New Orleans, LA – On April 17, 30 community members gathered outside of the New Orleans immigration court to protest the detention of two immigrants after their hearing on the morning of April 16. The emergency rally demanded an end to ICE presence in the immigration courts and respect for immigrants’ due process rights.

The detainees, a mother and father, were present for a routine hearing. They were detained in front of their children in a traumatic display of aggression by ICE agents.

“People heard screaming and crying. When they went to investigate, they saw the mother and father being taken away and their children were left behind,” said Rachel Taber, an organizer with Union Migrante, who called the emergency rally.

Protesters held signs that read, “Say no to deportations” and chanted “ICE out of NOLA now!” as tourists walked by, pumping fists and waving in support.

The immigration court is located in the same mall as Tiffany & Co. and Louis Vuitton, a cruel reminder that the exact same place can mean wealth and privilege for the few and incarceration and deportation for the many.

“We’ve had people here observing the immigration hearings, every day without fail, since ICE agents started coming to the court last spring. This is the first arrest at the 365 Canal Place court we’ve seen in a long time. If you don’t come to court, there's an automatic order for deportation, so it's like you're damned if you do, damned if you don't,” said Taber.

Ordinary people continue to engage in court watch and ICE watch activities in New Orleans. One attendee at the protest noticed two suspicious men taking pictures of the crowd and promptly confronted them.

“I followed them as they walked to their vehicle and asked what they were doing. They told me to mind my own business and fuck off. So, I took a picture of them and their license plate, so we can share with other ICE observers in the city,” he said, immediately notifying the crowd to be on the lookout for plainclothes agents.

Speakers emphasized the need for our movements to continue to demand full democratic rights for immigrants in the United States. “As we keep rallying and keep fighting, we need to demand justice and legalization for all,” emphasized Deborah Alvarenga, an organizer with Union Migrante.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #ImmigrantRights #ICE #Featured

New Orleans, LA — About 50 students and community members rallied on Wednesday, April 15, in protest outside an event hosting two Israeli Defense Forces reservists. The event was called “Triggered: From Combat to Campus,” and was hosted on Tulane University’s main campus by Students Supporting Israel.

“I still remember that when Students for a Democratic Society demanded that Tulane end its overwhelming support for Israel, Tulane threw the book at those students,” said Silas Gillett of Student for a Democratic Society (SDS).

Gillett continued, “They suspended them, they kicked them out of their housing. Now they have the gall to bring these evil IDF war criminals on campus instead of their own students!”

The protest was organized by Together United Louisiana (TUL) SDS with support from over a dozen other student and community organizations to demand an end to Tulane’s support for Israel. At the event inside, IDF reservists Yossi Hertz and Lior Biran tried to defend Israel, but they could not speak without hearing the chants of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” and “Lock them up” from the rally outside.

While organizers decried the genocide of Palestinians and the IDF’s attacks on Iran and Lebanon, a small group of students waved an Israeli flag at the protest. Sruly Heller, speaking for New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports, addressed them, saying, “You absolutely desecrate the memories of our ancestors when you hold up your Zionist flags like that. My Bubbe has no cousins, and they didn’t die for your Zionist bullshit. Shame on you!”

Addressing the crowd on behalf of the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), Leila Abu-Orf said, “I’ve watched my family home, my birthright, the one that we built after we were kicked out of our ancestral village of Isdud, now Ashdod, be burnt to rubble.” Abu-Orf continued to address the soldiers directly, firing up the crowd, “You are a band of cowards who use an AI-powered program to track your targets for drones while you shit yourself from the comfort of your armored tank out of fear of the flip-flopped freedom fighter approaching you!”

#NewOrleansLA #LA #Palestine #AntiWarMovement #StudentMovement #IDF #NOSHIP #Tulane #SDS

The New Orleans Alliance stands with Pro-Palestine student activist Rick Toledo. We demand no charges be filed against him for standing up for Palestine. On February 27, 2026, students held a sit-in at Cal Poly Tech Humboldt to demand the university divest from Israel. They bravely occupied a university building for 14 hours. We believe standing up against genocide and demanding divestment is the right thing to do.

For his participation in this action, the University is attempting to charge Rick with four bogus felonies: false imprisonment, conspiracy, battery, and assault. All for standing in a building. Together, these charges would carry 15 years of prison time. This is an outrageous attack against student free speech on campus, and a plot to scare activists into silence.

