gay, GOP, go away!” and “Whose streets? Our streets! Whose city? Our city!” rang out as marchers ignored the 100-plus degree heat.

The debate comes just under a year before the GOP returns to the city for the 2024 Republican National Convention. The action was organized by the Coalition to March on the RNC 2024, a broad-based progressive network of different local and national organizations opposed to the Republican agenda which attacks trans people, immigrants, workers, education and the democratic rights of oppressed nationalities.

The action started with a rally at Red Arrow Park, known to activists in the city as Dontre Hamilton Park in honor of Hamilton, who was murdered by Milwaukee police there in 2014.

“The Republican candidates are in there debating whether or not we deserve rights, whether we deserve bodily autonomy, and whether or not the U.S. should bomb other countries or just coup them. We stand out here to say we fight back,” said Aurelia Ceja, co-chair of the Coalition to March on the RNC.

“They have tried to make Wisconsin their playground, and Milwaukee has fought back with a vengeance. The Republican-created Act 12 was a direct attack on Milwaukee for the work we have done in fighting for police transparency and accountability,” Ceja continued. “This is part of the Republican national agenda. It’s a reactionary agenda. They saw our power when we came together in 2020, and they have been working to overturn our gains. This is because the Republicans are scared, and they should be.”

Many of the organizations that make up the coalition had speakers to kick off the event. These organizations included Voces de la Frontera, the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, and Reproductive Justice Action Milwaukee (RJAM).

“Republicans are not actually pro-life. They’re pro-controlling people’s bodies and they want forced pregnancy. They don’t support free healthcare, they don’t support social safety nets, they don’t support workers' right to a living wage. Our society is not sustainable, most of us can barely afford to live but they want more workers to serve the rich,” said Catie Petralia with RJAM. “Republicans are not pro-life, but they are pro-war, pro-prisons, pro-capitalism.”

The keynote was special guest Chrisley Carpio of the Tampa 5, a group of activists who were assaulted by police in Tampa, Florida during a protest against HB 999 which slashed DEI programs in public universities across the state.

“We’re not gonna sell out the student movement, we’re not gonna say it was wrong to protest DeSantis and the Republicans – just like everyone here is doing – and they took our four felony counts and turned them into eight, and they took my five years and turned them into ten, so it’s clearly a political attack by the Republicans on our right to protest, but it’s not gonna work!” Carpio said. “One week later, students in Texas and at other universities across the state of Florida had protests, including at Florida International University where 700 students protested against HB 999, showing that this didn’t work. The only thing that the Republicans did in attempting to stop us was lighting a fire that’s gonna take down their whole agenda!”

The march route took the protesters right next to the Fiserv Forum, home of both the first debate as well as next year’s RNC. Other chants took aim at specific candidates, such as “Donald Trump is MIA! Milwaukee says stay away!” and “Hey hey, ho ho, Ron DeSantis has got to go!”

The march wound around the debate venue and back to Red Arrow Park where a second batch of speakers shared their own messages. Groups speaking included the Wisconsin Coalition to Normalize Relations with Cuba, Community Task Force MKE, Never Again Action, the Milwaukee Anti-war Committee, and the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression.

The Coalition to March on the RNC will continue to organize in the months leading up to the convention in 2024. They are encouraging all organizations across the U.S. who recognize the Republicans as one of the main enemies of working and oppressed peoples to join the coalition. A national organizing conference is being planned for February 2024 in Milwaukee as a prelude to the mass protest scheduled for the first day of the RNC on July 15, 2024.

#MilwaukeeWI #StudentMovement #PoliticalRepression #Elections #RepublicanDebate #RNC2024

Houston, TX – Hundreds of University of Houston students protested at the Republican candidates debate, which was held on campus Feb. 25. The university allowed the racist Republicans to use their facilities to hold the debate and professors were asked to cancel their classes, yet University of Houston students were not allowed to attend. There was a highly militarized police presence on campus; the police built an expansive fence around the Moore’s Opera House and any direct path to it so that protesters and students alike would not be able to access the debate. There were snipers on the surrounding buildings, and the university was swarming with Secret Service agents.

Students for a Democratic Society organized the large protest against the debate. Spending two weeks building up for it, SDS brought out over 100 students to reject the Republican agenda of racism, hatred and fear. They began in front of the library, chanting “Dump Trump, dump Trump!” “Trump, Trump shame on you, immigrants have rights too” and “Trump, Trump you can’t hide, we can see your racist side.” They had signs that read, “Students against GOP imperialism” and “Trump’s racism not welcome here.”

After few speeches, the students marched to the Moore’s Opera House, where the debate was being held. As they marched, more students joined and there was a climate of enthusiasm, empowerment and collective rage. Once they arrived at the Opera House, they were greeted by a swarm of cops blockading the entrance. The police told the protesters to leave, and one of the students got on the megaphone and asked the crowd, “Do these cops represent your interests?” to which the students answered, “No!” They chanted, “Hey, hey, ho, ho, racist police have got to go!” and the speakers pointed out that the police only represent the rich and have no interest in the needs of working people and students.

Once everyone assembled in front of the Opera House, an SDS member arrived with an intricate piñata of Donald Trump. Students aired their grievances against Trump and the Republican Party and then took a swing at the piñata until it was totally destroyed. After protesting outside of the debate for an hour, the students marched back to the library, where they rallied more support. The crowd multiplied and grew twice as large.

A large group of community activists had gathered across the street from the university near the Opera House. The now massive group of students marched across campus to this gathering and took to the streets. The police became very aggressive, making threats to arrest people and even putting their hands on one of the African American students. The students started chanting, “Off of the sidewalk, into the streets!” and everyone got into the street despite the massive police presence. When the cops started making threats, they chanted, “Whose streets, our streets!” and refused to follow their orders. They finally made it to the community protest, which ended with fiery speeches, radical songs and dancing.

