Two weeks before, on January 5, the Tampa city council passed the city charter amendments in a 5-3 vote to be put on the March ballot. Mayor Castor’s veto, which came two days before the veto deadline, effectively prohibits this charter amendment from appearing on the ballot for Tampa voters. However, it was possible for the Tampa city council to override the mayor’s decision at their January 19 city council meeting.

Demonstrators urged that the Tampa city council unite in overriding Mayor Jane Castor’s veto and give the opportunity for Tampa residents to vote this year.

The protesters waved signs such as “Castor vetoes democracy” and “Community control of TPD” as their peers gave passionate speeches about the importance of independent counsel on the Citizens Review Board (CRB). The proposed charter amendment for independent counsel would’ve allowed voters to decide whether the CRB could obtain independent legal counsel.

The Citizens Review Board was created in 2015 due to public pressure against the discriminatory “Biking while Black” program, to investigate and review disciplinary cases and issues of importance regarding the police department and Tampa community members.

The January 18 action was led by the Tampa Bay Community Action Committee joined by speakers from the American Civil Liberties Union, Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society, and the Restorative Justice Coalition.

Demonstrator Angel D’Angelo from the Restorative Justice Coalition stated, “The veto from Mayor Jane Castor is yet another example of the abuse of power government officials have enacted on the people in Tampa. If she has any respect for the people, she would not once again deny us the option to vote on matters we care about like she did with rent control. The next best step is that our city council override the veto and that we elect council members that will stand up to this abuse.”

The mayor’s decision to veto the amendment thwarts the democratic process of allowing taxpayers and concerned citizens alike the opportunity to vote on the matter. Unsurprisingly, Mayor Jane Castor was in the Tampa police force for 31 years and served as the police chief from 2009 to 2015. Her tenure in the Tampa Police Department has made her presence a strong barrier for police accountability in the city.

On January 19, the day after the protest, the Tampa city council overrode four out of the five of Mayor Castor’s vetoes. The issue of the Citizens Review Board obtaining independent legal counsel was the charter amendment that did not receive the supermajority vote necessary to override the veto.

Council members Joseph Citro, Charlie Miranda and Guido Maniscalo voted against. The majority of residents who spoke during the public comment section were in favor of the overriding Mayor Castor’s veto on the CRB charter amendment. Later that night, Councilwoman Lynn Hutak introduced an ordinance with the same language as the CRB charter amendment that city council will put to vote on February 2. If it passes, it will go into effect without the need of Tampa voters.

Simon Rowe from Tampa Bay Community Action Committee said, “We know that people have a right to determine how they’re policed. It may be an uphill battle, but that doesn’t mean we’ll stop fighting until real progressive change happens in Tampa. Jane Castor cannot stand in the way of democracy forever.”

#TampaFL #PoliceBrutality #CommunityControlOfThePolice #TampaBayCommunityActionCommitteeTBCAC

“This call for subpoena power through the CRB has been an ongoing conversation that the community was able to bring to another level,” said longtime Tampa activist Connie Burton. “We are asking the city council to do the right thing by the citizens of this community. Give us an opportunity and let the people vote.”

Joseph Nohava from the Tampa Bay Community Action Committee stressed that this is a democratic demand and TPD cannot be trusted to police themselves, given their countless cover-ups and lies in the past years.

James Shaw Jr. with the ACLU pointed out that “CRBs in other municipalities in Florida already have their own independent attorney and the power to issue subpoenas.” He added, “These are common sense reforms that catch Tampa up with the other municipalities in Florida. This is not a final solution, but it is a step in the right direction and a step that needs to be taken.”

Activists and members of the community flooded the public comment section during the city council meeting, demanding that they let the people vote on subpoena power and independent attorney for the CRB. Speakers from the public pointed out the lobbying and intimidation done by the state attorney and the chief of police to prevent the City Council from putting subpoena power on the ballot.

Before the start of the public comment section, Councilman Citro urged a judge to speak last in opposition to giving power of subpoena to the CRB. The games being played behind closed doors are undemocratic and go to show the lengths that TPD would go to just to prevent people from voting on more police accountability and transparency.

During public comment, mouthpieces of the Police Benevolent Association resorted to personal attacks on advocates of increased police oversight and accountability. James Shaw Jr. with the ACLU, who was singled out by these attacks, said, “They don’t have any good policy arguments about why the CRB is better off with a conflicted attorney, or with incomplete information. So they have focused on personal attacks on individual advocates. But it’s not about me; it’s about having accountability that the people can trust.”

