Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

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By Drake Myers

Community members march through Painter Park in Uptown Minneapolis.  | Staff/Fight Back! News

Minneapolis, MN – On Sunday, November 17, around 100 people gathered in Uptown Minneapolis’ Painter Park as Families Against Military Madness (FAMM) and the Climate Justice Committee (CJC) led a protest focused on bringing families into the climate and anti-war movements. Speakers discussed the post-election struggle and the need for young people to learn and practice organizing skills for the long struggles ahead.

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By Simon Rowe

Tampa, FL – El miércoles 10 de octubre, alrededor de las 8:30 p.m., Milton impactó aproximadamente 40 millas al sur de la Bahía de Tampa como un huracán de categoría tres. Ni siquiera han pasado dos semanas desde el huracán Helene, y los daños causados por Milton han sido devastadores.

Antes de que el huracán Milton impactara, la demanda de gasolina en Tampa ya había vaciado muchas estaciones de servicio. Días después, la gasolina es difícil de conseguir, con el 77% de las estaciones sin combustible el viernes. Las pocas estaciones con suministro tienen filas de una hora, vigiladas por policías estatales.

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By Lauren Pineiro

Damage caused by Hurricane Milton.  | Staff/Fight Back! News

Tampa, FL – On Wednesday, October 9, Hurricane Milton made landfall in Siesta Key, Florida as a Category 3 hurricane that devastated the state. Five days later, Tampa Bay residents are still experiencing power outages, gas shortages and widespread damage to their homes.

According to PowerOutage.us, 400,000 customers in Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee and Sarasota counties still do not have power. The largest number of outages are in Hillsborough County, where over 150,000 Tampa Electric (TECO) customers remain without power. The CEO of TECO promised the county that 100% of customers will have their power restored by Thursday, October 17.

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By Simon Rowe

Storm damage from Hurricane Milton.

Tampa, FL – On Wednesday, October 10, at around 8:30 p.m., Milton hit about 40 miles south of Tampa Bay as a category three hurricane. Not even two weeks after Hurricane Helene, Milton's damage has been staggering.

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By Gemini Gnull

Climate Catastrophe Ground Zero Coalition launched in Tacoma, Washington

Tacoma, WA – Saturday morning, October 5, over 200 people representing at least 21 member organizations gathered in Tacoma, Washington for the launch of a new climate coalition: Climate Catastrophe Ground Zero (CCG0).

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By Whitney Wildman

Minneapolis celebrates the shutdown of Smith Foundry.

Minneapolis, MN – On August 16, over 100 activists and community members held a celebratory rally in response to winning the struggle to shut down a long-time polluter, Smith Foundry.

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By Charlie Berg

Saint Paul, Minnesota protest against pollution by Northern Iron.  | Staff/Fight Back! News

St. Paul, MN – Members of the Climate Justice Committee held signs and banners in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood on Saint Paul’s East Side, July 18, calling attention to the pollution from the nearby Northern Iron foundry.

Last week, a Minnesota judge ordered that Northern Iron would be allowed to resume operations as normal, striking down an administrative order from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) which came as a response to findings that the foundry violated its permitted emissions limits as well as the Clean Air Act.

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By Haze Bender

Tacoma activists hold signs in front of City Hall that push for progressive changes to the city charter.

Tacoma, WA – Tacoma residents gathered outside the Tacoma Public Utilities auditorium on July 2, to make their last statements ahead of the finalization of the city’s new charter.

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By Charlie Berg and Joe Vital

Minneapolis, MN – Residents of the East Phillips neighborhood and organizers with the Climate Justice Committee rallied outside of Smith Foundry on Tuesday, June 4, after an announcement from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that it had reached a settlement with Smith, with the most significant provision requiring that the heavy-polluting foundry shut down its furnace within 12 months.

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By staff

Chicago Earth Day rally in opposition to planned mega warehouse in Tacoma, Washington. | Fight Back! News/staff

Chicago, IL – An energetic crowd of protesters gathered in Federal Plaza in downtown Chicago to celebrate Earth Day, April 21, and protest the construction of a mega-warehouse in South Tacoma, Washington. The mega warehouse is currently under construction by the Chicago-based real estate company Bridge Industrial.

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