Gainesville, FL – This May Day, the Gainesville left mobilized to Bo Diddley Plaza. Gainesville’s activist community was represented by groups from various leftist groups. The celebration included speakers from organizations such as Industrial Workers of the World, Madres Sin Fronteras, the Campaign to Fight Toxic Prisons, and Gainesville National Women’s Liberation.

The celebration’s theme was centered around the projects that Gainesville activist organizations were working on and the times that they had all rallied together for a cause in the past year. A prominent reference was made to the No Nazis @ UF Coalition that was pivotal in resisting alt-right provocateur Richard Spencer and his nationwide campus tours. Spencer, at the time of writing, is no longer speaking on college campuses.

Jimmy Schmidt, from the IWW, called for the “abolition of the wage system.” Currently, the IWW chapter in Gainesville is organizing with incarcerated workers.

Cia Delfino, from Madres Sin Fronteras, referred to the cause of immigrant reform as “one of the biggest civil rights issues of our time.” Delfino also celebrated the fact that, in Gainesville, May 1 was officially proclaimed to be “Immigrant Rights Day” by city hall last year.

A representative from the Campaign to Fight Toxic Prisons described the political evolution of its membership. Originally, they wanted to target prisons that caused remarkable damage to the environment. Studying the social conditions of the prison system, they came to the conclusion that the entire privatized prison system was toxic. The speaker referred to the private prison industry as an “industrial nightmare.”

Brooke Celeste from National Women’s Liberation explained how patriarchy was integral to the capitalist system. Celeste brought attention to the war being waged on women’s rights by legislators in Washington. Celeste stated, “Our representatives spend money creating obstacles to access to birth control.”

#GainesvilleFL #MayDay #internationalWorkersDay

Inside the event, hundreds of activists, outnumbering the very small fascist audience, disrupted Spencer’s speech for well over an hour with chants of, “Go home Richard Spencer” and “Richard Spencer you can’t hide, you support genocide.” During a Q&A session at the end of the event, a protester asked Spencer whether it hurt when he was punched in the face earlier this year.

Outside the event, hundreds more activists congregated around the barricades set up by police. As white supremacist speech attendees exited, the crowd pursued neo-nazis, skinheads and alt-right activists through the streets of UF shouting “Anytime, anyplace, punch a Nazi in the face.” Some of these Nazis attempted to stand against the crowd but were overpowered and escaped under the protection of the police.

“It’s inspiring seeing so many people gathered here to fight back against hate,” said Kylee Rena, a local high school student. Referencing UF President Fuchs she argued that “silence only enables hate.” Rena added that though this was only her second protest, she planned to continue fighting against racism and the far right.

“We’re not loud enough, we’re not angry enough,” said Reem Baitoon of Florida State University Students for Justice in Palestine. “If we want to get rid of people like Spencer we need to take action to prevent them from being able to spread their views.”

The protest was a rousing success, with Richard Spencer complaining that UF had failed in its attempt to prevent students from disrupting his event. UF spent over $500,000 on security for the event.

#GainesvilleFL #Florida #Antiracism #antifascism #RichardSpencer

Gainesville, FL – On Dec. 12, students and community members blocked the entrances to a basketball game between the University of Florida (UF) and Texas Southern University. The action was called as part of a growing movement to protest police killings of African Americans and Latinos in the U.S. This follows the failures to indict police officer Darren Wilson, who shot Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, as well as NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo, who choked Eric Garner to death.

Around 130 people gathered at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center before the basketball game and held a die-in at the entrance as the doors opened. Then, the group moved to the student gate, blocking the entrance doors and the sidewalks leading to the other doors. Despite university personnel opening and closing certain entrances based on the location of the protesters, the group was able to finalize its position at the student entrance.

Trenton Brooks of the UF Dream Defenders explained, “Our action today was to show that people cannot just go about their lives as if it's simply business as usual. There are systemic problems in this country and ignoring them just isn't an option.”

Chants included “No justice! No peace! No racist police!” and one specifically for the occasion “You only care about us when we are in jerseys!”

Farah Khan, of UF Students for a Democratic Society, talked about the impact the protest had on the game, “It definitely shook people up and left both attendants of the game and administration completely disoriented. Not a single person at that game could ignore us.”

#GainesvilleFl #PeoplesStruggles #UniversityOfFlorida #Antiracism #UF #EricGarner #Ferguson #MikeBrown #BlackLivesMatter

Gainesville, FL- 350 people, mostly students, marched from the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in downtown Gainesville to the intersection of University Avenue and 13th Street. In a dramatic action on Dec. 8, they marched through busy streets and then shut down the important intersection for 11 minutes in solidarity with Eric Garner.

Protesters began gathering at 4:00 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial statue near City Hall. People were asked to show up wearing black and to bring black signs. Nailah Summers, coordinator of the Civic Media Center, began the event by inspiring the crowd with a variation of an Assata Shakur quote, “We have a duty to fight. We have a duty to win. We have the duty to love each other and protect each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains!” The crowds repeated after her as they filed into the heavy traffic of University Avenue.

