Fight Back News Service is circulating following June 1 statement by Frank Chapman, Field Organizer, Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR).

Mayor Rahm Emanuel,

Because you have declared that you will be introducing legislation to the City Council on June 22, 2016 we, who have been fighting for community control of the police here in Chicago, would like to inform you that we totally reject your attempts to hoodwink us into thinking your proclaimed concerns for police accountability are genuine. We will be at City Hall on June 22nd, making sure that our voices will be heard, demanding that our proposed ordinance creating an all elected Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC) be enacted.

Here are two statements you made that we would like to address:

1. On May 13, 2016 you stated that, 'While much work still remains, we will continue to make significant strides on the road to reform. To fully fix Chicago's police accountability system, we must be thoughtful and bold and have the courage to call out and address the root causes that have eroded trust between police and Chicago's communities and some of Chicago's residents.”

Before we have that discussion, Mayor Emanuel, you need to deal with your own malfeasance while in office, for example, your complicity in the murder of Laquan McDonald and your refusal to intervene in the name of justice in the cases of Flint Farmer, Ronald Ronnieman Johnson, and numerous other cases where murders by Chicago police officers were video recorded. You could have used your executive authority long ago to move the Police Board to fire Dante Servin, the murderer of Rekia Boyd. You could presently use your executive authority to fire and press for charges against all those CPD officers who lied on their reports in the Laquan McDonald case. You could use the evidence from the over 100 videos about to be released to seek immediate prosecution of police crimes. Then you could do the most honorable of all things and resign as Mayor of Chicago. That's the kind of courage you need to have in this precise moment of history.

2. Also on May 13, 2016 you said, “We will be judged by whether our actions truly measure up to the demands of the moment. I am confident that by creating this new structure and committing to this comprehensive plan, Chicago will be better off because we are facing up to these difficult challenges and we are doing so together.”

You, Mr. Mayor, have already been judged by your actions, and the people want you to cease using your executive authority to cover up and excuse police crimes and to hand in your resignation. This is the only honorable thing you can do after 16 shots and a cover up. You should be a co-defendant of Jason Vandyke, the killer of Laquan McDonald. You are not a social reformer advancing the cause of justice for the people. You are a crime partner to all the police criminals at large in this city and we, the people, sooner or later, will bring you and your partners in crime to justice.

No Justice, No Peace!

#ChicaoIL #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #RahmEmanuel #chicago #FrankChapman #CAARPR

Chicago, IL – 1000 people marched in Chicago, May 1, from Union Park to the Haymarket Memorial, and then into downtown Chicago to Trump Towers. The front banners read “Stop the deportations!” “Stop the hate! Stop Trump!” “Yes to DAPA/DACA!” “Yes to legalization!” and “Yes to workers’ rights!”DAPA and DACA refer to President Obama’s executive orders for deferred action – Deferred Action for Parental Accountability, and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

At the Haymarket Memorial earlier in the afternoon, the Illinois Labor History Society and the Chicago Federation of Labor gathered for their annual event to commemorate the martyrs of Haymarket. In 1886, the tradition of International Workers Day was born from a general strike by hundreds of thousands of workers in the U.S. The rich in Chicago called for the leaders of the strike to be rounded up and hung by the government.

This year, the commemoration honored the World Federation of Trade Unions. The Filipino union federation, Kilusang Mayo Uno (May First Movement) also sent a solidarity statement which was read at the memorial.

#ChicaoIL #AntiwarMovement #ImmigrantRights #ImmigrantsRights #MayDay #PeoplesStruggles #chicago #DACA #Illinois #DAPA #laborRights

Fight Back News Service is circulating the speech delivered by Rasmea Odeh at the Chicago celebration of International Women’s Day.

It is really powerful to speak with all of you as we celebrate International Women’s Day, originally called International Working Women’s Day, a day historically linked to the year 1908, when 15,000 factory working women organized a march that filled New York City’s streets demanding equality and other social rights such as shorter work hours, better pay, voting rights, and an end to child labor. A few years later, over 140 women died in a NY factory fire caused by horrible working conditions.

These events became symbols of the importance of women in the working class and national liberation movements for equal rights and independence, and the Second International Conference of Socialist Women in 1910 officially established March 8th as International Woman’s Day. Since then the world has witnessed a significant shift in both women's and society's thoughts about women's equality and liberation. Women are standing strongly for their rights in spite of the complex system of patriarchy that attempts to keep us down.

As long as we believe in ourselves and have confidence in the justice of our struggles, we will accomplish our hopes and dreams. First and foremost, this includes working hard to win women’s rights and to eliminate the disease of racism and national oppression against Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims, Black people, Latinos, Asians, and other people of color in this country. We can accomplish this by strongly standing together and dedicating our lives to these ideals, the same way women have dedicated their lives to the liberation of my homeland of Palestine.

Here we are! I have faced adversity, repression, and injustice since my arrest in October 2013. But I continued to stand up to these crimes against me, and I know that we will achieve justice in my case, because of the great legal work of my brilliant lead attorney Michael Deutsch and his team, because of the steadfast organizing of my defense committee, and because of the encouragement of my family and friends and all you supporters. You give me important strength and resilience. It’s not a secret to say that your support shifted the negative discourse in the case, and helped lead to our most recent victory in the decision of the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals!

The story of our struggle for women’s rights, equality, and liberation belongs to no single person or any one organization, but to the collective efforts of all who care about justice. We continue to find inspiration and strength from women across the U.S. and the world, and that inspiration and strength will help us achieve all our goals.

Lastly, we often leave our appreciation and gratitude unspoken. But today, on this exceptional occasion, I want to take the opportunity to say thank you. I send my special warm greetings to every one of you, especially the women on this, YOUR DAY. Be proud of yourselves and don’t be ashamed if you sometimes get emotional.

A strong woman is caring and tough, practical and spiritual, revolutionary and flexible. You are all of these, you are all powerful, and you hold up half the sky!

Have a wonderful International Women’s Day! I wish you all the best.

#ChicaoIL #Palestine #WomensMovement #PeoplesStruggles #InternationalWomensDay #PoliticalPrisoners #chicago #PoliticalRepression #RasmeaOdeh #Illinois #IWD