Bozeman, MT – On May 1, around 50 students walked out of Gallatin High School during third period, joining a growing wave of protests against ICE and its impact on immigrant communities. The walkout was organized by senior Charlotte Haslam as part of her senior project and as an effort to mobilize students in what she described as a politically divided school environment.

As the bell rang, students streamed out of the building and assembled near the front entrance before marching toward a nearby park. While the demonstration remained peaceful, it drew visible opposition. A group of students briefly followed the group while mocking them with unrelated signs, while passing vehicles, one displaying a Trump flag, recorded the protesters.

For many participants, the issue of immigrant rights is very close to home. Some cited family ties to immigrants, while others pointed to broader political concerns and the growing fear in the national climate.

Haslam emphasized, “That’s what the government is trying to do to us at this point, scare us into silence and fearmonger people into compliance.”

Haslam continued, “I would tell students, you know, don’t be afraid. Don’t quiet yourself. Don’t make yourself smaller. Just do whatever feels right to you.”

“It’s just so devastating to see children being taken from their parents and seeing people get killed by the government,” Haslam said. “I have Hispanic friends whose parents are immigrants, and it’s so sad to watch them stay in their houses because they’re scared to go outside just to go shopping. It’s a horrible, horrible thing that we’re witnessing.”

At the park, Haslam addressed the crowd, calling for public resources to be directed toward healthcare, education, and working-class communities rather than immigration enforcement. She encouraged those in attendance to remain politically active beyond the demonstration.

School officials stated that students are permitted to exercise their First Amendment rights, though those who left class without an excuse would receive an unexcused absence in accordance with school policy. For the attendees, however, the consequences were secondary to the demonstration itself. The walkout, they said, was about proving that even in a conservative environment, students are willing to speak out.

Haslam encouraged students to continue organizing, and to continue fighting back against fear and silence. “If you have a passion for something and really believe in it, and really want to make a change, don’t let anything stop you,” she said.

#BozemanMT #MT #StudentMovement #ImmigrantRights #MayDay #Featured #Highschool #Walkout

Los Angeles, CA — An event commemorating the 50-year anniversary of the East L.A. Chicano walkouts was held at the Benjamin Franklin Library on March 3, 2018. Organized by adult librarian Patty Alvarado and Centro CSO, dozens attended the historic commemoration. Among those in attendance were Sal Castro’s son Gilbert Castro. Sal Castro was a Chicano public-school teacher who helped organized the walkouts.

On the panel were four Chicanos involved in the first student walkouts: Vicky Castro, Margarita “Mita” Cuaron, John Ortiz and Carlos Montes. The panel addressed repression, spying and intimidation leading up to the walkouts, and in the aftermath. Moderated by Sol Marquez of Centro CSO, the panel caused the audience to at times laugh, cry and gasp.

“After being jailed and away from school for over 12 days, when I returned to my high school at Garfield High some of my teachers said I’d organized the walkouts just so I could smoke dope,” said Mita Cuaron. “But the truth is we had our demands, and we were tired of the racism and the discrimination against us for just being Chicanos. I was only a sophomore at the time and I had never been in trouble with the law. I quickly learned the hard lessons of what it’s like to be Chicano.”

“Many of the pictures you see today of the walkouts and Chicano Movement were actually taken by undercover cops and sheriffs,” said Carlos Montes holding up one such photograph in his hands as he spoke. “The Chicano movement, like the Black liberation movement was heavily surveilled and posed a threat against the U.S. system.”

The walkouts led to many victories, including making Chicano history an elective, the ability to speak Spanish without being punished, less discrimination, and more Chicano teachers and staff at their public schools. However, many in the audience expressed the need to do more to support public education and to continue the fight for Chicano liberation.

#LosAngelesCA #PeoplesStruggles #teachers #walkout #Chicano #Antiracism #LosAngelas

Tampa, FL – On Jan. 20, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) organized a nationwide student walkout in protest of President Trump’s inauguration, his racist, xenophobic agenda, and his cabinet choices of millionaires and billionaires. His choices so far promise a four years filled with more war, deportations, the privatization of education, union-busting and threats to the rights of women and LGBTQ people. In over 25 cities around the country, SDS chapters led walkouts of classes and marched under the slogans: “Stop Trump’s Agenda! Education For All! Sanctuary For All!”