The march took up two lanes, completely blocking the cars on one side of the road, while protesters chanted, “Black lives matter!” and “If we don’t get no justice, then you don’t get no peace!” Three police cars tailed the protesters closely. Onlookers took pictures, put their fists up in solidarity and a couple even joined the march.

The protesters arrived at University and 13th, one of the busiest intersections in Gainesville, at the height of rush hour. The crowds formed a giant circle, ensuring that no cars could get past them. At the center of the circle two protesters held a silver coffin while a Dream Defender activist gave a eulogy and spoke, “You tell us to fear ISIS, and yet every time I pass the police, I hold my breath!”

Protesters stood in the intersection for 11 minutes. This symbolized the 11 times Eric Garner said, “I can’t breathe”, as NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo strangled him. At the end of the 11 minutes, everyone turned to face the cars and yelled, “What side are you on?”

Eric Brown, with Students for a Democratic Society, said “I think we're at a tipping point where people are tired of the status quo and are willing to literally put their bodies on the line to ensure that the systematic killings of Black bodies in America stops. The number of people who came out today is promising for future organizing around issues of national oppression. Ferguson is everywhere, and we have an obligation to use the air that Eric Garner can no longer inhale to fight for liberation.”

Brittany King, an organizer with University of Florida Dream Defenders, spoke about future plans in Gainesville, “We want Gainesville to wake up and realize that just because it doesn’t happen in Gainesville, it doesn’t mean it’s not happening everywhere else. While people are sleeping, more people are dying. Today was a testament that Gainesville is prepared to wake up and prepared to join the movement!”

People left the intersection and gathered into an empty lot where the event ended on a high note with plans for future action and chants of “I believe that we will win!”

#GainesvilleFl #GainesvilleFL #NewYork #Florida #EricGarner #Ferguson #MikeBrown #ShutItDown #BlackLivesMatter

Gainesville, FL – 150 students participated in a die-in, called for by the University of Florida’s chapter of Dream Defenders, Dec. 5, to protest ongoing police brutality in the U.S. After the decision to not indict the NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo who murdered Eric Garner, protests gained speed all over the U.S.

The Gainesville action demanded an end to racist police violence and justice for Eric Garner, Mike Brown, and other African American people killed and brutalized by the police.

Protesters wore all black and met in the campus’s busiest area, Turlington Plaza, at 12:35 p.m. on Dec. 5 to stage a die-in during class change. Two Dream Defenders shouted out in unison, “I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe!” before dropping to the ground, with everyone else falling down around them. It was a powerful visual that caused everyone to stop and stare, blocking off Turlington plaza.

After four and a half minutes, Trenton Brooks from Dream Defenders gave an emotional speech, standing up and addressing the gathering crowd, “We can’t breathe like we’re in the eye of a hurricane, but we know FEMA isn’t coming…We can’t breathe, because we can’t stand the injustice…bodies are falling day after day, night after night. Every 28 hours a Black human being is killed by the police. If you’re still breathing, you better hold your breath.”

After all the participants in the die-in stood up, Azaari Mason of UF Dream Defenders urged protesters, “Keep the fight up! The struggle is not over. It is just beginning.”

#GainesvilleFL #PoliceBrutality #UniversityOfFlorida #EricGarner #DieIn

Gainesville, FL – Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at the University of Florida marched through campus on Dec. 3. Students are demanding that the University Police Department opt out of the Department of Defense 1033 Program that provides assault rifles and armored vehicles to local police. The 1033 Program came under close scrutiny after protests against the police murder of Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Photos of protesters and residents being confronted by local police armed with assault weapons and tank-type vehicles shocked the world.

SDS was joined by other campus groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Students for Sensible Drug Policy, and the UF Libertarians, as well as Veterans for Peace from the local community. Those marching joined in chants of “Tuition money is for education, not police militarization,” and “From Kofi to Brown, shut it all down,” referencing a Ghanaian graduate student shot in the face in his own apartment by campus police in 2010.

Sky Button of SDS spoke about the growing campaign, “The student response that we received was overwhelmingly positive. After learning about the 1033 Program, the vast majority of students came out against this program.”

Three students from SDS and SJP were granted a meeting with the head of University of Florida Police Department (UFPD), Lieutenant Linda Stump. Stump agreed to opt out of the 1033 Program if the UFPD were allowed to keep its armored rescue vehicle. As an alternative, Stump agreed to sign a pledge to consult with students if the UFPD were to consider receiving other materiel.

Tristan Worthington, one of the SDS members in the delegation that met with Lieutenant Stump commented on the meeting, “I’m pleased that Lieutenant Stump says she is willing and eager to work hand-in-hand with us to reform the system and revise the current relationship UFPD has with the 1033 Program.”

