Abraham Flores-Tercero was brought into the federal courtroom wearing shackles, dehumanizing him from the second he walked in the door. Abraham, who doesn't speak much English, had to make his plea in Spanish to a translator, who repeatedly interrupted him.

Flores-Tercero gave an emotional speech, begging to be deported, as he had plans to move his family to Nicaragua. Judge Winsor showed no humanity. Winsor simply ignored Abraham's plea and aimed to “make an example” out of him. Winsor sentenced Abraham to two years in federal prison before his deportation, so it would act as a “deterrent” to others.

Since August 21, Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance (TIRA) began circulating a petition to build publicity around Abraham's mistreatment by Judge Winsor leading up to his hearing in the appeals court.

The petition reads: “Trump appointed Judge Alan Winsor sentenced Abraham Flores twice the precedented time for entering into the U.S. undocumented. He ignored Flores' plea to be deported and instead stated the sentence needed to be increased, because he would want to visit his family and should serve as an example to others. Additionally, his ruling is very likely an example of double jeopardy, since he considered a 20-year-old previous charge when justifying his decision. Judge Winsor should face disciplinary action for his mismanagement of the case of Abraham Flores for his bias. In this time of increased prejudice, we must hold our officials accountable. The US judicial system must treat all people under trial impartially. Help Abraham Flores receive a fair trial with a fair outcome.”

Take part in the Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance's stand against judicial repression of immigrants and get justice for Abraham Flores: sign the petition.

Judge Winsor has an extensive history of attacking people’s rights. Winsor defends bans on same sex marriages and attacks women's reproductive rights.

#TallahasseeFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #InjusticeSystem #ICE #Deportations #AbrahamFloresTercero

Tallahassee, FL – On August 17, the Leon County Commission held a public hearing regarding the proposed Historic Harms amendment to the county charter. From the pressure of about a dozen speakers and the presence of dozens more, the commission voted 5-2 to advance the amendment to the November ballot for all county citizens to vote on. Commissioners Brian Welch and Christian Caban voted against the amendment. 

The Historic Harms amendment, if passed, would require the county to periodically investigate past county policies and determine what kind of harms were caused to certain geographic areas due to those policies.

The state of Florida’s SB 1134, which would end funding opportunities for programs based on diversity, equity, and inclusion or any programs that even seemed that way, was signed by Governor Ron DeSantis this past April. The original language of the Historic Harms amendment drew concerns from the Charter Review Committee and from the county attorney due to potentially coming into conflict with the new law. The amendment was rewritten to fit within these bounds – the new language looks purely at geographic neighborhoods regardless of the demographics of who was affected in those areas. This approach did get at least a tacit approval from the county attorney and did get voted through by the review committee.

Members of the Tallahassee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (TallyAARPR), the Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance (TIRA), Capital Area Justice Ministry, the League of Women Voters, and Tallahassee ALERT, which wrote the amendment, spoke out in favor on Monday.

“I believe there are many communities in Tallahassee that have been left behind, and this amendment is the first step to really looking at the problems with the city and attempting to rectify them,” said Delilah Pierre with the Tallahassee Alliance.

Brandon Beckett with TIRA said, “I think we need to leave it in the people’s hands to address their futures,” adding, “This amendment is addressing community members that have been left behind through the development of Tallahassee.”

Beckett continued, “It’s their community as well. We need to make sure every member of this community feels respected and doesn't feel as if they’re left behind.”

The amendment will now appear on the ballot in the November elections. State Representative Angie Nixon won an upset victory for the Democratic nomination and will appear on the ballot. As well, there are three Tallahassee city commission seats in the runoff election. The Tallahassee Alliance will spread information about the amendment to educate the public and get people to vote in favor of it.

#TallahasseeFL #FL #PeoplesStruggles #InjusticeSystem #HistoricHarms #OppressedNationalities

Tallahassee, FL – On June 20, the Tallahassee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (TallyAARPR) held its Angelversary rally and vigil at the Lynching Historical Marker at Cascades Park to honor the lives of those killed by racist violence.

Organizers demanded justice for victims of police violence, such as Kohen Wiley, the one-year-old shot and killed by police in Senatobia, Mississippi, as well as those victims who still have not received justice, such as Mychael Johnson and Tony McDade, both killed by Tallahassee Police Department officers within weeks of each other in 2020.

Other groups in attendance included the Tallahassee Immigrants Rights Alliance (TIRA), Tallahassee SDS (Tally SDS), and the Tallahassee District of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (Tally FRSO).

Aedan Bennett with TIRA said, “In Florida and in all of the southern states in the Black Belt South, Black and brown people are still criminalized just for existing. In Florida, Black children are transferred to adult court and tried as adults at seven times the rate of white children. For immigrants and Latino people in this country, they are thrown in jail for being here ‘illegally,’ a fake crime, where they are denied medical care and access to running water.”