Alex Hayes, chairman of SDS at the University of Houston, said, “This was an extremely successful action that reached out to the mass of students and took their radical spirit, putting it into action against the racist Republican party. This protest showed us the students want to get involved and will do anything they can to stop racism and bigotry from invading their school. We encourage all students everywhere to look for an SDS chapter near them or create one if there isn’t a chapter in order to start a radical student movement.”

#HoustonTX #Elections #RepublicanDebate #DumpTrump

Houston, TX – On Feb. 25, the Republican candidates debate will take place at the University of Houston (UH). As part of their Dump Trump campaign, Students for a Democratic Society held a Trump piñata bash on campus, Feb. 19. Students walking by said they were very impressed with the piñata and support the Dump Trump campaign. Some offered to help us hand out leaflets for the protest of the debate.

Students got on a megaphone and to say one thing they don't like about Trump, and then took a whack at the piñata with Trump's face on it. One young woman said, “I don't like Trump because a sexist who says horrible misogynistic things about women and wants to cut all programs for working mothers.” Another student said, “Trump is a capitalist who hates Mexican people and wants to terrorize the Mexican-American community.” While the students hit the piñata, everyone chanted, “Dump Trump, dump Trump, dump Trump.” so that everyone on campus could see what we were doing.

Alex Hayes, the chair of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at UH says, “The provost of the university is asking all faculty to cancel classes so that the Republicans can use the university to voice their agenda of racism, hatred and fear. Yet, students who have tried to get tickets to attend the debate were told that only Republican National Committee members could get tickets, and that a few very expensive tickets will be on sale next week. So, the Republicans get to come to the university to promote their hate speech at the expense of the education of the students.”

Hayes continued, “When the Republicans show up next week, we will be ready for them with a large protest. We are doing a lot of organizing for our protest and are certain a lot of students will show up. Next week, we will be doing a banner-making party on campus and display our signs for everyone to see. We will also be holding a protest next week, demanding that the university not cancel classes for the Republican debate and that they allow university students to attend the debate if they want.”

#HoustonTX #ImmigrantRights #StudentMovement #SDS #Antiracism #Elections #DonaldTrump #RepublicanDebate #DumpTrump

The University's vice chancellor Richie C. Hunter stated, “This event will shine an international spotlight on our campus, offering an opportunity to highlight our student successes, research innovations and unmatched school spirit. As the University becomes a part of political history, the debate will further confirm our status as one of the country’s powerhouse institutions.”

Alex Hayes with Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) said, “We are outraged that the university would host Republicans such as Donald Trump. Inviting racist bigots like Donald Trump does not promote democratic debate, discussion and diversity, but instead gives right-wing extremists a mouthpiece to propagate their message of hate.”

Hayes continued, “There are a lot of African American, Latino, Asian and Middle Eastern students at the University of Houston. We in Students for a Democratic Society are appalled that the board of regents would allow Donald Trump to speak at our school. Allowing Trump on our campus undermines the very diversity on which our school is based and is a direct attack on Chicano, Mexican and African American students, faculty and staff.”

The Houston branch of SDS delivered a letter to the board of regents denouncing the statements of Vice Chancellor Hunter. The students demand that the University of Houston change the location of the Republican candidates’ debate and issue a clear statement. When SDS students visited the office of the board of the regents, they asked to meet with a board member to discuss the matter. Their request was declined.

After delivering the letter, SDS distributed over 400 leaflets to students opposing Donald Trump speaking at the University of Houston. They also asked students to call or email Vice Chancellor Richie C. Hunter and demand the University of Houston change the location of the debate. In addition to leafleting students, leaflets were posted in every building on campus and placed in all of the faculty mailboxes.

Alex Hayes explained, “When we told students Trump was coming to their school, many of them were surprised, and a few outraged. It is clear that the university has tried to hide from the students that they are allowing racist bigots such as Donald Trump to speak at their school.”

Hayes finished, “Students for a Democratic Society demands that the Republican debate not be held at the University of Houston and that Donald Trump not be allowed to set foot on our campus. We want our university to be a place of learning, critical thinking and education, not a place for racist bigots to voice hate speech.”

#HoustonTX #StudentMovement #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #Elections #DonaldTrump #RepublicanDebate #DumpTrump

DUMP THE REPUBLICANS!

Today on November 10, the top ten Republican presidential candidates are debating in our city.

Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina, Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush and the rest will be climbing over each other to demonstrate how anti-worker, anti-women, anti-Black Lives Matter, anti-immigrant, and pro-war they will be as President.

Donald Trump is currently in first place among the Republicans. He is running on a platform of deportation for all undocumented immigrants in the United States, and for the building of a 1,000-mile wall on the border with Mexico.

Trump has sounded alarms across the Latino community and the immigrant rights movement, who are demanding that the Republican Party #DumpTrump if they ever want to appeal to immigrant voters again. He has also condemned the Black Lives Matter movement, which is currently fighting across the country for an end to police brutality and white supremacist violence.

Ben Carson is no better.

Carly Fiorina is no better.

Jeb Bush is no better.

All of the Republican candidates want to continue wars abroad while attacking immigrants, women, students, and workers at home. None of them are fit to run this country.

The Republicans and their backers are not genuinely afraid of Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, or any of the Democrats. What they worry about more than anything are an organized people with nothing to lose.

Let’s give them something to fear!

DUMP TRUMP!

LEGALIZATION FOR ALL!

NO MORE WARS!

BLACK LIVES MATTER!

END U.S. AID TO ISRAEL!

#MilwaukeeWI #Elections #RepublicanDebate