St. Paul, MN – On July 23 Education Minnesota, which represents 70,000 educators, held a car protest next to the State Capitol to pressure Governor Walz to continue to keep Minnesota schools closed to in-person instruction. Walz is expected to announce his plan for education during the COVID 19 pandemic on July 30.

Teachers lined up their cars for an hour before they began a car parade in Saint Paul, decorating their vehicles with signs that stated their demands for what they would need in order to feel safe teaching in person in their classrooms in the fall.

Before the car protest, Education Minnesota held a press conference which teachers listened to in their cars over Facebook Livestream. Teachers and other stakeholders spoke about their concerns for the fall and expressed their desire for Walz to take action to protect teachers. The union announced the results of a survey of more than 20,000 Minnesota educators on their preferred method of instruction this fall. Almost 50% of teachers surveyed said distance learning would be the best course of action for the fall.

The press conference featured an arrangement of 30 chairs spaced out six feet apart, to show how big a classroom would have to be in order to teach a full class of 30 students and social distance.

After the press conference teachers drove in a car parade that kept going for miles. Teachers waved to each other and honked loudly.

Cassie Pagel, a member of the Bloomington Federation of Teachers, told Fight Back!, “We care about our students and want things to go back to normal, but that isn’t possible. We are running out of time to plan for the fall. Governor Walz needs to stop pushing back the date for when we’ll find out about the school year. We need leadership now. Walz must step up and make a decision. As a former teacher, he knows how stressful this is for us. We can’t plan or prepare for September until we know what school will look like, until we are certain that everyone’s safety is our top priority, until we know that if we go into our buildings we will all have quality PPE, and until we have had enough time to prepare for this new format of teaching. Through all of this, it is clear how vital educators and school staff are in our communities. We should value them and their safety.”

#StPaulMN #TeachersUnions #GovernorWalz #COVID19 #carCaravan #EducationMinnesota

Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), along with members of the community, parked outside the Sam M. Gibbons Federal Courthouse to participate in the socially-distanced protest. After the protesters were forced to leave by the building’s security, the rally continued in the form of a car caravan which circled the building.

Though Arbery was murdered in February, the culprits were not apprehended for nearly two months, despite being caught on video. Just a day before the scheduled protest, Gregory and Travis McMichael were finally arrested and charged with murder, thanks to the work of Arbery’s family as well as activists nationwide.

However, Tampa Bay SDS continues to emphasize the necessity of a conviction in order for justice to be served. David Jones of Tampa Bay SDS states, “Being in Florida we’ve seen the results of an indictment without conviction in the murder of Trayvon Martin. We must hold these racist vigilantes accountable and continue to fight for and struggle alongside Black communities if we want to see progressive change.”

#TampaFL #InJusticeSystem #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #Antiracism #TampaBaySDS #carCaravan #AhmaudArbery

Chicago, IL – 500 cars from around Chicago converged on the State of Illinois Building as Governor J.B. Pritzker held his daily COVID-19 press briefing May 7. The horns could be heard clearly from inside the building.

The Right to Recovery coalition was organized by United Working Families and includes 50 organizations such as the Chicago Teachers Union and Black Lives Matter-Chicago, as well as 13 elected officials.

The Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR) organized 20 cars to parade from the Pilsen Neighborhood, where they met up with the Jane Addams Senior Caucus (JASC). The Chicago Alliance and JASC contingent drove in front of Cook County Jail with signs taped to their cars.

Troi Valles of the Alliance read the following CAARPR statement written by Kobi Guillory to drivers gathered before the caravan:

“The people of Chicago have gotten next to none of what they need to recover from this pandemic while trillions of dollars are given to corporations. We are mobilizing to demand real recovery for the people!

“Real recovery means having the right to liberty. Prisons, jails, and detention centers are still holding thousands of people in a situation where they are completely unable to maintain social distance. Access to healthcare, cleaning supplies and PPE is either lacking or nonexistent in these places, which were notorious for inhumane healthcare and living conditions even before the COVID-19 crisis. People have been dying in these places for weeks and we still do not know how many are infected because Illinois has not done mass testing of incarcerated people.

“We demand bold action from the governor, the mayor and other public officials to release everyone who is in jail on a money bond. No one should be at risk of dying of COVID-19 because they can’t afford a cash payment. We demand the immediate release of all prisoners who are vulnerable to COVID-19. In particular we demand the release of Gerald Reed and all survivors of police torture because they should have all been free a very long time ago. Upon release, every prisoner must be given adequate housing, healthcare and provisions. Prisons, jails, and detention centers need to test everyone inside and provide adequate healthcare to those who test positive.

“No one deserves to die in a cage. The governor and other elected officials are not doing enough for the thousands of people who are at risk of meeting that fate, which is why we are taking this action to demand the right to recovery for incarcerated people and their communities.

“We also fully support the demands of other organizations in the coalition. The people of Chicago, regardless of employment or immigration status, need resources and assistance to recover from this pandemic. We need rent cancellation. We need free testing and treatment. We need to be protected from evictions and utility shutoffs. Essential workers need PPE, hazard pay and paid days off. Immigrants need to be protected from ICE check ins and detention centers must be closed. Families need income to support themselves.

“These needs and other demands of the coalition are far more important than the right-wing desire to open up the government so corporations can make money while workers keep dying. We demand that JB Pritzker, Lori Lightfoot, and other elected officials put people over profit and take action to ensure that communities can survive and recover from this pandemic.”

#ChicagoIL #PoorPeoplesMovements #OppressedNationalities #Healthcare #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #Antiracism #COVID19 #FreeThemAll #carCaravan

Madison, WI – On a sunny May 1 afternoon which marked both May Day and A Day Without Immigrants, a caravan comprised of about 20 different vehicles made its way to the Capitol Square in a careful procession in support of a timely cause.

Organizers gathered at noon in the parking lot of the Madison Labor Temple to begin the drive along Park Street to the Square. Participants remained in their vehicles, or on bicycles at a distance from others, to respect rules of social distancing and provide a safe rally for all who wished to participate. Safe participation was ensured as well through use of hazard lights and a slow pace along the route. Event organizers even provided a playlist and a list of chants that could be utilized by anyone who wished to participate.

The caravan proudly toured the Capitol Square over the course of an hour, with participating vehicles, bicyclists and onlookers displaying signs reading “Justice For all,” “PPE over flyover” and “People over profits.” This event was an innovative and safe opportunity for participants to support increased rights and safe working conditions for essential workers, including hazard pay, as well as a moratorium on rent, mortgage and utility bill payments for all and emergency relief funds for those in need.

This rally took place in stark contrast to the opposing rally that took place on the corner of Mifflin Street, which involved several religious groups and business representatives, none of who wore any protective equipment, and who were demanding the state to remove restrictions and open up once again.

In all, the May Day caravan provided an inclusive space for participants that respected the current situation to support the expansion of rights and protections for all. This event is sure to be a positive learning experience to allow for organizing in such a challenging time. Despite the circumstances, the working class and our allies find new and creative ways to continue to fight back.

#MadisonWI #ImmigrantRights #PoorPeoplesMovements #InJusticeSystem #Labor #OppressedNationalities #MayDay #Healthcare #AfricanAmerican #ChicanoLatino #Socialism #COVID19 #carCaravan