After keeping the public waiting seven hours in council chambers, a 15-minute discussion and vote took place as the last agenda item. A motion to prepare an ordinance around allowing the CRB independent counsel passed 4-2, (Maniscalco and Citro against. Miranda not present). A motion to prepare an ordinance allowing the CRB to gain power of subpoena failed 3-4, (Manisalco, Citro, and Miranda against).

The CRB was created in 2016 in response to the Tampa police targeting Black folks in Tampa with an overwhelming increase in bicycle traffic stops. The “Biking while Black” targeting is still going on.

Activists were joined by speakers from ACLU FL, Hillsborough NAACP, Florida for Change, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Party for Socialism and Liberation, and Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society.

Taylor Cook, member of Tampa Bay Community Action Committee, concludes “We won independent counsel, we knew subpoena power was going to be a hard battle. This is not the end of the fight – that’s the point of having a campaign. To win all that can be won in a long term fight!”

#TampaFL #StopPoliceCrimes #TampaBayCommunityActionCommitteeTBCAC

Tampa, FL – Hundreds came out to protest the right-wing, billionaire-funded “student group” Turning Point USA summit, July 23. The Turning Point summit featured a gaggle of reactionary, racist and chauvinistic speakers, not the least of whom was Donald Trump, looking to build momentum for a possible second presidential run.

Shouts of “shame!” echoed through downtown as speaker Laura Rodriguez from Tampa Bay Community Action Committee spoke about the conference’s police protection, stating, “They’re paying cops to protect those racists and bigots in our city.”

Rodriguez continued, “This city is in a housing crisis whether the mayor wants to accept it or not. Tampa is the fourth worst city in the nation for rent affordability.”

Who these cops protect couldn’t have been clearer than when the protest moved to the convention center where the hatefest was taking place. The bigots attacked, shoved, pushed down and assaulted protesters as cops looked on in tacit approval, intervening only when it looked like the reactionaries were in danger.

As David Jones of TBCAC described, “We sat there and watched them protect those conservatives while they were attacking us, because whose side are they on? Not ours.” The reactionaries attacked protesters as young as 11. After a tense standoff, protesters returned downtown.

The Tampa community took to the streets to let these hatemongers know that they and their brand of bigotry were not welcome. This event took place in the context of not just the repeal of Roe v. Wade, but also other state level attacks on women, African Americans, and LGBTQ folks, with Florida’s ban on abortion at 15 weeks, whitewashing the history of U.S.'s oppression and slavery, as well mandating LGBT discrimination in the education system with the “Don't Say Gay” bill.

It is no accident that this event took place in Florida – both of these bills have been the pet projects of Trump ally and potential successor, Governor Ron DeSantis, who was also in attendance. The virulent national agenda of those at the conference was to further roll back political and workers' rights, continue environmental devastation, enable attacks on women and LGBTQ folks, and suppress national liberation movements.

Speakers from a wide range of community groups attacked the agenda and attendees of the conference. Harrison Lundy, local activist and organizer with Democratic Socialists of America, said, “They get billions in dark money to keep poor people poor, to keep houseless people houseless, and keep birthing people from their autonomy, and so they’re scared to see us out here.”

The protest was hosted by Women’s Voices of Southwest Florida and Tampa Bay Community Action Committee, with speakers from Students for a Democratic Society, Democratic Socialists of America, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization. The same coalition of workers, oppressed nationalities, immigrants, LGBTQ folks and women, that united to deliver Donald Trump a crushing defeat in the 2020 election came out today, and is what is needed to continue the struggle to defeat the agenda of groups like TPUSA.

#TampaFL #ImmigrantRights #StudentMovement #InJusticeSystem #Labor #OppressedNationalities #WomensMovement #US #Antifascism #DonaldTrump #TurningPointUSATPUSA #TampaBayCommunityActionCommitteeTBCAC #AbortionRights

On July 3, the Akron, Ohio Police Department released bodycam footage of the police murder of Jayland Walker. This footage was released after a week of demonstrations in Akron demanding justice. Police officers shot at Walker 90 times, hitting him over 60 times and killing him. The police confirmed that Jayland was unarmed when they shot him.

“This is just another example of police officers gunning down unarmed Black folks in this country,” said David Jones, a member of TBCAC. “We’re here today on July 4, the day people celebrate freedom in this country but we can’t be free while Black people are murdered by the cops in this country.”

The protest also highlighted similarities to the police killing of Jonas Joseph, a Haitian-American man murdered by Tampa Police Department officers.