These walkouts all differed in size, chants and speakers, but they shared common themes of peace, education, equality and protection from bigotry. SDS members in Chicago, Minneapolis and Salt Lake City pulled hundreds of students out of class and led them to join thousands of protesters in the streets, from 1000 in Salt Lake City to 6000 in Minneapolis. Meanwhile, on large campuses with new SDS chapters, students did the same. They rang in the new year with walkouts and made speeches denouncing President Trump and his agenda of inequality.

At Arizona State University (ASU), SDS members walked out for the preservation of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), for protection from deportations for undocumented people, and for ‘direct democracy,’ or the end of the electoral college. According to Fallon Leyba, a leading member of ASU SDS, the protest featured a number of Brown Beret members, undocumented students who rely on DACA to go to school, and mothers of undocumented youth. A group of angry white supremacist counter-protesters attempted to ruin their event, but SDS members and the protest attendees chanted over them, marched and then beat open a Trump-shaped piñata.

In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, SDS members at Florida International University (FIU SDS), held their first protest ever, where students also demanded a sanctuary campus. They rallied for four hours and gave speeches about how their campus should protect not only undocumented students but students of all genders, sexual orientations and nationalities. Michelle Perez-Helago, the founder of FIU SDS, then went on to state that the event “was a milestone” in their efforts to get enough members to be officially recognized as a student organization on FIU’s campus.

At the University of New Orleans at Lafayette, yet another SDS chapter held their first event on Jan. 20. Their members called for students to empower themselves through walkouts, demonstrations and other examples of non-compliance with administration, police, and agents of Wall Street. One Lafayette SDS member, Michael Benoit, said, “This right here is what moves history, not Trump, not Obama, not anyone too high to face the people. It is right to rebel, and today we begin a fight for the people of the U.S. against Trump and his policies. If we struggle, we will win.”

Lauren Broussard, the founder of Lafayette SDS, spoke in her speech about the failure of investor-driven politicians to solve the problems of students and oppressed people. The answer, she says, lies not in the ballot box, but in the hearts of the people themselves. “Trump is a symptom of a system that has failed us,” Lauren said. “I know this seems small, but every movement starts somewhere. If we unite and persist, we can grow and make real change.”

#TampaFl #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #SDS #PeoplesStruggles #walkout #DonaldTrump

Tampa, FL – On Jan. 20, 200 students and faculty at the University of South Florida (USF) walked out of their classes to show their anger for the inauguration of Donald Trump. Donald Trump has made it clear that his presidency will be dominated by anti-immigrant, islamophobic, misogynistic, and pro-war policies. The students and faculty that participated in the walkout and rally wanted to send the united message that they will stand against Trump’s bigoted agenda, and with all those affected by it.

The walk-out occurred at 1 p.m. and then the students and faculty gathered in front of Cooper Hall for the rally. The organizers of the event, Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), began the protest with chants such as “Trump says go back, we say fight back,” which referenced Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric. These chants were followed by speeches from both students and Associate Professor of History Brian Connolly.

In her speech, Jessica Rauckis of Tampa Bay SDS said, “Trump’s agenda is harmful to numerous sections of our population, most notably Muslims, Latinos, African Americans and LGBTQIA+ folk. Trump's policies also embolden hate groups and encourage hate crimes. Many of these crimes will be directed towards students of these targeted groups.”

Rauckis’s statement was proven correct as the event proceeded. Although there was a large group of progressive students, a crowd of pro-Trump students had also gathered around the rally. They attempted to interrupt and end the event by blocking SDS’ banner and signs with their own, and by shouting pro-Trump chants.

As the rally progressed, the Trump supporters became more agitated. Tampa Bay SDS member and emcee of the event, Noah Peretz, was detained after he was assaulted by one of the agitated Trump supporters. While the police took Peretz, in handcuffs, back to his room on campus and threatened to arrest him if he returned to the protest, the Trump supporter was allowed to be on the sidelines of the rally without handcuffs or similar threats. Peretz was not arrested, but he was punished further.

“The police detained both of us but they referred me to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities where I will be processed for ‘disrupting class’ for using a megaphone. This is a clear act of political repression,” said Peretz.

Despite the disruptions by the Trump supporters and the police, the last speech was given by Tampa Bay SDS member Danya Zituni. Zituni urged students to join SDS and stated that, “It is essential that we as students continue to put pressure on our university administrations to not collaborate with deportations, Muslim registries, or any other form of racist targeting or discrimination. If we organize, we can defeat Trump’s agenda!”

SDS ended the event with the chant, “Trump’s agenda isn’t ours – organize for people power.”