#GainesvilleFL #StudentMovement #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #PoliceBrutality #militarization #Antiracism #StudentsForJusticeInPalestine #DepartmentOfDefense1033Program

Gainesville, FL – 100 students and community members protested the Ferguson grand jury decision, the failure to indict police officer Darren Wilson. Gathering at the Alachua County Court House in Gainesville at on Nov. 25, the protesters, wearing raincoats and holding umbrellas, stood in solidarity as the rain fell.

Eric Brown, speaking on behalf of Students for a Democratic Society, emphasized that Michael Brown was one of many police killings, “I have to ask the question. What do we mean when we say Black lives matter? Because for us to move forward, Black lives can't equal Black men, but must include women, trans people, and all the intersections that exist under the identity of Black.”

In between speeches, protesters chanted, “No justice! No peace!”

This past summer, when African Americans and others were protesting Brown’s murder in Ferguson, Palestine was coping with the Israeli invasion of Gaza. Palestinians tweeted and messaged the Ferguson protesters messages of solidarity and ways to deal with tear gas.

Farah Kahn, vice-president of University of Florida Students for Justice in Palestine, said, “The solidarity between Ferguson and Palestine shows the strength in uniting against a common enemy. There is a slow genocide happening in Palestine, and there is also a genocide happening right here within the U.S. against Black people and people of color.”

Nailah Summers, a Gainesville activist and the Civic Media Center coordinator, talked after the event, “I think Ferguson and the refusal to indict Darren Wilson for Michael Brown's murder tells us a few things many of us already knew. Black lives are less-than, aren't considered whole and worthy of even the most basic protections of the law. Look at how so much of the commentary following the announcement has revolved around Black 'animals' looting. 108 days fighting for scraps of the justice system and it's all been boiled down to this bullshit narrative.”

Summers continued, “The other thing Ferguson shows us is that it's time to get creative. We've been marching and singing and holding signs for more than half a century. And while all of those things have become inherent parts of our culture and the struggle for freedom, it's not working anymore. So it's time for us to hit the drawing board again because we're ready to fight back, we just have to figure out what that looks like.”

Along with University of Florida SDS and SJP, participating groups included Dream Defenders, Uhuru Solidarity, and Occupy Gainesville.

#GainesvilleFL #PoliceBrutality #MichaelBrown #Ferguson #DarrenWilson

Gainesville, FL, – On Nov. 19, University of Florida Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held a rally against police militarization in Turlington Plaza. Nearly three dozen students gathered at this busy spot where crowds of students walk by between classes. The student activists held signs saying, “Opt out of the 1033 program,” and “Schools don’t need soldiers.”

Student organizers handed out pamphlets explaining the 1033 Program and how the University of Florida and Alachua County receive weaponry through it. The 1033 Program is an initiative of the Department of Defense where surplus military grade weapons are given to local police departments, including university police departments. These departments have to pay to upkeep these weapons, which, depending on the items, can become very costly.

Tristan Worthington, an organizer with SDS, led the rally and amped up the crowd chanting, “When I say ‘opt out’, you say ‘now!’” She then emphasized, “As responsibly aware citizens, we have to work to ensure that police departments do not have unbridled reign in pursuing unnecessary armament. Police are supposed to be citizens protecting citizens, not soldiers quelling the voice of the masses.”

Chris Cassada, President of Students for a Sensible Drug Policy, spoke at the rally. He said, “Students should care about demilitarizing the police because tuition money should be spent solely on furthering education, not on arming campus police with dangerous weapons. The required usage of the weapons within a year also creates a false incentive to use the weapons against students.”

Throughout the rally three university administrators watched from the edge of the crowd. At the end of the event, they approached some of the organizers and asked them whether or not they’re planning on escalating these actions. One of the SDS organizers simply said, “We’ll see you on Dec. 3.” SDS is planning to hold a final action against police militarization on Dec. 3 where they plan on speaking with administrators.

#GainesvilleFL #UniversityOfFloridaUF #GainesvilleSDS #antiPoliceMilitarization #1033Program

Gainesville, FL – On the evening of Nov. 13, University of Florida (UF) students held a Peoples’ Eulogy for the 43 Mexican students presumably murdered by police and drug gangs who were colluding with local and state politicians. Local police in Iguala, Guerrero, kidnapped the students, now known as the 43, on Sept. 26.

The police chased the students as they fled in buses, shooting and killing some, then handing the others they captured over to a notorious criminal syndicate. According to the Mexican government’s version of events, the criminals murdered the students and attempted to destroy their bodies by burning them. Meanwhile, 14 students who escaped the police attack and the families of the 43 missing students have been demanding to know where the 43 were being held.

A dump of plastic bags of burnt remains was found near a river this month, which Mexican government officials claim are the remains of the 43 students. The families of the 43 refuse to believe the Mexican government and are awaiting forensic tests from outside the country, while continuing to demand that the 43 students be returned alive. Now government officials, on up to President Enrique Peña Nieto, are scrambling to explain the corruption and disappearances.