“Jonas was a 26-year-old, killed in 2020 and in much the same circumstances as Jayland, killed during a traffic stop,” said Joe Nohava, a member of TBCAC. “TPD murdered Jonas after firing 125 rounds at him and his car. And in Jonas’s case, the cops lied, saying at first that he had fired at them, then when that was discovered to be a lie, they then claimed he had a gun in his hand, then that turned out to be a lie.”

The protest also demanded community control of the police. All of the speakers noted that the only way to address police killings was through the establishment of democratically elected Civilian Police Accountability Councils (CPAC). CPAC would allow members of the community to determine how they’re policed, including the ability to hire and fire police officers, set the police budget, and implement police department policies.

#TampaFL #PoliceBrutality #CPAC #CommunityControlOfThePolice #TampaBayCommunityActionCommitteeTBCAC

Tampa, FL – At least 40 people gathered November 21 on a busy intersection off Hillsborough Avenue in East Tampa Florida to demand justice for the victims of right-wing vigilante Kyle Rittenhouse. Only days before, in a sham trial, Rittenhouse was found not guilty on all charges stemming from his rampage in Kenosha in August of 2020. The crowd chanted “How do you spell racist? K-Y-L-E” and “No justice, no peace, vigilantes get off our streets.”

Uniting around the demand to throw Rittenhouse in jail, the event was organized by the Tampa Bay Community Action Committee and Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society. The Tampa Bay chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation and the Central Florida district of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization also attended and spoke.

Speaker Caleb Ochsner of SDS said, “Many students are engaged in left-wing activism of all sorts. It's important for students to mobilize because the BLM movement is under attack and it's the biggest movement in recent memory. This is an issue of interest to people fighting for a whole range of issues because it gives the right the thumbs up on harassing and attacking us.”

The demonstration joined with a national call to action on the part of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

#TampaFL #InJusticeSystem #PeoplesStruggles #TampaBaySDS #TampaBayCommunityActionCommitteeTBCAC #KyleRittenhouse

Tampa, FL – At least 40 people gathered November 21 on a busy intersection off Hillsborough Avenue in East Tampa Florida to demand justice for the victims of right-wing vigilante Kyle Rittenhouse. Only days before, in a sham trial, Rittenhouse was found not guilty on all charges stemming from his rampage in Kenosha in August of 2020. The crowd chanted “How do you spell racist? K-Y-L-E” and “No justice, no peace, vigilantes get off our streets.”

Uniting around the demand to throw Rittenhouse in jail, the event was organized by the Tampa Bay Community Action Committee and Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society. The Tampa Bay chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation and the Central Florida district of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization also attended and spoke.

Speaker Caleb Ochsner of SDS said, “Many students are engaged in left-wing activism of all sorts. It's important for students to mobilize because the BLM movement is under attack and it's the biggest movement in recent memory. This is an issue of interest to people fighting for a whole range of issues because it gives the right the thumbs up on harassing and attacking us.”

The demonstration joined with a national call to action on the part of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

#TampaFL #InJusticeSystem #PeoplesStruggles #TampaBaySDS #TampaBayCommunityActionCommitteeTBCAC #KyleRittenhouse

Tampa, FL – The Tampa Bay Community Action Committee (TBAC) is celebrating the delay of plans by the Tampa City Council to build a new Tampa Police Department Headquarters in the majority-Black community of East Tampa.

The new Tampa Police Department Headquarters and City Center

The George Floyd Uprising of 2020 touched every part of the United States, and in its wake scored historic victories, such as the conviction and sentencing of killer cop Derek Chauvin to over 22 years in prison. However, when the people win there is a reaction from those in power. These new attacks even occur on the local level. In Tampa, the city council proposed a plan for the budget to fund the construction of a new Tampa Police Department Headquarters (TPD HQ) and City Center for over $100 million in East Tampa.

City officials have said that these plans for the new headquarters and City Center are popular and desirable; they said the people of East Tampa want more police and a government complex smack-dab in one of their neighborhoods. That was the city council’s faulty justification for passing these plans on March 18, 2021. East Tampa Community Advisory Committee Chair Connie Burton said the city council passed these plans, “Like a thief in the night.”

The city did not ask for input from the people of East Tampa, and that is made shockingly clear when speaking to anyone there about the plans. Since March 18, members of TBCAC have been flyering, tabling and organizing events to spread awareness of, and fight back against, the new City Center and TPD HQ. When we first started the “No new TPD HQ” campaign, no small business or person walking on the streets had heard about the plans. Today more people know about the TPD HQ and City Center. This is partly because of our campaign and, to a much lesser extent, because of the city council, the Tampa police, or Mayor Jane Castor.