#TampaFL #StudentMovement #SDS #walkout #J20

Minneapolis, MN – Students from at least 12 Minneapolis and suburban high schools walked out of school, Jan. 20. at noon to protest the current wave of immigration raids and deportations happening around the country. After walking out, the students converged at Martin Luther King Park in south Minneapolis for food and an open mic where students spoke about their experience with family members and friends being deported. Students then left the park and marched down major Minneapolis streets including Nicollet Avenue and Lake Street.

Students participated from high schools including Washburn, Southwest, South, Roosevelt, El Colegio, Hiawatha, Cristo Rey, Kennedy, Richfield and others. Several cars full of students even came to join the protest from Northfield, more than an hour away from Minneapolis.

The walkout was initiated by high school students who saw an injustice happening and decided to take the initiative. One of the organizers, Julio Martinez, said, “We protest because we want to stop deportations. We’re standing up for our rights, and we want other young people know to speak up when something is wrong, to stand up for their rights.”

Samantha Compean Morales, another student organizer, said, “We are doing this walkout to show solidarity with the families that are being ripped away from each other by ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement]. Obama, the deporter-in-chief, approved of having ICE agents deport people who crossed the border after May 2014. Sadly, a huge percentage of people taken during the raids are women and children, that fled Central American countries. They came to the U.S. to escape from drugs, war and corruption happening in their home countries. They are seeking better job opportunities, a better future and a better education not only for themselves but also for their families.”

Community members and college students were also present in support of the youth-driven event. Community activist Marco Cruz Blanco, who marched with the students said, “We are here to uplift the voices of our youth and to remind ourselves that the struggle is transgenerational and therefore it’s crucial to invest in brown youth.”

#MinneapolisMN #ICE #ImmigrationRaids #walkout

Seattle teachers participated in a one-day walkout strike on May 19. Teachers on the eastern side of Washington state are participating today, May 21. While it is illegal for public school teachers to strike, hundreds of brave teachers, along with other school employees, will be walking off the job to demand that their schools be funded, and that budget cuts against them end now. Fight Back! interviewed Chuck Saari, a public school teacher in the city of Kennewick who is striking today.

Fight Back!: Why are you participating in the strike/walk-out?

Chuck Saari: Washington ranks 47th in class size. A voter-approved initiative would reduce class sizes, but the state legislature has said they will not do it. This is violating the will of the people.

The state supreme court has ruled in the McCleary decision that the state is not fully funding education, which is their paramount duty according to the state constitution.

A voter approved COLA [cost of living adjustment] has been denied to teachers for the last six years. This was approved by 65% of voters.

Newly added federal and state testing requires students to miss weeks of instruction. Republicans in the state legislature want to tie teachers’ evaluations to the test scores.

The cost of health care increases yearly yet the state has not increased their allocation in years. Teachers do not have ‘Cadillac’ health care plans and the Republicans would like to replace the current health care system with a new one that requires startup costs and more state employees to manage.

Around 50 school districts have walked out so far in the state.

Fight Back!: How was it decided that you all would strike?

Saari: We had a meeting of the local teachers union. 81% of teachers voted in favor of the one-day walkout.

#SeattleWA #PeoplesStruggles #walkout #PublicSectorUnions #TeachersUnion #Washington #TeachersUnions

Los Angeles, CA – A mural commemorating the historic 1968 East LA Chicano high school walkouts was dedicated here, at Lincoln High School, March 25. The mural was created by Lincoln High School students who are part of the Behind the Heights Art Team.

“We are raising awareness in our community through the arts. We made a mural about the walkouts. We did it on a wall next to our school so everyone could see it,” said one of the students who helped do the mural.

Among those in attendance was veteran Chicano activist Carlos Montes, who helped lead the 1968 walkouts.

#LosAngelesCA #ChicanoLatino #walkout #CarlosMontes #history #Art #ChicanoMovement #LincolnHighSchool

Hialeah, FL – In coordination with other Walmart workers across the nation, fourteen Walmart workers walked out of their workplace in Hialeah, Florida on Monday, November 25, 2013. They were joined by a group of around 50 demonstrators rallying in solidarity with the workers.

Organization United for Respect at Walmart (OUR Walmart) is gearing up for larger walk outs planned for Black Friday on November 29. Last year, about 300 workers walked out, and this year 1,500 workers are expected to participate. This activity marks the first organized labor resistance to Walmart’s employment practices.

Workers are demanding wages of $25,000 a year, full time positions for those who want them, and an end to retaliation against striking workers.

