Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

WI

By staff

AFSCME Local 526 members join fellow unionists to protest 2023 Republican presidential debate in Milwaukee.  | Fight Back! News/staff

Milwaukee, WI – Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) employees represented by their union, AFSCME Local 526, are celebrating a decisive victory in their campaign for workplace safety during the Republican National Convention.

In a statement, the union said it “presented a list of proposals to MPM administration that would prioritize the rights and safety of MPM employees during the RNC, which will be held just blocks away from MPM. The Union asked MPM not to host organizations or individuals whose actions are inconsistent with MPM’s values, and that employees suffer no loss of wages or additional transportation expenses during the RNC, among other workplace-specific issues.”

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By staff

Students march through the Warch Campus Center en route to disrupting a board of trustees meeting on May 16.  | Fight Back! News/staff

Appleton, WI – After a massive rally and march throughout downtown Appleton on May 15 in commemoration of Nakba Day, the very next day, the student movement at Lawrence University took an action unseen on campus in decades.

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By Freedom Road Socialist Organization - Wisconsin District

Since October 7, 2023, the dedicated people of the Fox Valley region of Wisconsin have been organizing and mobilizing for Palestine nearly non-stop. Whether it be a banner drop, a march or rally, disrupting political fundraisers, or divestment campaigns at several local universities, the people of northeastern Wisconsin have shown time and time again that they will not rest until the U.S. ends aid to Israel and stops being an active participant in the ongoing genocide of Palestinians. The Wisconsin District of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization has been one of the main forces behind these actions, uniting with student and community activists alike to struggle for change.

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By staff

"Falasteen Lawn" encampment at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  | Fight Back! News/staff

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine.

The Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine, representing 64 member organizations, stands by the agreement negotiated by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee administration with the students represented in the UWM Popular University for Palestine on May 14, 2024. We castigate the harsh critiques levied by UW system President Jay Rothman and the joint statement released by Milwaukee Hillel, the Milwaukee Jewish Federation and, notably, the powerful Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Both of these statements emerge from false narratives of the encampment as well as the nature of the university.

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By staff

Palestine solidarity encampment at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.  | Fight Back! News/staff

Milwaukee, WI – On May 12, the 14th day of encampment at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the UW-Milwaukee Popular University for Palestine Coalition reached an agreement with university administration. Students agreed to take down the encampment, known as “Falasteen Lawn,” after hard-fought negotiations and winning one of the strongest agreements in the country.

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By staff

Milwaukee labor marks anniversary of the Bay View massacre.  | Fight Back! News/staff

Milwaukee, WI – Trade unionists, community members, and elected officials gathered for a commemoration of the “Bay View Massacre” on Sunday, May 5, in Milwaukee. A sunny afternoon of activities paid homage to the seven martyrs who were shot and killed by the Wisconsin State Militia during the 1886 nationwide general strike for the eight-hour day. The historic event followed closely on the heels of the actions in Chicago which would eventually lead to the creation of May Day. The Wisconsin Labor History Society has organized the commemoration of the Bay View Massacre every year since 1986, and it has become an important labor tradition.

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By Dane Snudden

Students hold pro-Palestine rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin .  | Fight Back! News/staff

Green Bay, WI – On May 1, the UW-Green Bay chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (UWGB SDS), held a follow up meeting with Chancellor Michael Alexander to discuss divestment from Israel, ending military recruitment on campus, and further humanitarian initiatives to international students.

The chancellor ran defense for the university's lack of action by claiming that the UWGB Foundation and the school itself are separate entities, and that the campus administration has little power over the foundation.

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By staff

Milwaukee encampment in solidarity with Palestine.  | Fight Back! News/staff

Milwaukee, WI – May 2 marks the fourth day since students, faculty and community supporters flocked to Mitchell Lawn at UW-Milwaukee on April 29 after a massive rally and march. The end of the march saw the rapid assembly of tents and the official launch of an encampment for Palestine, bringing Milwaukee into the national movement sparked by the actions of heroic students at Columbia University and Cal Poly Humboldt.

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By staff

Milwaukee workers in solidarity with Palestine.  | Fight Back! News/staff

Milwaukee, WI – On International Workers Day, the Milwaukee Area Labor Council AFL-CIO passed a resolution supporting the “Popular University” encampment for Palestine at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

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By staff

Appleton, Wisconsin students demand divestment from apartheid Israel. | Fight Back! News/staff

Appleton, WI – On Thursday, April 18, dozens of students gathered at the main hall of the university in support of Appleton Students for a Democratic Society’s (SDS) divestment campaign. This rally came days after Iran struck back against Israel, who two weeks ago, bombed an Iranian consulate in a brazen disregard of international law.

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