After the plans initially passed there were very few media updates. Nearly all of the particular information we have on the City Center and TPD HQ comes from pestering city council members or other city employees. Members of TBCAC attended the “City Center Sign Unveiling” put on by the city on August 18. While the event was ultimately cancelled, TBCAC members spoke with a representative of the city, Frank Crum, who gave details on the proposed building. The representative stated that the City Center would contain a tech training program, culinary program, small business affairs, and some local governmental departments. Additionally, Crum stated that there are three different potential locations for the new TPD HQ: across the railroad tracks next to the City Center on East Hanna Avenue or one of two other undisclosed locations.

The “No new TPD HQ” campaign and the future

Beginning in March of 2021, TBCAC has actively protested and spoken out about the proposed new headquarters and City Center. We have held protests at the proposed construction site, attended city government meetings, and talked with East Tampa residents.

At the most recent TBCAC event protesting the new TPD HQ and City Center that was held October 9, reporter Briona Arradondo from Fox 13 stated that City Councilman Orlando Gudes told them the TPD HQ move had been “cancelled.” TBCAC members then contacted the office of Orlando Gudes for confirmation. Gude’s assistant, on his behalf, stated that the move was delayed and would not elaborate further.

While the news that the new TPD HQ is on hold is good and represents a win for the people of East Tampa, our campaign is not over. The plans for the unneeded City Center are still going ahead and it’s still not clear if the TPD HQ will be built in East Tampa. The city continues to push the idea that more police and more small businesses will keep East Tampa residents safe and make them prosperous. But these plans are only one part of the city’s larger gentrification project.

It takes the power of the people in organization, in common cause, to stand against gentrification and police crimes. The Tampa Bay Community Action Committee and others will continue to fight against the city’s plans and demand that the money be put into programs that will actually help East Tampa residents.

A video reading of this article can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UP96g_MG9g&t=7s

#TampaFL #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #TampaBayCommunityActionCommitteeTBCAC

The city of Tampa proposed the plan to move the police headquarters in early March of this year. The estimated cost of the project is over $100 million, and the city has already committed almost $65 million. Additionally, the site of the new headquarters would be in the heart of East Tampa, a predominantly Black and working-class neighborhood in Tampa.

“The city's plan to move the headquarters to East Tampa doesn’t take the needs of the people into account. They didn’t ask Tampa community members what they thought about it,” said David Jones, an organizer with TBCAC. “They put it there without the go-ahead from the community that they’re putting it in. The $100 million put towards this headquarters should be being put towards services that help the community services that better the East Tampa community.”

This rally marked the first event in TBCAC’s campaign to stop the building of TPD’s new headquarters and the group plans to continue the fight through more rallies, mobilizing people to attend city council meetings and call-ins to the Tampa city council.

#TampaFL #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #TampaBayCommunityActionCommitteeTBCAC

Tampa, FL – On March 8, 40 protesters gathered in downtown Tampa to demand the conviction of Derek Chauvin. The protest was cohosted by Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and Tampa Bay Community Action Committee (TBCAC). Speakers demanded justice for George Floyd. The groups held the protest in response to both the National SDS and the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression calling for a day of action on the first day of Derek Chauvin’s trial.

The protesters also demanded justice for local victims of police violence like Jonas Joseph, Josiah Pinner and Dominique Mulkey. They demanded accountability through a civilian police accountability council and community control of the police.

“We must continue fighting for community control to make sure that we can get accountability and justice for victims of police brutality here in Tampa. To make sure that our communities are able to get the changes we need and police are held accountable,” said David Jones, a member of TBCAC.

TBCAC and SDS protested despite political repression after the George Floyd uprising last summer. Both groups stand against HB1 and SB484, bills that will criminalize protests in Florida. Tampa SDS continues to hold events despite a suspension from the University of South Florida. Two SDS members and one TBCAC member were arrested at a protest at USF one month before the start of the Derek Chauvin trial.

“Despite pressure from our school, it was extremely important to show solidarity with the family of George Floyd, and the people in Minneapolis. Even though our last protest ended abruptly due to police interference, that does not mean we’ll back down, especially since March 8 was on the start of Derek Chauvin’s trial,” said Gareth Dawkins, member of Tampa Bay SDS.

As Derek Chauvin’s trial carries on, SDS and TBCAC plan to continue to protest for justice for George Floyd, as well as justice for local victims of police brutality.

