Tampa, FL – On Friday afternoon, January 9, the Tampa Immigrants’ Rights Committee held a second emergency rally in front of Tampa City Hall in as many days to protest yet another ICE shooting, this time in Portland, Oregon. About 30 people attended the event.

Two Venezuelan immigrants, Luis David Nino-Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, were shot and injured when a Customs and Border Patrol agent fired into the car during a traffic stop. The activists demanded justice for those murdered by ICE and federal agents, as well as getting ICE out of their community.

As part of the demand for ICE to get out of their communities, those gathered demanded that the Tampa city government cancel the 287(g) agreement with ICE that allows Tampa Police Department officers to act as immigration police.

Customs and Border Patrol claimed the agent was acting in “self-defense,” much as they claimed they were acting in self-defense when ICE agent Johnathan Ross murdered observer Renee Good in Minneapolis. That was shown to be a lie by the multiple videos of the event. Federal agents have a long history of making bogus claims of “self-defense,” such as in the case of Marimar Martinez, a Chicago woman, who was shot five times by a CBP agent who claimed self-defense, but the prosecutors had to drop the charges against her because they were lies.

The rally featured speakers from Tampa Immigrants Rights Committee, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society. Speakers were united in the demand to arrest and charge killer ICE agent Jonathan Ross and to get ICE off our streets.

Victoria Hinkley, with Tampa Bay SDS, stated: “We must continue to organize, no matter what violence agents show towards us. These racist feds in our communities won’t back down unless we make them and show them that ICE is not welcome in our streets.”

Gia Davila, of FRSO, explained, “These tragic losses of life are just the tip of the iceberg of what ICE has been doing for decades, and what they will continue to do if we do not stand up to demand ICE out of our cities. ICE continues to harass Chicanos and immigrants every day, murdering, racially profiling, harassing, and kidnapping and deporting our brothers and sisters. The capitalists blame and criticize people when it’s their system that’s unlivable.”

The attendees vowed to continue to make Tampa Mayor Jane Castor’s life uncomfortable and expose her collaboration with ICE until she cancels the 287(g) agreement with ICE and gets these murderous thugs out of our communities, and to build toward an anti-Trump rally on January 20 to mark one year of his administration.

#TampaFL #ImmigrantRights #ReneeGood #TampaBaySDS #TampaIRC #FRSO

Tampa, FL – On Thursday, January 9, over 100 Tampa community members rallied in solidarity and protest against the murder of Renee Nicole Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis. The event was held at Tampa City Hall.

The event was organized by Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society and the Tampa Immigrants’ Rights Committee. The protest called for ICE out of everywhere, stop the deportations, justice for all murdered by ICE, and justice for Renee Good. The crowd chanted “ICE off our streets,” “Say her name! Renee Nicole Good!” and “No troops on the ground, no ICE in our streets, end 287(g)!” Several drivers passing by the event honked and cheered in support.

Speakers highlighted the false narrative put out by the Trump administration on the ICE shooting of Renee Good. Vicky Tong from Tampa Bay SDS said that the people see the administration's lies “for what it is: yet another instance of ICE thugs abusing their power and authority to create violence and fear within our community.”

Harrison Lundy from Voices of Florida said, “Every single ICE agent that has had a hand in state-sponsored violence needs to be held accountable.” Laura Rodriguez from the Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression also spoke on the need for accountability saying, “We will not stop until Jonathan Ross is not only arrested but also convicted.”

Yunqing Zheng, a member of the TampaIRC, connected the murder of Renee Good to the violence from ICE in Tampa, “We’re here to say that we’re not going to wait for another Renee Good or Kieth Porter. What we are going to do is demand that our local officials do their damn jobs. We demand that the local officials of Tampa take an active stance in protecting their immigrant communities.”

Zheng continued, “We’re here to demand that Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, Tampa city council, and Tampa Police Chief Bercaw end Tampa’s 287(g) agreement.”

#TampaFL #ImmigrantRights #ReneeGood #TampaBaySDS #VoicesofFlorida #TampaIRC

Tampa, FL - On Saturday, July 27, the pro-Palestinian community of Tampa held a rally on 56th and Fowler. Around 50 members of the community were present, including the organizations Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (TAARPR) and Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO).

The Palestinian community of Tampa has been vocal in their demands for the University of South Florida to disclose their investments and pull any funding that supports Israel in their ongoing attacks on Gaza.

The demands for USF to drop their suspension and expulsions against students Victoria Hinckley and Joseph Charry was also voiced at this protest as the university continues to issue conduct charges hold hearings months after the Gaza encampments.

