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.
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.
Tampa FL – IBEW Local 824 Frontier workers and supporters gathered near Raymond James Stadium before Super Bowl LV to hold an informational picket raising public awareness about Frontier's ongoing attempt to gut workers' retirement benefits and healthcare and its attempts to double the amount that active workers have to pay for health insurance.
Tampa, FL – On January 30, the Tampa Bay Community Action Committee (TBCAC), alongside other local organizations and around two dozen people gathered near city hall to demand that state legislators reject HB1, the repressive bill being proposed by Governor Ron DeSantis.
Tampa, FL – On December 5, Tampa community members, the family of Josiah Pinner, and the Tampa Bay Community Action Committee (TBCAC) rallied outside of Tampa City Hall where they demanded justice for victims of police terror. Josiah Pinner, 15, was murdered in a hit-and-run by Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) deputy Philip Montesi in 2019. Jonas Joseph was shot at over 125 times and killed while in his vehicle in April of 2020, with the Tampa Police Department (TPD) officers facing no charges or other repercussions. Dominique Mulkey was shot at over 40 times and killed by TPD officers in October of 2020 after stealing food from a Dollar General because he was hungry.
Tampa, FL – On November 17, Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held a “Students Against Political Repression” protest in front of the Sam M. Gibbons Federal Courthouse in downtown Tampa. They rallied students and members of the community against political repression at the university, state and national level.
Tampa, FL- On November 4, the Tampa Bay Community Action Committee (TBCAC) and other community members gathered to demand that Donald Trump not steal the election. The event was a part of the National Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression’s day of action for a Post-Election Protest for a People's Mandate.
Tampa, FL – On November 4, the day after the election, Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and students from University of South Florida gathered to protest against Donald Trump stealing the election and an end to police crimes. The event was a part of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression’s (NAARPR) Post-Election Protest for a People's Mandate.
Tampa, FL – Students at the University of South Florida (USF) and concerned members of the Tampa community gathered at the entrance of the university, October 28, for a rally against recently implemented and proposed budget cuts. This rally, hosted by Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), aimed to ensure that the school did not make any more cuts that would affect students and workers, and instead wanted USF to take cuts from the budget of the USF Police Department and highly-paid administrators.
Tampa, Fl – The past summer of 2020 has been rife with activism in the fight against police terror and white supremacist attacks, and the upcoming presidential election will determine whether Donald Trump will continue to be in power. Trump’s comments and actions about the validity of the results has brought on the possibility of a hotly contested outcome. Activists and community members in Tampa and around the country plan to meet the November 3 election with protests on November 4 to fight for the defeat of Donald Trump and against white supremacy across the country.
Tampa, FL – On October 20, around 40 students and community members protested against the University of South Florida’s (USF) budget cuts and demanded defunding the campus police. Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held the protest as part of their Chop from the Top and the Cops campaign and a new demand for USF to keep the College of Education after recent news of the department’s closure.
Tampa, FL – On October 10, members of the Tampa Bay Community Action Committee and others rallied at Tampa City Hall to protest Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' proposed anti-protest bill. On September 21, DeSantis released the proposed legislation called “Combatting Violence, Disorder and Looting and Law Enforcement Protection Act.” If the bill is signed into law, it would legalize running over protesters with cars, and would make marching on the street a felony offense. Governor DeSantis' anti-protest bill is a direct response to protests during the George Floyd uprising, the Black Lives Matter movement and the First Amendment right to assembly and free speech.
Tampa, FL – On October 9, student and youth activists held a webinar to launch a national campaign to fight for police accountability, on and off campus, under the headline, “Students and Youth Demand Police Accountability.” The main organizations represented were New Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), AnakBayan USA, and the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.
Tampa, FL – On October 5, members of Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) gathered near the University of South Florida (USF) to protest the university’s recent budget cuts. University administration recently announced budget cuts amounting to $36.7 million, with instruction taking the bulk of the cuts and various student services comprising the rest.
Tampa, FL – On September 19, the Tampa Bay Community Action Committee participated in the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression’s (NAARPR) national day of protest with a rally of about 40 members of the community in downtown Tampa. NAARPR’s call to action demanded an end to racist police terror, the withdrawal of federal troops in cities across the country and for community control of the police.
Tampa, FL – On September 2, students at the University of South Florida (USF) and concerned members of the Tampa community gathered at the house of Steve Currall, the current president of the USF, for a car protest demanding an increase in hiring Black faculty, specifically, professors and counselors. The protest was hosted by Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).
Tampa, FL – On August 28, around 70 protesters demanded justice for Jacob Blake at an event by Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and Tampa Bay Community Action Committee (TBCAC). Blake was a Black man shot seven times in the back by Officer Rusten Sheskey in Kenosha, Wisconsin. His murder sparked a massive rebellion in Kenosha and protests in other cities across the country.
Tampa, FL – Over 50 people rallied and marched through downtown Tampa August 15 to demand justice for Jonas Joseph, a 26-year-old Haitian-American man murdered by five Tampa Police Department officers after they fired 125 shots. The march was attended by the family of Jonas Joseph and members of the community and was hosted by the Tampa Bay Community Action Committee (TBCAC) and Black Lives Matter Restoration Polk Inc.
Tampa, FL – Rank-and-file Teamsters all across the country have been petitioning for the O’Brien-Zuckerman leadership slate accreditation for the upcoming 2021 Teamster election. The slate, out of the Teamsters United coalition, is led by Sean O’Brien for general president and Fred Zuckerman for general secretary-treasurer. Teamsters United is a large coalition within the Teamsters union fighting for better contracts, a stronger union, and for worker power against the boss.