College protest is a long-standing tradition. The progressive demands of the student movement have played an important role in raising political consciousness across the country, especially the Palestine encampment movement of 2024. The encampment at Cal Poly Humboldt inspired young people across the world when it stood up against police repression. The attacks on Toledo, we believe, are also tied to this bold moment of resistance.

Since his arrest, the university has fired Rick from his teaching job. He spent time in jail without any charges and was eventually released on a 25K bond. University Police seized his electronics and tried to force him to give up passcodes, which he did not. He did the right thing, and activists can learn from his example of not telling the police a single thing.

We demand the witch hunt against Rick Toledo end immediately and no charges be filed. We uplift the public defense campaign by the Committee to Stop FBI Repression and urge organizations to:

1. Sign onto the letter by the Committee to Stop FBI repression: tinyurl.com/ricktoledosds

2. Write a statement in solidarity and submit it to stopFBI@gmail.com

3. Donate to Rick’s legal fund: tinyurl.com/toledoLDF

4. Plug in for a call-to-action on April 20 (Rick’s first hearing) by following @csfrstopfbi and @sds_humboldt

#NewOrleansLA #LA #InJusticeSystem #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #PoliticalRepression

New Orleans, LA – The Democratic National Committee met in New Orleans this week at the Hilton Riverside for their annual spring meeting. The conference rang in its second day on April 10, and blue leaders went red in the face when members confronted them on Palestine.

The spring meeting is a strategy session and networking opportunity for candidates and other members. It gives members a chance to lobby for cities to hold the 2028 Democratic National Convention. But the rising opposition to Israel drove the agenda. Several nonbinding anti-war resolutions were on the docket, although none passed. Among other causes, these resolutions condemned AIPAC, demanded an independent investigation into Trump’s massacre at a girls’ school in Minab, and set conditions for U.S. aid to Israel. Activists inside and outside the conference made their solidarity with Palestine known.

During a general session, Democratic activist and nurse India Walton stood up and interrupted the speakers. “Why are you afraid of AIPAC? Be afraid of voters!” she shouted. Walton ran a credible challenge to the incumbent Buffalo mayor in 2021. She previously served as a representative with the Service Employees International Union and was a leader in the George Floyd uprising.

Activists from New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP) spoke up alongside Walton. “Free, free Palestine!” Charlie Marcotte chanted.

Outside the hotel, about 30 people protested the DNC’s lack of opposition to Israeli and U.S. wars.

“We will fight every single day, we will introduce these resolutions, we will protest, we will do everything we damn can to stop this genocide,” speaker Cameron Landin addressed the crowd. Landin is the Political Affairs Director for College Democrats of America, and served as a delegate for Georgia at the 2024 DNC. He sponsored the spring meeting’s resolution against AIPAC.

A mobile billboard truck showed a display reading “Release the autopsy!” It referred to an internal report that allegedly identifies the genocide in Gaza as an important reason for Harris’s failed 2024 presidential bid.

Protesters chanted “No boots on the ground, no jets in the air – U.S. out of everywhere!” and “They tell lies and then they bomb, first Iraq and now Iran!”

Organizers of the protest included NOSHIP, Democratic Socialists of America, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #Palestine #Iran #AntiWarMovement #NOSHIP #DNC

New Orleans, LA – On March 30, Jace Lee Scott's family and supporting activists rallied outside the city council's Criminal Justice Committee hearing. About 15 community members then packed the meeting and made public comments demanding that NOPD officer Victor Gant Jr. be fired for his role in his son Andrew Gant's coverup and killing of Jace.

During public comment on the NOPD's quarterly report, Jace's mother Shanta Scott had her mic abruptly cut and the council cleared the chambers, arresting one activist: Toni Jones of the New Orleans Alliance.

During the course of the five-hour meeting, public comment was repeatedly interrupted by the committee cutting the microphone on Shanta Scott and her supporters.

When commenting on one presentation Scott stated, “My trust has been damaged by NOPD and the criminal court system. Justice is not just a concept, it is something that families must be able to see, feel and experience. And I haven't, due to the corruption of NOPD officer Victor Gant Jr.” Scott continued, “I'm demanding that the city should have a Civilian Police Accountability Council so families like mine can get the proper justice.”

