Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

antiracism

By staff

Minneapolis immigrant rights protesters target Wells Fargo Bank.

Minneapolis, MN – More than 20 immigrant rights protesters marched into Wells Fargo Bank on Nicollet Avenue and Lake Street on Nov. 7. They held signs inside the bank then presented their demands to a regional bank manager. They demanded that Wells Fargo divest all money from the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) and GEO Group.

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By Students for a Democratic Society

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following Nov. 9 statement from Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

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By Zachary Schultz

Tallahassee students rally to demand justice for Corey Jones.

Tallahassee, FL – Over 30 students rallied on the Florida State University (FSU) campus, Oct. 29 to protest the recent shooting of Corey Jones, a 31-year old African American drummer from Lake Worth, FL. Corey was murdered by plainclothes police officer, Nouman Raja, early on Oct. 18 while parked on the side of the highway waiting for roadside assistance after his car had broken down. The rally was called for by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at FSU, and was joined by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at FSU, Jennicet Gutiérrez from La Familia, as well as supporters representing the family of Corey Jones.

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By Michael Sampson

Miami protest against Leonel Fernandez, ex-President of the Dominican Republic.

Miami, FL – Dozens of students in Miami converged on the campus of Florida International University, Oct. 23, to protest against Leonel Fernandez, ex-President of the Dominican Republic. Fernandez presided over the constitutional change producing the outrageous “TC 168-13” ruling. This high court ruling strips thousands of Dominicans of their nationality, affecting mostly people of Haitian descent.

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By Alyssa Ferris

Salt Lake City activists protest police brutality.

Salt Lake City, UT – On Oct. 22, the national day of action to fight police brutality, 30 activists and community members gathered outside a local library to attend a vigil honoring victims of police brutality. The event, organized by Utah Against Police Brutality, called for attendees to participate in a telephone call-in to Mayor Jackie Biskupski to demand a Community Controlled Review Board.

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By staff

Minneapolis, MN – On Oct. 13 protesters packed the Board of Education located on West Broadway Avenue in the heart of North Minneapolis. The board was meeting and taking public comment on the controversial Reading Horizons curriculum, that the district recently paid $1.2 million for, to help “close the achievement gap” in literacy between students of color and their white peers. Protest from educators and community members erupted last month upon distribution of materials and trainings, when the curriculum was found to include content that was inundated with racism and male chauvinism.

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By staff

Protest at Minneapolis school board meeting against racist curriculum.

Minneapolis, MN – On the night of Sept. 29, dozens of educators, students, parents and community members disrupted the Minneapolis Board of Education. Tensions between the community and the board have been rising over the recent adoption of a new $1.2 million district-wide racist reading curriculum for elementary age students, sold by the Utah-based company Reading Horizons.

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By Fabian Van Onzin

Black Lives Matter symposium in Houston, TX

Houston, TX – The Houston chapter of Black Lives Matter (BLMHTX) held a large symposium, Sept. 18, at Saint John's United Methodist church. In the beautiful church setting, BLMHTX brought together over 400 people to discuss the importance of the growing movement of African Americans in the U.S. against police brutality and for liberation.

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By Masao Suzuki, Freedom Road Socialist Organization

Billionaire Donald Trump has established himself as the leading Republican candidate for president, with polls giving him twice the support of the nearest contender in a crowded field of 17. Trump has been the focus of media attention for his high level of support, his racist statements about Mexicans and his sexist attacks on women. In terms of policy, Trump has been leading the attack on the right of citizenship for people born in the U.S. – this right was granted by the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. He is calling for the U.S. citizen children of the undocumented to be deported, along with their parents, in what would be ethnic cleansing.

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By Katherine Draken

Florida State students demand justice for victims of police crime.

Tallahassee, FL – Fifty students at Florida State University (FSU) gathered together, Sept. 8, to commemorate African American lives lost to police brutality and to speak out against police crimes. Regina Joseph with Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) led the vigil, introducing speakers from student groups such as DREAM at FSU, and the Black Law Student Association at the FSU College of Law.

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By Dave Schneider

Jacksonville, FL – On Sept. 4, 4th Judicial Circuit State Attorney Angela Corey cleared the two white police officers who shot and killed D'Angelo Stallworth, a 28-year-old African American father in Jacksonville. Two Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) deputies killed Stallworth outside his apartment in May of this year while serving an eviction notice on a neighbor. Stallworth's death sparked mass outrage and several large protests from the community demanding justice.

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By Loretta VanPelt

Monique Cullars-Doty speaks out in front of the governor's mansion.

St. Paul, MN – Over 75 people gathered in front of the Governor’s Mansion here, Sept. 1, to protest Governor Mark Dayton’s remarks about the Black Lives Matter march that took place at the Minnesota State Fair Aug. 29. The governor said that march – which drew over 700 people – was “inappropriate.”

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By staff

FRSO banner at Chicago August 29 march for community control of police.

Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) went all out to support the march for community control of the police, led by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

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By staff

August 29 march against police crimes

Chicago, IL – When thousands of people gathered at Federal Plaza Saturday, August 29, LaCreshia Birts and Michael Sampson of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression started the rally with a chant: “When we say fight back, you say CPAC!”

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By Freedom Road Socialist Organization

Build the movement for community control of police!

The Chicago August 29 demonstration to stop police crimes and to establish community control over the police is nothing short of a historic step forward for the movement against racist discrimination and national oppression, and an advance in the fight for freedom, equality and liberation.

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By Conor Munro

Protester wipes feet with Confederate flag

Fort Lauderdale, FL – 50 militant anti-racist protesters confronted 200 racist bikers, skinheads and Confederate sympathizers on August 16. The pro-Confederate racists rode in from all over the South to invade Broward County, Florida. The racists planned to parade the Confederate battle flag through the streets of South Florida before rallying in Markham Park in Sunrise. Instead, they were met with a powerful local resistance in the form of local Black Lives Matter activists.

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By staff

Protest against Angela Corey outside Duval Regional Juvenile Detention Center

Jacksonville, FL – On August 8, activists in Jacksonville staged two demonstrations tied to the Black Lives Matter movement. In the morning, community organizers rallied for a press conference outside of the Duval Regional Juvenile Detention Center against the mass incarceration of Black youth. Later that day, young activists led a Black Lives Matter march through downtown Jacksonville against racist police crimes.

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By staff

Getting ready for August 29 march against police crimes.

Chicago, IL – More than 50 people representing 20 different organizations gathered August 12, to make final plans for the August 29 march to stop police crimes.

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By Loretta VanPelt

St. Paul, MN – Over 300 people gathered in here, August 10, in a show of solidarity with the people of Ferguson, Missouri and to remember the one-year anniversary of the death of Michael Brown at the hands of the police.

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By Adam Gann

Protesters storm Waller County, Texas jail where Sandra Bland died

Hempstead, TX – Over 300 people gathered on August 9 in front of Waller County Jail, where Sandra Bland was murdered last month. The large crowd rallied to protest racist police brutality and remember its victims. An hour northwest of Houston, people listened to inspiring speeches and uplifting poetry, and then marched around the Waller jailhouse.

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