In addition to conduct charges, USF recently proposed new, more restrictive policies surrounding protest and free speech on campus.

Victoria Hinckley, a member of SDS who was expelled after the encampment said that USF is , “banning statements being read by people who have been banned from campus, banning the use of fliers on campus, and limiting just about every function of student organizations.”

The rally included a march around the block near USF campus, halting traffic and chanting for divestment, a free Palestine, and directing calling out USF faculty members, “Dean McDonald shame on you, student voices matter too!”

McDonald is dean of students at USF and was a major witness to multiple student conduct charges as she was present on all three days of the solidarity encampments.

Simon Rowe, a member of FRSO, also called out faculty members Melissa Graham, dean of student conduct, and President Rhea Law. Rose asked the protesters, “Are you on the side of Melissa Graham, who prosecuted students for the crime of putting up pro-Palestine fliers on campus because one Zionist complained, or Rhea Law, who calls protests violent to justify police brutality and tear gassing?”

The crowd would shout back “No” in response, a sentiment that carried on through the event as people marched with the demands of divestment, conduct charges being dropped, and support for the Palestinian people.

#TampaFL #TampaBaySDS #SDS #StudentIntifada #USF #FRSO #TAARPR

Tampa, FL – On May 1, students at the University of South Florida began the third day of their Gaza solidarity encampment at the MLK Plaza. Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society started the encampment Monday after their Nakba anniversary protest. They demanded USF disclose and divest its investments in Israel, support Palestinian students and stop attacks on student movements.

On day three of the encampment, the Tampa Bay community rallied to support the student protesters and fight the anti-Palestine USF administration. The community gathered just outside of the university on the corner of 56th Street and Fowler Avenue.

The protest started with a press conference where it was announced that two Tampa Bay SDS members – Victoria Hinckley and Joseph Charry – are suspended and facing code of conduct charges for participating in the protest. Charry is an international student and now at risk of losing his visa.

“The protest showed that the community supports the students and the student movement,” said Charry. “Even though I was suspended by the university, I came off-campus to continue to rally for Palestine and to continue to call for divestment!”

Protesters marched onto campus after 5 p.m., the time students were told they could no longer protest on campus. The group chanted and marched back to the MLK plaza, the exact place that protesters were attacked and tear gassed the day before. The group, comprised of community members and students, rallied in the plaza in defiance of the university’s repression of the student encampments. On campus, Muslim protesters completed maghrib prayer. Then they marched back to 56th and Fowler.

The Tampa community will rally at USF again on Friday at 1 p.m.. Tampa Bay SDS will fight the suspensions of two of their students.

#TampaFL #SDS #FreePalestine #TampaBaySDS

Tampa, FL – On Wednesday, April 30, University of South Florida students and community members embarked on their second day of setting up a solidarity encampment for Gaza at the Martin Luther King Plaza. Their demands are to disclose the university's investments in companies that fund and prop up Israel, divest from them, publicly condemn the genocide happening in Gaza and express support for Palestinian students, and stop all attacks on pro-Palestine student protesters.

Protesters held a rally at 2 p.m. to call for charges to be dropped on the three people arrested on Tuesday, day one of the encampment, which also served as a Nakba Remembrance Day event.

On day one, students had set up two tents before police attacked the protesters and forced students to retreat. At 4:30 p.m., the USF Police Department announced a 5 p.m. curfew in a move which a Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society statement called “arbitrary.” Police were already at the scene and surrounding the protesters. They then brutalized demonstrators, including pressing them face-down to the ground with a knee on their necks and on their backs.

Later that night, USF sent an email to members of Tampa Bay SDS that they would be considered trespassing if they carried forward with the protest. Despite these threats, students persevered and moved forward with the event.

On day 2, students began an encampment at MLK Plaza once again, starting in the morning. The crowd swelled at 2 p.m. for a rally to call for the charges on Simon Rowe and the others arrested to be dropped.

Students then linked arms and formed a human barricade around a cluster of students who began to build tents in solidarity with the people of Gaza. Within 30 minutes, the human chain grew from 30 students to over 80, fiercely chanting and shielding the tents from police.

Over 100 riot police poured in within a few hours, carrying shields and wearing gas masks. They were joined by over 50 cops from other agencies. Campus police, state troopers, federal agents, sheriff's office police, and more were all present.

Community members gathered around the student human chain and brought them umbrellas and homemade wooden shields in anticipation of rubber bullets and tear gas.