Committee Chairman Freddie King III justified the repeated silencing of community members by saying that the comments on policy, racial discrimination and Gant's abuse of power were not germane to the self-congratulatory progress reports being presented by the city departments.

Twice during the meeting, King left the council chambers and signaled to NOPD officers to physically remove Shanta Scott for her comments. Both times, activists in the New Orleans Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NOAARPR) stood by her and demanded that she be heard. When NOAARPR chair Toni Jones objected to the second threat to remove Scott, Jones was arrested and charged with disturbing the peace and city council.

After the arrest, activists called the Orleans Parish Jail and the city attorney. Toni Jones was released within hours. A press conference was immediately held upon release and those gathered representing NOAARPR, Jace's family, and supporting organizations demanded that the charges be dropped, Victor Gant Jr. be fired and charged, and a Civilian Police Accountability Council be established.

The family will be at the next criminal justice committee hearing on April 27.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #JaceLeeScott #InjusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities #NOAARPR

New Orleans, LA — On Tuesday March 31 at 10 a.m., a crowd of about 15 people came out to New Orleans Municipal Court to support activist Toni Jones and demand her charges be dropped. Jones is facing trumped-up charges of disturbing the peace and disrupting city council following an action for Jace Lee Scott at the Criminal Justice Committee (CJC) meeting on Monday March 30.

M. R. Framboise from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization spoke in support of her fellow organizer saying, “This is not only an attack on Toni. It is a government-driven attack on the people of the City of New Orleans and the broad masses of the people at large.”

Framboise continued, “The NOPD and city council have clearly communicated to the community that when the people stand up for themselves, their mics will be truncated; they will be brutalized, and they will be detained.”

Jones, chairwoman of the New Orleans Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NOAARPR), was defending the right to public comment when she was arrested. Shanta Scott, Jace’s mother, spoke to the CJC Councilmembers Eugene Green and Freddie King III about her son’s murder by Andrew Gant and the cover-up by the New Orleans Police Department. Scott spoke to ask about NOPD policy when an officer’s family member is involved in a murder. As soon as she mentioned the name of NOPD’s crooked cop Victor Gant Jr., Andrew’s father, Councilman Freddie King III cut off Scott’s mic despite her comments remaining entirely germane.

Jones spoke out against the cut mic, insisting to King that Scott’s comments were germane to the discussion on NOPD policy. Instead of responding to Scott’s pleas for answers, Councilmembers Green and King turned their backs on her and left the chambers. New Orleans police then surrounded the crowd of supporters and targeted Jones, putting her in handcuffs and dragging her out of the chambers. NOAARPR quickly released a call-in statement that put pressure on the city attorney and Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office that resulted in her release with no bond.

Jones herself also spoke at the rally, “One of places I go in the search for justice is to the jailhouse, and all I see are people going through unnecessary misery for months, without even having a trial.” Jones referred to the community support that she knew was present from within the jailhouse, saying, “When I was in the jail, I knew that I had all of you with me. My jailers themselves came down to let me know, ‘They support you. They are with you, so don’t even bother taking your medical [exam], you’re going home.’”

Jones concluded, “Even in the places where justice cannot be found, we can build momentum. We can build hope, and we can build the fight for liberation!”

#NewOrleansLA #LA #ToniJones #InJusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities #NOAARPR

Baton Rouge, LA – On March 28, a crowd of 1500 people gathered across the street from the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge on No Kings Day to protest Trump’s reactionary agenda.

Before marching, Gabriela DeJean of the Louisiana State University (LSU) chapter of Students for a Democratic Society addressed the crowd, “If you’re a student, at any school or of any age, come find us. You don’t have to have experience organizing, you just have to decide right here, right now, that you don't want to be complacent. If you’re not a student, that doesn’t mean you’re outside of this. This affects entire communities, get involved with an organization.”

People lined up and marched down downtown Baton Rouge with signs that said, “Fight Trump’s agenda!” and “We say no to deportations!” As they made their way downtown, they chanted, “Power to the people, no one is illegal!” and “Money for jobs and education, not for war and deportation!”

DeJean finished by saying, “This only works if people keep showing up after today. Pay attention to how quickly things are changing around you and decide which side of history you want to be a part of!”