On the Florida campus, students gathered to humanize and memorialize the 43 Mexican students. Photos of each student’s face were placed along with a candle, in one of the busiest walking areas of campus. UF student activists spoke about the students and the name of each was read aloud. The crowd then held a moment of silence to honor them. Around 35 students attended the event, with others stopping briefly to learn about the 43 Mexican students.

Leah Robbins, of UF Students for a Democratic Society said, “I think it’s our responsibility to combat political repression wherever it manifests itself and to stand in solidarity with those who have been silenced by their governments.”

Another campus leader, Farah Khan of Students for Justice in Palestine commented, “As activists, we felt like we had a duty to honor them; it’s important for us because we are student activists.”

By the afternoon of the next day, though the candles were long burned out, the pictures and signs were still being displayed. Several students stopped to read the names and look at the signs of the Ayotzinapa 43. There are solidarity events happening on many U.S. campuses, as the parents of the murdered students are travelling across Mexico to demand justice.

#GainesvilleFL #Mexico #Americas #Ayotzinapa #Guerrero #KidnappedStudents

Gainesville, FL – On Nov. 10 the University of Florida’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) held a corner sign-holding protest in support of Rasmea Odeh. Odeh is a 67-year-old Palestinian woman activist from Chicago who is now being held in a Detroit jail. The U.S. government is targeting her because she is a powerful leader who speaks out against U.S. complicity in Israeli war crimes.

Two dozen students showed up at a busy campus intersection during rush hour to publicly declare they stand with Rasmea Odeh against the unfair justice system. The action took place just hours after Odeh was found guilty of “unlawful procurement of citizenship” in a Detroit courtroom. Adding insult to injury, Odeh had her bond revoked and was led away in handcuffs just hours after the verdict was read. The news hit students at the University of Florida very hard. However, like other anti-war and international solidarity activists across the country organizing for Rasmea Odeh for months, they sprang into action.

Florida students showed their shock and anger thru their action. People stayed at the protest for almost two hours chanting, giving speeches and demanding that justice for this prominent community organizer, Rasmea Odeh. Jonathan Waring of UF Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) said, “We have to show the U.S. government that activists will not be intimidated by illegitimate trials directed at the pro-Palestine movement.”

UF students are not intimidated by the U.S. government campaign of repression. If anything this verdict has amped up the sentiment for more education and actions to show solidarity with Rasmea Odeh and the Palestinian struggle that she embodies. This campus protest comes after a months-long campaign involving education, protests and call-in days. The issue is far from dying down and Florida students are ready to show support. Students for Justice in Palestine will continue to organize in solidarity with Rasmea until she is free, until all political prisoners are free and until Palestine is free.

As Eric Brown, a lead organizer with both SJP and SDS stated, “One day the settler colonial entity know as Israel will be found guilty by the people it has oppressed since its existence. On that day we will have people like Rasmea to look up to as those who have been pillars in the movement. This system has not only failed Rasmea but on every level has failed oppressed nationalities and there needs to be a serious movement for liberation that creates a completely new paradigm. Power to Rasmea and to all those facing political oppression!”

#GainesvilleFL #Palestine #Israel #UniversityOfFlorida #politicalRepression #Florida #RasmeaOdeh #SJP #StudentsForJusticeInPalestine

Gainesville, FL – On Nov. 5, Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Florida (UF SDS) conducted a workshop on history and growing militarization of police in the U.S., titled “The War at Home.” 25 students participated in the workshop. The University of Florida is where graduate student Kofi Adu-Brempong was shot by campus police with an assault rifle on March 2, 2010. Adu-Brempong, from Ghana in Africa, was in his apartment when police broke down the door and Officer Keith Smith shot him in the face. The university eventually fired Lt. Stacey Ettel who was in charge at the scene.

Tristan Worthington, a lead organizer with SDS, opened the workshop saying, “We are facing an increase of police militarization on campuses across the U.S., including UF.”

Jonathan Waring, an SDSer, explained, “The militarization of the police on campus was fueled by the Department of Defense Excess Property Program (DoD 1033). The 1033 Program allows the Department of Defense to give away military-grade weapons, new or used in combat, to police departments. The only fees the police departments pay are for shipping or upkeep. This is now an issue because small sleepy towns such as Gainesville, Florida have armored cars and assault rifles at the ready.” Waring underlined the problem saying, “Police officers in most of the country require less training hours than barbers need to get a license, and yet we trust them to protect us.”

Eric Brown, with both SDS and Students for Justice in Palestine, covered the militarization of police forces beginning in the 1960s with the creation of SWAT teams. Brown told his fellow students, “It’s not a surprise that the first SWAT raid in this country was on the Black Panther Headquarters in Los Angeles.” He also commented on the current context for heavily-armed police forces, “The U.S. sold $220 billion worth of arms between 2004 and 2011. The U.S. is the leading arms exporter in the world and has connections to most military conflicts in the world.”