At 5 p.m., the university and police gave a final dispersal warning. Student organizers let the crowd know that they could leave if they wanted to, and if they wanted to stay, they had to be prepared for arrests. Despite knowing that the police would attack, students stayed in the human chain to defend six tents, while the other protesters stayed gathered around them in a show of support.

At 5 p.m., the riot cops attacked the protesters, shot rubber bullets into the crowd, sprayed the crowd with tear gas and set off flares. They ran over people with their bicycles. They ripped the yarmulke off a Jewish protester's head. Administrators' voices rang overhead as they announced that they would use “chemical munitions” and that the police would use “force that could result in injury” as tear gas covered the lawn.

The tear gas canisters fired off by police then set the MLK Plaza on fire.

Ten people in total were arrested, including a photographer journalist. One protester needed to be hospitalized.

According to SDS member Joseph Charry, “Police used illegal tactics like choking people, attacking people with disabilities, arresting people who were already dispersing, and they even set off fires, endangering students.”

Despite the police terror, students and members of the community were not deterred. Statements of support and money to help with bail flooded in. People stayed late into the night at Orient Road Jail to demand the release of all protesters.

Organizers called for protests and a continued effort to build a solidarity encampment for the very next day.

By the next afternoon, all ten protesters were released.

Saba Indawala of Tampa Bay SDS said, “The student intifada and the people out there who support Palestine demand the university quit being complicit in the genocide and divest from Israel. SDS demands that USF divest now and disclose all information about investiture to the student body. We’re demanding that USF release a statement in support of Palestinian and Arab students, and lastly, stop all attacks on the student movement, especially the one for Palestine. Students and the community have been so brave against the university and administration. We need to continue to be resilient and to fight for our demands.”

#TampaFL #TampaBaySDS #SDS #USF #FreePalestine

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

On Monday, April 29, Tampa Bay SDS held an event at the University of South Florida (USF) to remember the Nakba which was met with admin and campus police trying to shut down the protest in an attempt to limit our free speech. At the conclusion of this protest, Tampa Bay SDS announced our immediate plan to set up a Gaza solidarity encampment at USF. Upon setting up our initial tents and tarps USF admin sent in USFPD to brutalize students and arrest protestors. We absolutely condemn the three arrests made by USFPD. Those arrested were Simon Rowe, who is a USF alumni and community member, one fellow student, and one USF staff member.

We condemn the actions of USF admin and Dean McDonald in their efforts to suppress our right to free speech and our right to protest. We received repeated threats of trespass and arrests for our Nakba Remembrance protest as well as continued threats from admin as we asserted our right to protest. Admin trying to silence our protests and encampments only show that they are scared of student power and continue to support the genocide of Palestinians. Shame on Dean McDonald and all of USF admin for this blatant attack on free speech and shame on them for calling in cops to brutalize students!

We condemn USFPD for exerting brutal force against student protestors and arresting 3 of them. Using brutal force against students including kneeling on a student’s neck is nothing short of deadly. This is part of a recurring pattern as we’ve seen the same USFPD officers that incited deadly violence on students on March 6 of 2024 to what we were put through today with the same deadly force in response to a student protest. Shame on USFPD for using deadly force on students!

We call on all students and faculty to show out for the encampment Tuesday April 30, at 10 am at MLK Plaza.

All faculty out to protect students!

Disclose! Divest! We will not stop we will not rest!

#TampaFL #FL #StudentMovement #SDS #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #USF #Statement #TampaBaySDS #Occupy4Gaza

Tampa, FL – On Tuesday, February 27, a group of around 15 students joined together in front of the Marshall Student Center at the University of South Florida to demand that the university defend diversity.

The event was organized by Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society as part of their campaign titled “Defend Diversity.” The student protesters demanded USF take action to protect Women’s and Gender Studies, expand Africana Studies, and fund multicultural organizations. Students chanted “DEI is welcome here” and “Ron DeSantis go away.”

The rally was a cry for USF to take action to protect DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) programs from being restricted. This student group blames higher administration officials for the lack of protections for diversity. Tampa Bay SDS member Allie Enriquez states, “USF presidents like Rhea Law continue to ignore the demands of students and follow DeSantis’ agenda.”

In Florida, this backward legislation has mainly been pushed through by Governor Ron DeSantis. The most dire and far reaching of these bills is HB 999/SB 266 which prohibits funding to any DEI-related office or program, including student groups.

Tampa Bay SDS continues to fight for diversity on their campus by building up their campaign to Defend Diversity and having direct actions against their administration’s complacency on this issue.

#TampaFL #StudentMovement #DEI #DeSantis #SDS #TampaBaySDS