#TampaFL #StudentMovement #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #TampaBayStudentsForADemocraticSocietySDS #GeorgeFloyd #DerekChauvin #TampaBayCommunityActionCommitteeTBCAC

Tampa, FL – On February 9 students and community organizations gathered on the University of South Florida (USF) campus to protest recent acts by the university and the government to limit the free speech of progressive voices. Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) attended to demand that the university lift their suspension and drop their charges. USF placed a suspension on Tampa Bay SDS for protesting against the university’s budget cuts.

“Administration has been constantly getting in the way of protest and then suspended SDS until the fall semester on hypocritical charges,” says Laura Rodriguez, a member of Tampa Bay SDS, “I think it is so incredibly irresponsible for USF administration to try and disband an organization that has had such a vital role in the Tampa Bay area.”

Of the many speeches prepared for the event only one was given before USF administration told the police to arrest the protesters for trespassing. Five people, most of whom are students, were detained and held in police vehicles for over half an hour. Many of the police officers were not wearing masks when in the cars with the detained protesters.

“This was about intimidation and suppression,” Simon Rowe, a member of Tampa Bay SDS who was arrested, says of the actions. “The police walked me past the same place on campus where they escorted Kaitlyn Bennett's security away from her event in October. Bennett's team was given water, I and four other people were put in handcuffs.” Rowe was referencing last semester in which notorious right-wing internet personality Kaitlin Bennett filmed a video on campus at USF. Despite drawing a large crowd, she was allowed to leave of her own accord.

“USF and the police demonstrated another act against the voices of students,” stated Laith Hader of the USF chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). “I was there to give a speech about USF's record of suppressing voices of pro-Palestine activists. Many of those who speak out against the Israeli system of apartheid and genocide are being doxed, fired from their jobs, investigated or interrogated by the state, and are falsely framed as anti-Semitic, all while neo-Nazis and white supremacists are given their ‘free speech’ without any repercussions from the state or its institutions.”

Members from Tampa Bay Community Action Committee (TBCAC), Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), and Tampa People’s Protest were also in attendance to stand in solidarity with progressive students and raise awareness about HB1/SB484, a bill proposed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to severely limit the right to protest in the state. Members of TBCAC and PSL were among those arrested.

Many of the groups in attendance will join a statewide mobilization to Tallahassee, Florida’s state capital, on March 2 to protest against the bill.

Tampa Bay SDS stated they would continue fighting the charges against the protesters, the charges and suspension against their organization, and will continue fighting USF’s budget cuts.

“SDS has always brought issues to the table which USF admin have tried to keep hidden under the rug,” said Rodriguez.

#TampaFL #PeoplesStruggles #PoliticalRepression #TampaBaySDS #TampaBayCommunityActionCommitteeTBCAC

These cases of police terror are only a few examples from a long history of extra-judicial murder and coverup in Tampa. The police have the protection of the local government as the mayor, Jane Castor, was chief of police from 2009 to 2015, and state attorney of the 13th Judicial Circuit, Andrew Warren, has defended police officers in cases of misconduct. The families of Josiah Pinner, Jonas Joseph and Dominique Mulkey have also been denied access to certain details of their cases, including autopsy reports and dash camera footage by Castor and Warren.

“Both the mayor and state attorney are responsible for keeping these families from getting the justice they deserve. When they make conflicting reports on these investigations and jump through hoops to silence the families, it shows that they don’t represent or stand by us but with the crooked Tampa cops,” said David Jones of the TBCAC.

Beyond the explicit and implicit support of the police by the local government, the organ primarily responsible for overview of the police, the Citizen Review Board, is weak and can only review decided disciplinary cases and give recommendations. Those present at the rally also demanded community control of the police through a Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC).

“The police have too much power, and if we want accountability, we need the people in control of the cops, not the other way around. A CPAC would allow community representatives to hire and fire cops, to decide the police budget, and investigate police crimes. No matter how you demand justice, by standing together, we can put power in the hands of the people,” said Simon Rowe of Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society.

David Jones added, “We need a CPAC because we cannot count on ex-cops like Castor to give us the change we need. The only way that we’ll get the accountability these families deserve and the changes to keep this from continuing to happen is putting power back in the hands of the people. Making sure that the people have real power to decide what happens in their community.”

#TampaFL #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #TampaBayCommunityActionCommitteeTBCAC

The event called for community control of the police and economic relief under COVID-19. The group of over 40 rallied around the need to continue fighting for our communities even after the election. Will Blake, a member of TBCAC said, “Our fight is not over if we throw Trump out of office. Biden and Harris aren’t our savior. We have to fight for that.”

The rally ended with Tampa forces committing to continue fighting fo