#BatonRougeLA #LA #PeoplesStruggles #StudentMovement #SDS #ImmigrantRights

New Orleans, LA — 10,000 people gathered in New Orleans on Saturday, March 28 to join the No King’s Day protest against Donald Trump’s racist agenda. The protest was one of thousands in a nationwide day of action that mobilized millions of people.

“I didn’t spend my childhood being spat on and screamed at so that we could quit now. Today, I’m telling you, stand up, speak up, fight back,” said Leona Tate, reflecting on her experience as one of four Black girls who first attended segregated public schools in New Orleans. Tate continued, “This is not what we marched for. This is not what we bled for. I am 71 years old and I’m still fighting, so what are you going to do to join me?”

As the crowd of thousands took to the streets, they chanted “No more deportations,“ and “Hands off Iran now!” A banner at the front of the march read, “Fight Trump’s agenda! No to deportations! No to U.S. attacks and war!”

After the march, Charlie Schully addressed the crowd on behalf of New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP), “The $200 billion Trump wants to spend on the war on Iran could pay for over 27 million Americans to have their health insurance covered by Medicaid, which Trump just cut with his ‘big beautiful bill.’”

Schully concluded, “Organizing people power is the only way we can get these crooked politicians to take our hard earned money away from the war profiteers and put it into services that benefit us.”

#NewOrleansLA #LA #PeoplesStruggles #NoKings #AntiWarMovement #NOSHIP

New Orleans, LA – On Sunday, March 15, the Anti-War Action Network (AWAN) and New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP) held a rally in front of Jackson Square condemning the U.S.’s attacks on Iran. 40 community members and activists rallied at Jackson Square and marched through the New Orleans French Quarter and back to Jackson Square once again.

“When the U.S. and Israel carried out a mass extermination campaign against the Palestinian people, Iran was one of the only countries in the world to stand with the Palestinian resistance,” said Silas Gillett of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization. Gilbert continued, “FRSO is here today to stand side by side with Iran in fighting back against U.S. imperialism.”

Warren Tustix from NOSHIP ended his speech with a call to the crowd, “We say no to Western imperialism, to big oil selling death around the world, to the U.S. global AI war machine, to war with Iran, and to war anywhere!”

While marching down the historic tourist-packed Bourbon street, the crowd chanted “No boots on the ground, no bombs in the air. U.S. out of everywhere!” and “From the belly of the beast, hands off the Middle East!”

#NewOrleansLA #LA #AntiWarMovement #Iran #AWAN #NOSHIP

New Orleans, LA – On March 5, activists disrupted the New Orleans Criminal Justice Committee meeting to demand New Orleans Police Officer Victor Gant be fired and charged for his role in the coverup of Jace Lee Scott’s murder. Scott was shot and killed by Gant's son, Andrew Gant, in 2019.

Before the meeting, Jace’s mother Shanta Scott and activists from the New Orleans Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and other organizations rallied outside of city hall. Signs read “Justice for Jace Lee Scott,” “Fire NOPD Officer Victor Gant” and “Federal charges for killer Andrew Gant.”

“We are out here today to pack the CJC meeting to demand justice for Jace and justice for all victims of NOPD violence and negligence,” said activist Toni Jones of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Jace Lee Scott was killed on November 24, 2019 by Andrew Gant, who was convicted of “negligent homicide,” thus avoiding a murder charge and prison time. Judge Nandi Campbell awarded Gant with a five-year deferred sentence after his defense argued that Jace was killed while the two were “play fighting.” No physical evidence supported this claim. Shanta Scott has said that Victor Gant's son only avoided prison time due to the actions of his father, who behaved outside of NOPD protocol when he found out about the killing.

Danyelle Christmas, representing the New Orleans Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, spoke to the double standards afforded to NOPD officers stating, “Laws were broken, yet somehow this officer is still allowed to work in city hall and his son is walking free.”

Shanta Scott also made her feelings clear, stating, “I have no trust in the New Orleans Police Department. I have no trust in the system. The whole system is guilty as hell.”

The protest then moved inside to public comment, where Shanta Scott spoke defiantly about Gant's crimes and her demands for justice. In response, city council members complained that Scott spoke longer than the allowed two-minute public comment window and stopped the meeting. The committee members then left the city council chambers and had New Orleans Police Department officers forcibly remove Scott and supporting activists from the chambers.

As Shanta Scott was forced out of the chambers, she continued speaking out against Officer Victor Gant. “He's covering up for murder!” Scott declared. Outside the chambers, she demanded action from the council shouting, “We want an independent investigation! We want CPAC! No more police policing police!”