SDS is continuing their campaign to end police militarization on their campus by demanding that the University of Florida opt out of the 1033 Program and stop receiving military grade weapons. There will be another student event on Dec 3.

#GainesvilleFL #InJusticeSystem #SDS #PoliceBrutality #militarization

Gainesville, FL—Twenty-five University of Florida (UF) students and allies rallied on campus in solidarity with Arab American women’s leader Rasmea Odeh. Odeh’s trial began in Detroit on Nov. 4 and is continuing thru the week.

Sky Button, a lead organizer with UF Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), opened the demonstration by explaining Rasmea Odeh is a 67-year old Palestinian American woman being targeted for organizing Arab American and Muslim women in Chicago. Button finished his speech saying, “We’re here to stand against the FBI and government agencies for their repression of Rasmea and other activists.”

Rasmea Odeh’s case does not only represent political repression that activist’s experience, but also the ongoing struggle for women’s liberation. Farah Khan, Vice President of SJP and lead organizer of SDS stated, “As Palestinian solidarity activists we have an obligation to support Rasmea. The way she is being targeted by the US shows how any one of us could be criminalized for our political work, and we need to stand in solidarity with her and oppose political repression in all forms. And as women, there is an even larger need to oppose patriarchy and the many ways that it enables the silencing of women through sexual violence.”

For part of the protest, students held signs and had tape over their mouths to signify the silencing of activism.

Eric Brown, member of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and lead organizer of SDS, summed up the solidarity event by saying, “In the same way that activists all over the world stood up for Angela Davis when she was targeted by the state in the 70’s for her political work we must take a stand for Rasmea and all other activists facing political repression for their solidarity work with Palestine.”

SDS and SJP passed out more than 200 flyers on campus. To answer the national call to action, students were asked to follow the trial at www.StopFBI.net and sign the petition demanding the charges against Odeh be dropped.

#GainesvilleFL #PoliticalRepression #RasmeaOdeh

Gainesville, FL – Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held a banner-signing event, asking students to pledge to stand against rape and sexual violence both on and off campus. SDS also provided literature on consent and ways for students to help prevent sexual assault. By the end of the day, around 50 students had signed the pledge banner.

The event comes just weeks after the latest in a string of sexual assaults on and around the University of Florida (UF) campus. The event was in response to a UF Student Government event, asking students to sign a pledge to “Never Walk Alone.” An SDS organizer explained, “Such language puts blame on victims of sexual violence and does nothing to address the true cause of sexual assault.”

The anti-rape banner had the hashtags #ItsNotGreatUF and #WeAreAware, playing off of and satirizing the hashtags, #ItsGreatUF and #BeAware, that UF Student Government used during their event.

Every hour, during the 15-minute class change period, SDS members made short speeches to crowds of students while handing out flyers about consent. Using humor and sarcasm to win over students, SDSers leafleted the “10 Top Tips to End Rape.” Including tips such as, “6. Use the buddy system! If you are not able to stop yourself from assaulting people, ask a friend to stay with you while you are in public.”

Farah Khan, lead organizer with SDS said “I think this type of event is necessary as it’s quite obvious that UF and UFPD have no interest in targeting the actual problem we have here: rape culture and patriarchy.”

McKenzie Walker, an SDS member, noted, “Despite the negative responses from some men, those that signed gave us hope. There is a strata of men on campus who want to end, rather than fuel, rape culture and share their support with others.”

#GainesvilleFL #StudentMovement #SDS #GainesvilleSDS #antirape #rapeCulture

Fight Back! caught up with University of Florida Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) organizer Farah Khan after a militant demo against Michael Oren former U.S. Ambassador to Israel.

Fight Back!: Can you briefly describe the event in Gainesville, Florida on Sept. 16?

Farah Khan: The school event itself was titled “A Conversation with Ambassador Michael Oren and Italian-Palestinian journalist Rula Jebreal.” Michael Oren and Rula Jebreal shared the stage, with Jebreal asking Oren questions. Audience members could also submit questions if they were submitted a few days in advance. It was hosted by ACCENT Speakers Bureau and the UF’s[University of Florida] Jewish Student Union. Students for Justice in Palestine was originally asked to co-sponsor the event, but we declined for political reasons. Instead, we held a demo against Oren.

Fight Back!: Why were you protesting Michael Oren, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel?