OUR Walmart points out that the Walton family heirs own more wealth than the bottom 40% of Americans put together. To demonstrate their frustration with income inequality, demonstrators in Hialeah broke open a golden Walton turkey.

Energy was high as workers and supporters chanted, “Who’s Walmart? Our Walmart!”

Supporters can join demonstrations on Black Friday in their area by searching the action network list of events: https://actionnetwork.org/event_campaigns/black-friday-near-you

#HialeahFL #walkout #workersRights #WalmartStrike #OURWalmart #workerStrikes

Thousands of union workers, faculty, undergrads and graduate students across the University of California system stood up and said “no more!” to the severe budget cuts, layoffs, furloughs and tuition hikes. On Sept. 24, they stood up and walked out. The UC faculty initiated the walkout. The United Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE) union called a one-day unfair labor practices strike. All ten of the UC campuses saw protests. UCLA saw 1000 students walkout and sit-in at the administration offices, demanding, and winning, a meeting with the chancellor to discuss grievances. At UC-Berkeley over 5000 took the streets, shutting down busy intersections. Students at UC-Santa Cruz occupied a campus building to protest the cuts.

As the U.S. government stumbles over itself to bail out the billionaires who caused the economic crisis, the broad masses of the people are left out. Already we have seen working and poor people lead struggles that have exposed some of the sharpest contradictions of the crisis. From the movement to save the home of Rosemary Williams in Minneapolis, to the Republic Windows and Doors factory occupation and the SK Tools strike for healthcare in Chicago, people are fighting back. Rightfully, the students, workers and faculty in California are joining this call for a people’s bailout in demanding that state budgets not be balanced on the backs of their jobs or their right to an education.

The students and workers who walked out, sat in and fought back throughout the UC system have a done a great thing. They are showing the way forward, especially for the student movement. And the way forward is struggle.

The student movement made its biggest gains in the period during and following the Civil Rights Movement, first in smashing school segregation and then advancing further as oppressed nationality students such as the Third World Liberation Front fought huge struggles to win university programs like ethnic studies to teach the history of racism and national oppression in the United States. Likewise, women’s studies, queer studies and similar programs were fought for and built by students.

Now these programs are faced, in many places, with the chopping block. Many scholarships that are supposed to help working people attend college are being completely eliminated. These programs must be defended. Students, workers and oppressed people on campuses across the country must raise the slogan “chop from the top.” Every cut that the ruling class and their flunkies succeed in pushing forward further elevates the universities as something unattainable to working people and slams the door on oppressed nationalities.

The chants of the students at the rallies in California were advanced and correct: “No cuts, no fees, education should be free!” Others are rightfully calling for “Money for education, not war and occupation,” saying clearly that the trillions of dollars being sunk into the U.S.’s wars and interventions could be better spent on people’s needs here at home. Now the student movement needs to advance, moving beyond a struggle for ‘accessible’ education, and into a struggle for the right to an education, instead of the current system that, despite the gains that have been made, still privileges the rich.

The student movement needs to take the lead, building on the momentum of the UC protests, and spread the struggle for the right to an education throughout the country like a prairie fire. Ultimately, we need socialism. We need to tear down the ‘ivory tower’ and make the public universities serve the people.

Josh Sykes is a member of the National Executive Committee and co-chair of the Student Commission of Freedom Road Socialist Organization

#California #CA #Editorials #walkout #UniversityOfCalifornia #UCBerkeley #furlough #UnitedProfessionalAndTechnicalEmployees #UPTE

Los Angeles, CA – The fall quarter started off with a bang across the University of California system, Sept. 24 as thousands of workers, faculty, undergrads and graduate students walked out of work and class to protest severe budget cuts, layoffs, furloughs and tuition hikes.

At the UCLA campus, the faculty and student walkout was combined with a one-day unfair labor practices strike by United Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE), which represents thousands of workers across the University of California system. Other campus workers and supporters joined them at the picket lines.

At noon, all of these groups came together for a rally at Bruin Plaza, which had as many as 1000 people at its peak. “They say furlough, we say hell no!” was a popular chant, as was “Whose university? Our university!”

Speakers included union members, graduate and undergraduate students and professors. UCLA’s student government, graduate student association and several academic departments formally endorsed the event.

Susan Li, External Vice President of the student government, spoke about the rising cost of education at UCLA: “Since my freshman year the cost of education at UC has risen from $6141 in 2006-2007, to $8266 this year – that’s a whopping $2125 increase in just four years. Now is that right? And what’s worse is the projected 32% increase this fall for next year, which will raise our tuition to $10,3