Speaking for Tally SDS, JJ Glueck stated, “Most of y'all remember the first time you bought diapers or baby formula or pacis and that feeling of how good it feels and how nice it is to get to take care of this little sweet child that you're related to or that you know. I can't believe that Kohen Wiley's mom will never get to buy him another thing. It's heartbreaking that she'll never get to buy him another thing.”

Glueck continued, “They don't care about any of our lives. But most of all, they treat Black lives like they're disposable, like they're worth killing for some kind of $20 diaper.”

Brandon Beckett with Tallahassee FRSO spoke towards the broader causes of political repression. “This is what police terror looks like. Not an exception, but a pattern. Not a few bad officers, but a system that chooses the property of the capitalist class over the lives of Black people every single time. Over and over again, we see the same thing happen. A Black person is killed. The officer is put on paid leave. The investigation goes nowhere. The grand jury does nothing. And the cycle continues. It is predictable. It is deliberate. And it is by design.”

The event also highlighted the recent attacks on voting rights around the country. Speaking for TallyAARPR, Delilah Pierre said, “The right to vote for Black people wasn't fought in the courts. It was fought in the streets. The right to proportional representation to end gerrymandering is a fight that the people struggled for, not just a few politicians.”

Pierre continued, “We're fighting because in the 1870s, we fought for proportional representation, for Black people to have real rights. And that fight has not been finished. But let me tell you something. Our generation, our movement, our era, will be the ones to finish that fight, and we will be the ones to win.”

#TallahasseeFL #FL #InJusticeSystem #TAARPR

Tallahassee FL, – On Monday, April 20, Tallahassee Students For A Democratic Society (SDS) held a teach-in to inform students and community members on how to combat repression. The event was a part of a coordinated National Day of Action, called in solidarity with Rick Toledo, an organizer at Cal Poly Humboldt who was charged with assault, battery and false imprisonment after a February building occupation protest, which called for the university to divest its funds from Israel’s ongoing genocide.

Among the many important aspects of fighting repression is ensuring that you are public-facing and continue to put public pressure on officials.

“Holding actions is the most important part. We need to show that we’re still fighting,” said Kaiden Rosa, the vice president of Tallahassee SDS, said, “And that’s why you’ll see us rally outside courthouses, oftentimes rallying if there's a university conduct case because we’re going to keep the pressure on.”

Tallahassee SDS is no stranger to political repression. Florida State University has continuously attempted to ignore and repress the organization, recently banning SDS from registration as a student organization for over two years due to “protesting after dark.”

Rosa explained the importance of solidarity and how cases like Rick Toledo's can have ramifications nationwide, stating, “He was suspended from his school and fired, and they’re just trying to turn it against him [and] make it so that the Palestine protests can be more easily silenced, if they can be silenced in one place, they can be silenced anywhere else.”

Attendees also learned more about the case of Alejandro Orellana, an organizer with Centro CSO from Los Angeles, arrested in the wake of the Los Angeles uprising against ICE oppression.

Orellana had his house raided and faced charges of conspiracy, along with aiding and abetting civil disorder, simply for handing out face-coverings to protestors.

During the LA uprising, the LAPD faced scrutiny for its violence against protesters, launching tear gas canisters at protesters and journalists, firing rubber bullets and riding horses over passersby.

A campaign was launched by organizations like Centro CSO to drop the charges against Orellana, and after intense public pressure and outcry, that is what happened.

The Repression Teach-in rang very true for attendees who witnessed the Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrest of Sadie Carlson at the recent No Kings Protest after marchers stepped into a closed and empty street as the sidewalk ended.

“At the end of the day, the most important thing is solidarity,” Rosa said.

#TallahasseeFL #FL #StudentMovement #SDS #PoliticalRepression

Tallahassee, FL – On Friday, April 10, Tallahassee SDS, along with Freedom Road Socialist Organization and FSU YDSA brought together over 40 people on FSU’s Landis Green to protest the Israel Fair, an event sponsored by pro-Israel groups across the campus to celebrate Israel as it carries out genocide against Palestinians.

The event took place two days after Israel conducted 100 airstrikes against Lebanon in ten minutes, killing hundreds.

“It is shameful that FSU is allowing an event on our campus in the name of a state that is built on colonization and genocide,” said Maria Duarte, a member of Tallahassee SDS who spoke at the protest. “Israel is a state that has been displacing and murdering Palestinians for over 70 years. A state that believes that bombing children and innocent civilians is ‘self-defense.’ It is disgusting how our university is whitewashing genocide while Palestinians continue to be murdered and displaced.”

The fair was created by various Zionist organizations, including Students Supporting Israel, Hasbara Fellowships, Hillel at FSU, Zionist Organization of America and the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis.

The protest began at 1 p.m. and was supposed to go until 2 p.m. but continued until around 3:45 p.m. Students chanted “Free Palestine” and made statements that showed solidarity with Palestine, condemned Israel, and ridiculed those involved with the fair.

Zionist counterprotesters responded with slurs and attempts to disrupt the rally, which the protesters ignored. As for the Israel Fair, it should have gone until 3:30 p.m., but it was closed down a little after 2:00 p.m. due to pressures from the protest – which would outnumber the attendees of the Israel Fair.