Shanta and New Orleans Alliance members have stated that they plan to come back into the council chambers to demand justice for Jace on March 30 at 9 a.m.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #InJusticeSystem #NAARPR #NOAARPR

New Orleans, LA – On Sunday March 8 around 1 p.m., a crowd of around 40 community members rallied outside the Hale Boggs Federal Building and marched to City Hall for International Women’s Day. The action was called by the Queer and Trans Community Action Project (QTCAP).

“Donald Trump and Jeff Landry are openly organizing and openly having legislative aggression towards women. They are coming after reproductive rights. They are also coming after birth control pills,” Contessa Chenevert of QTCAP exclaimed. “They are also coming after queer people, trans people under the guise of family values. It is important to stand up for one another and to stand up for our communities internationally as our government continues to bomb women and children with our tax dollars.”

Sanaa Monterosso, a member of New Orleans Stop Helping Israel's Ports (NOSHIP) stated, “When we see women having their rights and voices reduced, we also see a girl’s school in Iran being bombed and martyred mothers of Palestine having their voices reduced and silenced. All women are under attack under capitalism.”

The crowd chanted, “How do you spell misogyny?! T-H-E G-O-P,” “International Women’s Day, immigrants built the USA!” as they marched to City Hall.

Juleea Berthelot, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, said, “The inequality that women and gender oppressed people face is systemic. It violates every inch of our lives. In the workplace, we face unequal gender division of labor which means super-exploitation that enriches the capitalists that run this country. The same capitalists that create or support laws that strip us of our rights and autonomy of our bodies. We need real change; we need a revolution because they are trying to strip us of our basic democratic rights!”

“The Trump administration has been using the rhetoric of ‘defending women’ to justify many of its repressive policies,” said Molly Frayle, a member of QTCAP. She promoted QTCAP’s campaign to make New Orleans a sanctuary city for women and LGBTQ people.

Frayle stated, “We know that the city council likes to make promises and do nothing. I don’t care if they feel bad enforcing Trump’s policies. Because at the end of the day, if they choose to be the hammers that Trump uses to smash our communities, they have picked a side and it’s the wrong side. QTCAP demands that our city council make New Orleans a safe haven for all LGBTQ people, women and families.”

#NewOrleansLA #LA #InternationalWomensDay #LGBTQ #WomensMovement

New Orleans, LA — On Friday, March 6, the Liberate and Unite New Orleans chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (LUNO-SDS) held a rally and speak-out event in support of adopting sanctuary campus policies at Loyola University New Orleans.

Earlier this year, on February 10, students from LUNO-SDS and the wider Loyola community delivered a letter of demands to Loyola president, Xavier A. Cole. In the letter were proposals for sanctuary-style policies that would demonstrably protect the student body. The only response that the students received ignored their demands and did not offer any concrete solutions to concerned and affected students.

At the rally, Loyola professor and member of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), Dr. Pablo Zavala, spoke in support of the student protesters. In response to claims that ICE is no longer an issue in New Orleans, Dr. Zavala said, “There is a racist, xenophobic, capitalist war machine that is not going to stop for anything.” He continued saying, “Whether it’s ICE, whether it’s CBP, whether it’s DHS, whether it’s HSI or ERO – they are all part of the same war machine, and because of that we know that ICE kills!”

Also in attendance was LUNO-SDS member and Loyola student Chelsea Bandala. Bandala told the story of how her brother was detained by ICE and the university did nothing to stand by her. “This is greatly impacting me, and I feel it in my heart every single day, and do you know what Loyola did? They turned a blind eye.” In reference to Loyola’s efforts for designation as a “Hispanic-serving Institution,” Bandala added, “How will they claim to serve us, when they deny us our claims, when they deny us the policies that we are asking for?”

Lastly, Rosalina Framboise of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization stated, “The people whose research, whose tuition, and whose labor power this university, ought to have a say in how this university is run.”

Framboise concluded, “If the students want sanctuary campus policies, then we should have sanctuary campus policies. And if you want us to stop protesting, adopt the damn policy!”

#NewOrleansLA #LA #StudentMovement #ImmigrantRights #SDS

New Orleans, LA – On March 3, New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP) hosted a rally and march against the escalatory U.S. sanctions against Cuba and Venezuela as well as the unprovoked attacks against Iran that have killed upwards of 900 people.