Khan: SJP found it necessary to protest Oren and his presence on our campus because he has been intimately and proudly tied to war crimes carried out against Palestinians and Arabs. We refuse to allow a war criminal to walk freely and unopposed on our campus when an entire population remains under occupation. Although Oren’s days in the IDF [Israeli Defense Forces] are over, he now basically serves as a mouthpiece for the Israeli apartheid state, going on speaking tours and talking at events like this one to promote the occupation. We need to protest events like this so that our school knows that we are not a platform for war criminals. SJP members stood outside all the entrances to the event, with our supporters holding signs and chanting pro-Palestine and anti-apartheid slogans. Even though it was very cold and raining, our supporters remained strong and we held one of the most militant, successful demos SJP at UF has ever put on. There were over 30 cops trying to shut us down, but we stood strong in the face of the enemy, just like inspiring women like Rasmea Odeh stand strong against political repression. We were also happy to see our friends from Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) participate.

ACCENT tried to frame it as a balanced event, since Rula Jebreal, a Palestinian, was the one asking him questions. However, there is nothing balanced about this. The asymmetrical power dynamics are not addressed, and by having these two people share a stage the occupation and colonization of Palestinian land is normalized. The oppression that Palestinians face should not be viewed as normal. Rula Jebreal accepting to speak with Oren totally undermines all of the on-ground work that SJP and other activists are doing. These types of 'dialogue' centered events do not actually provide a voice for oppressed people, they are merely a more sophisticated means of further silencing the marginalized. SJP at the University of Florida is working towards a one state solution and campaigning hard for Boycott-Divestment-Sanctions (BDS): we are tabling every day, hosting teach-ins, workshops, speak-outs and protests. We are already delivering information to our student body. If students want access to an alternative viewpoint, it is right in front of their faces. We don’t need these types of events shutting us down.

Fight Back!: What can other student activists learn from this action? In other words, how did you organize such a powerful event?

Khan: We made sure to make a Facebook event for the counter-action well in advance. We also kept the event private to keep it from being discovered and foiled by any right-wing or Zionist organizations. Leadership talking to people individually helps a lot in getting everyone pumped up for a great action. We had a work meeting the night before to get all the materials ready for our demo. We came prepared for whatever weather Florida would throw at us, and held our ground. We also issued a press release the night before and had an op-ed prepared, ready to be submitted immediately after the action.

Fight Back!: You've been working to defend Rasmea Odeh, the Palestinian woman facing government repression in Detroit. Tell us about the recent repression SJP faced.

Khan: SJP has faced repression at almost every level from the University of Florida. Last December, Student Government tried to pass an anti-boycott resolution that was a direct attack on SJP. This was an ugly preemptive strike against us, but we organized against it and made sure it wasn’t passed. This semester, we are working on getting our university to divest. We tried to get a referendum on the ballot for student government signatures, and even though we came prepared with more signatures than was necessary, we were shot down on technicalities. There are literally dozens of cases where Student Government has been lenient with other organizations, but because of the nature of SJP we were turned away before even making it to the ballot. Our political message is opposed to the Zionist views of Student Government, which is a training ground for the future politicians of the 1%.

Fight Back!: What's next on the agenda for SJP and SDS?

Khan: Just because we won’t be on the ballot this fall, doesn’t mean that our campaign ends. That’s only the beginning. If anything, that experience completely reaffirmed what we already knew: our school administration isn’t on our side. Rula Jebreal urged us after the event to work within the system, to try to have a conversation and go vote at the ballot box. What she didn’t mention was that the 'democratic' process here is actually far from democratic. How can we vote when issues we care about aren’t even allowed on the ballot? We have no intention of begging the Jewish Student Union or Hillel, actively Zionist organizations that fund the occupation, to talk to us. We know that to get what we want, we have to demand it and struggle for it. We have a series of workshops coming up to help build for our BDS campaign, coupled with actions that will be demanding Bernie Machen renounce his anti-boycott statements from spring and support a resolution for divestment. We know BDS at UF is going to be an uphill battle, but we’re prepared.

#GainesvilleFL #AntiwarMovement #StudentMovement #Palestine #BDS #StudentsForJusticeInPalestine #MichaelOren #MiddleEast

Gainesville, FL – Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) held a rally during the busiest time of the day here, Sept. 10, to honor victims of police brutality and Palestinians murdered by Israeli forces. Approximately 30 students stopped by and watched as the rally unfolded its anti-imperialist message.

Aptly named The People’s Eulogy, the rally focused on individuals murdered by the police and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), and aimed to humanize them. Protesters held signs modeled after gravestones with the faces of Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Mohammed abu Khdeir and others to create a visual impact for the people walking by.

The speeches made draw parallels between the murderous police forces in the U.S. and the brutal Israeli military and showed how both of them are results of U.S. imperialism.

Tesneem Shraiteh, president of Students for Justice in Palestine, explained the connection between police brutality in the U.S. and the IDF, stating, “The highly militarized police we have witnessed oppressing the people of Ferguson were trained by the brutal and inhumane force known as the IDF. The murder in cold blood of Palestinians such as Mohammad Sanokrot and Issa Qatari is just one of the reasons Palestinians stand in solidarity with the families of unarmed black men such as John Crawford, Eric Garner and Mike Brown.”

