Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

TampaFl

By staff

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.

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By staff

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.

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By Eithne Silva

Tampa students protest against repression.

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.

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By staff

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.

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By Taylor Cook

Tampa students rally against Trump's attempt to steal election.

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.

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By staff

Tampa students fight budget cuts despite repression from administration.

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.

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By staff

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.

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By staff

Tampa students protest budget cuts, demand defunding of campus police.

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.

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By staff

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.

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By Chrisley Carpio

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.

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