The protesters marched through the French Quarter and gained supportive cheers and fist pumps from workers and tourists alike.

Speakers at the event pledged to continue the solidarity with nations attacked by U.S. imperialism and the oppressed nationalities and communities here in the United States. Mich González from the New Orleans-based Sanctuary Now Abolition Project (SNAP) referred to colonized peoples saying, “We are testing grounds all the time for the policies of imperialism and victimization.”

Luke Rojas Nogueira of the Communist Party USA also spoke in support of imperialized nations saying, “Cuba never kidnapped my neighbors and deported them far from their homes. It wasn't the knee of an Iranian that crushed the neck of George Floyd.” He continued “Our enemies have never been abroad, and those who oppressed us here are the same people who drop bombs that are brothers and sisters in Latin America, West Asia, and Africa.”

#NewOrleansLA #LA #AntiWarMovement #Iran #Cuba #Venezuela #NOSHIP

New Orleans, LA – On Monday, March 2, around 25 students gathered on Freret Street in uptown New Orleans to protest the United States aggression against Iran. Students participated in the emergency action as part of a national call to action from Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

The U.S. began their strikes on Iran early in the morning on Saturday, February 28 in Tehran in coordination with Israel. Since then, more than 1000 deaths have been reported in Iran.

Speaking for SDS, Tulane University senior Billy Bernfeld stated, “The U.S. and Israel did not launch this war because they legitimately fear nuclear proliferation, but because they fear a tangible threat to Western imperialist hegemony. Overseas or right here where we stand, they target student voices because they fear student voices.”

The students chanted “Hands off Iran,” and “Money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation!”

Juleea Berthelot of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization told the crowd, “Iran is a sovereign country that stands at the center of an axis of resistance. Iran stands firmly with the Palestinian resistance and backs the anti-imperialist forces in Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen. That is why Iran is targeted again and again.”

“We reject the lie we’ve heard for decades that the U.S. has the ultimate goal of peace and freedom for the Middle East. What peace is there for the millions already killed? What freedom is there for the next generation if they are never given a chance to grow up? We say: no more!” declared Jia Sharma-Chaube, a Tulane student and organizer with Students for a Democratic Society.

Despite agitation from pro-Israel counter-protesters, the rally persisted in disrupting business as usual on campus.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #AntiWarMovement #Iran #StudentMovement #SDS

Baton Rouge, LA – On March 3, student protesters gathered outside the Louisiana State University (LSU) student union to fight back against Trump and Netanyahu's attacks against Iran and to demand “U.S. out of everywhere!”

The protesters faced passersby and chanted, “From Iran to Palestine, bombing children is a crime!” and “No more innocent blood for oil! U.S. off Iranian soil!” However, the student protesters were joined by a group of “pro-regime change” Iranian counter-protesters nearby.

This group stood in glaring contrast to the students' protest. Counter-protesters held Israeli, American and Iranian flags and a sign thanking Donald Trump while dancing to the song YMCA and celebrating the bombing of a school full of children. Similar groups gathered in other parts of the U.S., all of whom were also dancing and celebrating with YMCA blaring in the background.

Local news channels and student onlookers questioned why this group was here and why they were celebrating the bombing of their home country. News also interviewed the group of students protesting the U.S. and Israel’s aggression against Iran.

Margo Wilson of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at LSU stated, “We are here today to protest the bombing of a school and to oppose Trump’s agenda. It’s important to know that the group of counter-protesters here today are not our enemy, Trump and Netanyahu are.”

Ziad Eissa of Freedom Road Socialist Organization said, “People in Iran have taken to the streets to stand up against the U.S. invasion. In the face of aerial bombings from the U.S. and assassinations of Iran’s leaders, the people of Iran are not afraid. We stand with the people of Iran in resisting U.S. imperialism wherever it strikes. The U.S. started this war and Iran has the right to respond to any attacks on its soil and defend itself against any violation to its sovereignty.” He emphasized that the regime change Americans really need is in Washington D.C., not the Middle East.

Students formed a picket line, chanting in a circle that took up the full width of Free Speech Alley where they were protesting. Protesters remained steadfast as the counter-protesters began to dissipate. They chanted, “From Venezuela to Iran, no more sanctions, no more bombs!”