Jonathan Waring, a lead organizer with SDS, used this event to also announce the campaign that the group would be working on for the rest of the semester, stating, “Today was important to memorialize those killed by the police state while also calling attention to the militarization of the police and the political repression that comes with it. It’s for this very reason that we’re calling for the firing of all cops who murder innocent people and the de-militarization of our campus!”

#GainesvilleFL #AntiwarMovement #Gaza #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #SDS #Palestine #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #SJP #StudentsForJusticeInPalestine

Gainesville, FL – Two dozen students gathered in Gainesville, July 19, at a Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) day school. Students from the University of Florida, Florida State University, the University of South Florida, and for the first time in SDS’s history, from the University of North Florida in Jacksonville attended. Months of planning the day school on SDS National Working Committee phone calls paid off nicely.

The purpose of the day school was two fold. First, the students honed their skills by attending workshops on a variety of topics central to organizing. Students learned how to make a flyer, how to host protests and demos and how to recruit new students to SDS. Second, the students geared themselves up for a new semester at their respective universities this fall by sharpening their political ideas and campaign plans.

The workshops also included learning how to do outreach and agitation among students to build for campaigns, and what the difference was between working in coalitions and broader united front work. The day school ended with dinner and a social that night.

SDSers went home fired up to build the student movement and fight back against injustice on their campuses and in the community this fall. Morale was high; especially after Florida SDS chapters worked together this past spring to win a campaign for undocumented students to receive in-state tuition rates while attending college – the Tuition Equity campaign. Organizers plan to build on this and other successes.

Tampa Bay SDS organizer Jessica Schwartz said, “All the Florida chapters share similar concerns over transferal of leadership to younger organizers. The purpose of this is to help empower them to take leadership in SDS.”

Jacksonville SDS Organizer C.O. Scanlan said, “For someone just beginning his active involvement in an organization, the day school was incredibly encouraging. It put in clear, concrete terms the steps I need to take in providing the student struggle with another point of focus.”

Tallahassee SDS Organizer Zachary Schultz said, “The day school was an excellent opportunity to share our experiences organizing, and build unity around the methods which will lead the next generation of student activists to victory: militancy and organization.”

The main on- the-ground organizer of the day school, Michela Martinazzi from Gainesville SDS, said, “As many of the veteran SDSers graduate and move on to other struggles, it’s important that that newer organizers keep the same militant line and methods of organizing. I think today proved that all generations of SDS are organizing on the same page.”

To contact National SDS to talk about how to host a student organizer training or start an SDS chapter by visiting http://www.newsds.org/contact.

#GainesvilleFL #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #SDS #UniversityOfSouthFlorida #FloridaStateUniversity #USF #UF #UniversityOfFlorid #FSU #Activism

Gainesville, FL — On July 16, sixty University of Florida students and Gainesville activists marched from the Alachua County Courthouse to Gainesville City Hall to protest the recent US-backed Israeli attacks on Gaza.

Rami Okasha of UF Students for Justice in Palestine started the march saying, “Despite what Zionists say, Palestinians do exist and have been doing their part in resisting a slow genocide of their people. It is time we do ours.”

The protesters took to the streets during rush hour, blocking traffic, loudly chanting “Free, Free Palestine” and “”Netanyahu you can't hide, we charge you with genocide”. They gathered at the steps of City Hall to hear a round of speeches.

Jonathan Waring, of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, said in his speech, “As long as Palestinians are being oppressed by a US puppet state, we cannot sit idly by and allow them to suffer at the hands of the US and Israel.”

The demonstration concluded with a reading of the names of the 197 victims of Israeli air strikes in Gaza. The crowd held a moment of silence for the Palestinian dead. The protesters tried to symbolically tape the name of the victims to City Hall but police officers stopped them. These actions were greeted by jeers and “Shame on you, City Hall!” The protesters then delivered the list of names to the City and demanded that Gainesville stand with the people of Palestine.

At the end of the rally, Michela Martinazzi of UF Students for a Democratic Society said “It’s important to show solidarity with Palestine in their daily fight against US Imperialism and today’s action proved that the people of Gainesville are standing tall with them.”

#GainesvilleFL #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #Palestine #PeoplesStruggles #Israel #UniversityOfFlorida #Florida #UFSDS #SJP #StudentsForJusticeInPalestine #MiddleEast

Gainesville, FL – University of Florida Students for Justice in Palestine (UF SJP) held a solidarity protest July 7 for Palestinian teens under attack by the Israeli state. Around 35 students and community activists held signs and chanted on the corner of the busy street of University and 13th Street near the campus. Protesters chanted, “Viva viva Palestina! Viva the Intifada!” and “Justice for Tariq!”

Last week the Israeli state launched a violent campaign against Palestinians in Gaza. They used the Israeli air force to bomb over a dozen areas, tear-gassed demonstrators, arrested over 600 people, carried out home demolitions and more.