The speakers made a point to emphasize FSU’s support of Israel and, by extension, the genocide of Palestinians.

The speakers mentioned how the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering partners with Boeing. A close partner of Israel for 75 years, the company recently signed an $8.6 billion contract with the Pentagon to make 25 new F-15 Fighters for Israel. More recently, in March, Boeing signed another deal for $289 million to deliver 5000 air-launched smart bombs to Israel.

“Make no mistake, our campus is heavily complicit,” said one protester.

Before the Israel Fair, FSU power washed pro-Palestinian statements that were written in chalk on Landis Green. An anonymous affiliate of the fair’s organizers posted on YikYak, “this is what FSU thinks of your anti-fair chalk,” with a picture of the Landis Green walkways being power washed.

The “anti-fair chalk” included statements such as “72,000+ dead” (the number of Palestinians who have been killed thus far in the Gaza genocide), “One should not be killed for just being a Palestinian” and a list of names of children who were killed in Gaza and the West Bank by the Israeli occupation forces.

As FSU’s administration defends allowing of Zionist organizations on their campus, Israel continues to perpetuate its genocide of Palestinians. Tallahassee SDS deplores FSU’s hypocrisy in sanctioning hate groups on their campus while suppressing leftist student movements, and they remain in solidarity with Palestinians.

#TallahasseeFL #FL #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #StudentMovement #SDS #FRSO

Tallahassee, FL – On March 28, over 5000 people gathered at the Florida Capitol for the third No Kings protest to stand against Trump. Under the Tallahassee Coalition Against Trump banner, local organizations led the protest against Trump’s racist and reactionary agenda before taking to the streets and marching around the capitol. In addition to speaking out against Trump, those in attendance demanded an end to attacks on immigrants, police violence and the war on Iran.

Speakers connected to local issues like 287(g), an agreement allowing Florida law enforcement officers to act as immigration police and detain immigrants, while rally attendees held signs like “Immigrants are welcome here” and “ICE out now.” Four law enforcement departments signed 287(g) agreements even though they were not required to do so: Florida State University Police Department, Tallahassee State College Police Department, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Police Department and Tallahassee Police Department. The Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance (TIRA) has been attending city commission meetings in recent months to demand that the city rescind its 287(g) agreement between ICE and TPD.

Speaking for TIRA on why policies like 287(g) must be eliminated, Sara Millan said, “What nation are you keeping safe? What community are you possibly keeping safe that requires you to seize innocents in their jobs, in their schools, in their homes, and eliminate them like animals?”

Regina Joseph from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization told the crowd, “The United States uses our tax dollars to kill innocent people all around the world. Just last month, the U.S. bombed an all-girls school in Iran, killing over 180 children. So far, the United States has spent over $20 billion to wage war on Iran. We cannot stand by while lives are destroyed for profit and power.”

After the first set of speeches, organizers gathered the crowd to march around the capitol complex. Immediately, the march was disrupted by violent officers with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).

Along Pensacola Street near the capitol, where there is no sidewalk to march on, the marchers stepped onto the street, which was already closed to cars by police for the Springtime Tallahassee festival earlier in the day. Despite the road being entirely empty, FDLE officers swooped in and arrested head marshal Sadie Carlson for “obstructing a highway” and “resisting without violence.”

March attendees swarmed FDLE, shouting “Shame!” and “Let her go!” As protesters demanded her release, FDLE officers escorted Carlson into the Florida Capitol building. The protesters were not deterred and continued to demand Carlson’s freedom. Organizers and attendees immediately sprang into action, flooding the lines of the Leon County Detention Facility. Quickly after, the Tallahassee Coalition Against Trump called on attendees to mobilize outside the jail.

At the detention facility, more than 50 people began chanting “Free Sadie!” and “Protesting is not a crime!”

Speaking to the crowd, Delilah Pierre, president of the Tallahassee Community Action Committee, said, “The officers are lying when they say they can’t release her faster! They are lying about the charges! They are lying that she can’t have a lawyer! We’re going to stay here until Sadie is released, and we’re going to fight to get these made-up charges dropped!” Her words were proven true when, after less than four hours, Carlson was released thanks to the community rallying behind her.

Speaking on the mistreatment she faced and the absurdity of her arrest, Carlson, a transgender woman, said, “They didn’t get me any food. They groped my [breasts] and put me in the men’s facility. I think it’s crazy I got arrested today and Donald Trump, with all the crimes he’s committed, where is he? He’s killed innocent people in Iran and in Palestine, immigrants here. He’s a rapist, all of his buddies are rapists, and he’s not in jail!”

Carlson and TIRA will continue the fight to get her charges dropped and to end the 287(g) agreement. Stay connected by following @tlh_ira and @tallyagainsttrump as local organizers fight back against political repression.

#TallahasseeFL #FL #PeoplesStruggles #NoKings #TLHIRA #ImmigrantRights