#BatonRougeLA #LA #StudentMovement #AntiWarMovement #SDS #Iran

New Orleans, LA – On Saturday afternoon, February 27, the New Orleans Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NOAARPR) held a panel to discuss the history of police brutality in New Orleans. The panel took place at the Gwangi and Hollywood Community Center in Algiers.

NOAARPR Chair Toni Jones gave a brief history of the rise of policing in the Crescent City, beginning with its origins from slave catchers to the Code Noir during French and Spanish colonial rule.

“Police exist to uphold the ruling power,” she said. Toni cited many historic cases of police brutality throughout the centuries in New Orleans. Members of the community, some of them former Black Panthers who spent much of their lives incarcerated in Angola as political prisoners, affirmed the names and stories of Black residents and freedom fighters past who stood up to police brutality.

“The police are only in our communities not for our security but for our containment,” said Sister Shanta Scott of the People’s Political Party, quoting Huey P. Newton. Jace Lee Scott, her son, was murdered by the son of NOPD officer Victor Gant in 2019. She educated attendees about the murder, NOPD corruption and cover-ups, and the collusion of city officials and court justices. “Justice must be transparent. Justice must be consistent. Justice must be fearless. No more broken protocol, no more selective enforcement, and no more silence. Justice for Jace Lee Scott. That’s my son,” said Scott.

NOAARPR member, Danyelle Christmas shared about her run for city council, which was inspired by the police brutality and political repression against her uncle who was murdered by NOPD, and her father who was falsely convicted for murder in 1994. She spoke about the impacts incarceration had on her family. Her father spent ten years on death row in Angola, and when he was finally acquitted, they offered him $10. A dollar for each year of his life lost in prison. She continued to connect the struggles of the Black community to the exploitation of capitalism, highlighting systemic issues that negatively impact everyone.

“Let’s remember, the KKK is still considered a party, they’re still considered a non-profit, they’re still recognized by the United States. But the Black Panther Party was dismantled,” Christmas said. “We have to rise up.”

The panel was followed by an open forum discussion where members of the community shared their experiences within the prison industrial complex. Errol Williams shared his story, incarcerated for 21 years in Angola. “I don’t want to be oppressed anymore. I know what it's like, I’ve been living it all my life,” he said. “I realized the only ‘equal opportunity’ afforded to me is to die.” Another community member proudly stated that “Black history is world history.”

NOAARPR will hold a rally on March 5 to pack the city council chambers and demand justice for Jace Lee Scott, federal charges against Victor Gant, and a Civilian Police Accountability Council.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #BlackHistoryMonth #NOAARPR

New Orleans, LA – On Saturday afternoon, February 28, community organizations, activists and concerned residents gathered outside the Hale Boggs Federal Building in downtown New Orleans oppose the recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.

As most Americans woke up to find out that their country is embroiled in a full-out conflict, local organizations had to quickly organize. Over 150 people attended the protest, with over 13 organizations endorsing or participating.

At the protest, the speakers touched on the background of the recent escalation, the role of U.S. imperialism across the globe and connections with Palestine. However, nearly all the speakers hit upon a consistent theme: the need to resist this war here, within the United States.

Zach Dowling, a representative of New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP) said while other countries resist the results of imperialist aggression, here domestically we can fight at its very root.

Charlie Schully, on behalf of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) stated, “A critical issues poll was taken in the first weeks of February of over 1000 respondents by the University of Maryland. Do you know what percentage of people, overall, supported going to war with Iran? Twenty-one percent.”

“The masses have a collective memory. We know that there is no reason to support going to war against a people who want nothing but to live,” Schully continued, referencing a list of U.S.-perpetrated interventions including Iraq, Palestine, Venezuela, Cuba, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Ukraine and many others, with the new addition of Iran.

“It’s easy to get pessimistic by seeing the constant attacks and wondering what you can do,” said Dowling at the conclusion of his speech. His answer to this pessimism was a call to action. “Join organizations in your community that are dedicated to anti-imperialism, opposing genocide, and the genocidal U.S. foreign policy,” Dowling concluded.

The rally finished with a march to Canal Street and back to the Federal Building, accompanied by supportive honks from cars and cheers from pedestrians.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #AntiWarMovement #Iran #NOSHIP

New Orleans, LA – About 20 students gathered outside Loyola New Orleans’ campus on Thursday afternoon, February 26, to protest a CIA recruiting event in the Loyola School of Business. Students stood defiantly chanting, “We want justice, you say how? CIA off campus now!”