The Gainesville student protest was in solidarity with Mohammed Abu Khdeir of Jerusalem and his cousin Tariq Khdeir of Tampa, Florida. Mohammed Khdeir, a 16-year-old Palestinian, was kidnapped and burned alive on July 2. Tariq Khdeir, his 15-year-old Palestinian American cousin was protesting the violent campaign waged by the Israeli state. Tariq Khdeir was restrained by an Israeli police intelligence unit and brutally beaten to unconsciousness.

Eric Brown, a member of UF SJP said, “Seeing the pictures of Tariq's disfigured face really brought home to me the connection between the brutality Palestinians face from the Israeli state and the police brutality that Black men deal with in the U.S. In both cases the U.S. allows the brutality because of the state-sanctioned dehumanization of both groups. The imprisonment of both is done to further stifle resistance.”

Brown continued, “We’re here today to send a clear message that collective punishment is wrong and that not only should those who beat Tariq be investigated and brought to justice but also that Tariq being under house arrest is absurd.”

Gainesville Students for a Democratic Society plans to follow up by petitioning in solidarity with Rasmea Odeh, a Palestinian American women’s leader who is going to court on Sept. 8 in Detroit. Now 67 years old, Odeh was the first women to speak publicly about being physically and sexually tortured by the Israeli military back in 1969. Though living in the U.S. for 20 years, ten of them as a U.S. citizen, Odeh is facing trumped-up charges in a Detroit courtroom concerning her immigration paperwork. The whole world will be watching as the U.S. government puts a torture victim on trial.

#GainesvilleFl #GainesvilleFL #Gaza #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #Palestine #PeoplesStruggles #Israel #UniversityOfFlorida #Tampa #Florida #Tariq #UF #SJP #StudentsForJusticeInPalestine #MiddleEast

Gainesville, FL – About 40 people gathered at the Civic Media Center, May 1, to support fired members of the Citizens Co-Op Workers Union and celebrate International Workers’ Day with BBQ and live music.

Several different groups helped organize the event, including the North Florida Central Labor Council, the Alachua County Labor Party, UF Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), and Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO).

The event started with a picket outside the Citizens Co-Op, which barely a month earlier fired seven workers for attempting to start a union. The protesters held signs stating, “We support the union,” and “My money and I support the workers.” The fired Co-Op workers and supporters had been picketing for the past couple of weeks, and it was important to show solidarity for their cause on International Workers Day.

After the picket the protesters and community allies headed inside the Civic Media Center for food and music. There were different tables set up by the organizations that helped put together the May Day protest and festivities. In between music and performances there was a round of speeches.

Chrisley Carpio of the FRSO said, “We stand for legalization for all undocumented immigrants and support their fight for equality, whether it's in obtaining drivers licenses, tuition equity, or an end to deportations. May Day celebrates the unity of the people.”

Colleen Baublitz of UF SDS, speaking about the passage of SB 1400, which allows some undocumented students to pay instate tuition, said, “Students for a Democratic Society is proud to struggle alongside other groups for immigrants' rights in Florida. We are proud of our contributions in the fight for tuition equity, including the recent passage of HB851. SDS will continue to fight until every undocumented student has the same space and financial aid available to them as their peers.”

The event was a success as the Gainesville community celebrated the historic holiday.

#GainesvilleFL #MayDay #immigrantRights #workersRights #legalizationForAll #CitizensCoOpWorkersUnion

Over 20 students took part in the sit-in at Senate President Don Gaetz’s office and demanded to meet with him. Security guards prevented the protesters from entering the president’s office but students rallied outside instead, chanting, “What do we want? Tuition Equity! When do we want it? Now!” After 15 minutes Sen. Gaetz bowed to their pressure and met with a delegation from the group. In the meeting students asked Gaetz to guarantee that if the bill is brought up from the floor, that he would give it a fair chance to pass.

Chrisley Carpio of University of Florida SDS was part of the delegation. After the meeting she said, “Senator Gaetz told us that he would do everything in his power to prevent tuition equity from passing. What kind of sham democracy do we have in this state where a few racist politicians can obstruct the will of the people?”

The protest continued throughout the day and more students joined the sit-in. Zachary Schultz from Florida State University SDS told Fight Back! that students plan continue protesting until the end of the legislative session on May 2. He said, “There is still a chance for tuition equity to pass. We need to do everything we can to hold these politicians’ feet to fire.”

There are two ways that tuition equity can pass without going through Senator Negron’s Appropriations Committee. It can be attached to another bill or brought up from the floor by a two-thirds majority vote. In addition to the ongoing demonstration in the capitol, Students for a Democratic Society plans to hold call-ins targeting key senators as part of their national Education for All campaign. With less than 10 days remaining in the legislative session, the fight is on for tuition equity and SDS is leading the charge.

#GainesvilleFL #StudentMovement #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #SDS #TuitionEquity #SenatorJoeNegron #SenatorDonGaetz