“In 1989, CIA trained death squads in El Salvador murdered a group of Jesuit priests in cold blood. Loyola, as a school that is supposed to teach us Ignatian values, should never host these criminals!” said Mae Guidry, a Loyola student speaking for Students for a Democratic Society.

Finn Shields of LUNO SDS spoke on the history of the CIA and its operations in the United States, saying, “The CIA is not simply a perpetrator of senseless evils towards those beyond our borders. They are terrorists to the very people they claim to work in service of.”

Shields continued, “Let’s not forget the horrors of MK Ultra, when the CIA terrorized unwitting American citizens. The CIA also aided in the widespread poisoning of Americans through the crack-cocaine epidemic.”

Rory Macdonald, speaking for the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, addressed the crowd, saying, “It is so important for young people to be standing here today saying ‘I am tired of my government funding these criminals, sending them to other countries, deposing popular governments, and torturing and murdering civilians!’”

Macdonald concluded, “The brutality of the CIA shows us that, in the struggle between the workers and oppressed people of the world and the capitalists who run our country, there can only be one winner. We need to smash the CIA, we need to smash the capitalist government, and we need to build working class political power!”

The CIA event at Loyola was its third this week in a tour of Louisiana colleges. The first was at Tulane University on February 23, and the second was at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge on the 25th. All three CIA events were met with protests organized by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

#NewOrleansLA #LA #StudentMovement #SDS

New Orleans, LA — Students from the Black Students Resistance Network (BSRN), an affiliate of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at Xavier University of Louisiana, organized a walk-out and rally, February 27, to protest of the Trump administration’s ICE attacks.

At the rally, chants that “Immigrants are welcome here!” and “No justice; no peace!” rang through the campus as the crowd marched across Xavier.

BSRN founder, Aniya Grisham, gave a speech about the crucial role that Xavier students have played in previous fights for Black liberation, including the Freedom Rides of 1961. She also honored Xavier’s late president, Dr. Norman C. Francis, for his role in the Freedom Rides.

“When the [Freedom Riders] made their stop in New Orleans, Dr. Norman C. Francis advocated for them to be able to stay here at Xavier,” Grisham said. She encouraged students to get organized and live up to Xavier’s rich history, stating, “This is everyone’s fight, and no one should be sitting back. We all need to get involved and do something.”

Closing her speech during the event, Grisham told fellow students, “Don’t let anyone convince you that Xavierites have not been protesting, because that is what this school is built on.” After her speech, the students marched around the campus, and concluded the rally with a proud chant, “Dare to struggle; dare to win!”

#NewOrleansLA #LA #SDS #BSRN #StudentMovement

New Orleans, LA — On February 24, students from the Black Students Resistance Network (BSRN), a Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) affiliate at Xavier University of Louisiana, organized a panel of activists from around the New Orleans area to discuss how and why students should fight for progressive policies on their campuses and in their communities.

The panel featured speakers from BSRN, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, the NAACP, Students for a Democratic Society, and a political opinion blog, The Daily Salad.

Central to the discussion was the question of “Why do we protest?”

“One of the reasons we hold these direct actions is because that is how people learn about these struggles and how we keep attention on these issues,” said Rosalina Framboise, a student activist at Loyola University. She invoked the story of the Black Panther Huey P. Newton putting up a stop sign in a community when the government refused to, and concluded by saying, “I think that is what our job is as organizers. If campus administration, or the government, or anyone else is not going to properly advocate the needs of the students or the community, it is our job to get together and do that ourselves.”

Among the other questions posed to the panelists was a question as to how people should respond to the idea Black people should “sit back,” as opposed to engaging in political organizing, because it “isn’t [their] fight.”

Aniya Grisham of BSRN responded, “Just because we can ‘sit at the front of the bus’ now doesn’t mean that it’s all sunshine and rainbows.” She added, “Black people are the most incarcerated people in the country, the least educated.” Grisham emphasized that the work of Black liberation is not done and that it is up to the people to continue fighting.

Overall, the event was a strong opportunity for Xavier students to discuss their thoughts with local student activists and learn more about how to get organized.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #StudentMovement #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #BSRN #SDS #FRSO #NAACP