Baton Rouge, LA – On October 23, a broad coalition of student organizations held a rally and march to conclude a week of action against MAGA and sexual assault at LSU. Students protested the LSU administration’s handling of the rape case involving Damien Shanklin, the football player accused of raping Kendall Francis. They also protested the gutting of the school’s cultural centers and demanded reinstatement of the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Office.

The student coalition included Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Feminists in Action, Tiger Prison Project, Injustice Reformed, Tigers Against Sexual Assault, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization. Their week of action included tabling by the various organizations, a sit-in, and concluded with the march.

The march began in Free Speech Alley on LSU’s campus, where students gathered. Along with the students, journalists arrived, including local news station WBRZ and LSU’s student-led newspaper, The Reveille. Campus police also showed up.

Gabriela DeJean, president of LSU SDS, reiterated the demands of the student coalition to the press. “Today we’re here demanding justice. We think that there’s a pervasive rape culture at LSU that has yet to be addressed at all. We’re out here today to make our demands clear and to make sure LSU addresses that.”

SDS member Gabriela Juarez stated, “Sexual assault on this campus is common to an extent that I don’t even think it’s fair to say that it’s not allowed. It is allowed. It’s, at best, regulated.”

The shutting-down of the cultural centers weighs heavily on the students as well, depriving them of safe spaces. “We played board games and talked about our days. There were mentorship programs. They did a food recovery network, so people could get meals there,” N’khia Zachery, president of Injustice Reformed, stated on the importance of the African American Cultural Center.

Students then marched to the Athletic Administration Building, where outside they demanded the expulsion of Damien Shanklin, and justice for Kendall Francis and other survivors. Students shouted chants such as “LSU, you can’t hide! Protecting rapists is a crime!”

What began as only LSU SDS making these demands has formed into a growing student coalition, and its actions have only just begun.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #StudentMovement #WomensMovement #SDS #TitleIX

New Orleans, LA – On Saturday, October 24, a crowd of about 30 people rallied in front of the Hale Boggs Federal Building and marched against police brutality and prison torture.

The action included many family members impacted by police brutality and horrible prison conditions, along with community members supporting them. Shanta Scott, Sabrina Foster and Lakeba Griffith spoke on their families’ cases of police and prison cover-ups. As they recounted their struggles, attendees stood united against the oppressive, racist injustice system that has wrecked their lives and others’.

“My son was tortured. He was tased several times, they choked him. He could not breathe,” said Sabrina Foster, mother of Glenn Foster Junior. Glenn Jr. was slain by police in Pickens County, Alabama in December 2021 after a routine traffic violation. “Police give the media their narrative as the ‘truth.’ But we need to speak up and speak out, tell the truth. Those motherfuckers are always lying and they get their point across first.” Her determination inspired cheers and applause from the crowd.

“It’s a new era in New Orleans, Louisiana. We have to stop these people. We have to stop the [NOPD] because people are afraid to step up to them. The devil is on a rampage and it’s coming from the police officers, the city officials, the people who are supposed to be the servants of us,” said Shanta Scott, mother of Jace Lee Scott. Jace was killed in November 2019 by Andrew Gant, the son of NOPD officer Victor Gant Jr., who aided in a subsequent cover-up.

The family of Dwerinn Alexander also came to speak on the inhumane treatment of prisoners in the Louisiana correctional system. Their family member, Dwerinn, was murdered while under the watch of Raymond Laborde Correctional Facility (RLCF) located in Cottonport, Louisiana earlier this year. Lakeba Griffith, the cousin of Dwerrin, spoke of taking the fight to the courts, wardens, and operators of RLCF, who are attempting to shut his case away and not give the family a full explanation of what occurred during the night of his murder.

After rallying, the crowd marched to the New Orleans Police Department headquarters located within the DXC Technologies building on Poydras Street. The chants of “Victor Gant is a crooked cop! We want justice, lock him up!” sounded through the busy streets around Poydras and sent shockwaves through the nearby police precinct. The march concluded around 1 p.m.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #InJusticeSystem

New Orleans, LA – On October 3 and 4, the 20th National Convention of Students for a Democratic Society was held with great success. Over 240 student and youth activists gathered in New Orleans, Louisiana to say, “Keep up the fight on campus!” and “Build a movement against Trump!” Students from around 26 chapters across the country gathered to learn from seasoned activists, exchange experiences, vote on resolutions, and elect national officers.

Despite facing repression from their universities and the Trump administration, the organizers were united and steadfast in their drive to keep fighting. As SDS’ recently re-elected president, Erin Boyle, put it, “Before SDS, I felt pessimistic about what was going on. I don’t feel that way anymore!”

With the rampant and ongoing threat of ICE terror, SDSers spoke on their campaigns for sanctuary campus policies on the panel entitled “ICE Out Now! Sanctuary Campus Now: Immigrant Rights and the Student Movement.”

On that panel, Sasmit Rahman of the University of Minnesota recalled the noise demonstrations that SDSers conducted outside of ICE agents’ hotel rooms during the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis.

“There's a deep-rooted collective rage that our noise demos tapped into. You're seeing the kidnapping of immigrants all across the cities, and the kidnappers and occupiers are in the building in front of you. Trying to control that rage, actually, is not our job at all,” Rahman said.

Earlier in the day, SDSers and other activists spoke on the “Money for Education, Not for Wars and Occupation: Continuing the Tradition of Anti-war Student Activism” panel. It was there that Navya Prakash of Together United Louisiana (TUL) SDS spoke on her chapter’s strong anti-war and anti-Zionist efforts in spite of the rabidly pro-Israel administration of Tulane University.

“We don't hold these rallies every week only for solidarity, although solidarity is an important part of it. We do them, because every time they call Tulane police, every time they put up barricades around our campus, it's proof that we are making a change in our campus,” said Prakash “We can't allow them to see that the students will just take whatever they do lying down. We have to organize at these extremely reactionary places, because these institutions can be won.”

At the end of the first day, students and community members rallied in the convention center at a protest to demand the immediate release of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores. The action was organized by New Orleans’ affiliate to the Anti-War Action Network, New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP).

On the second day of the convention, organizers voted on resolutions for National SDS and demonstrated great unity as they passed resolutions to combat gender oppression on campus, honor those martyred by racist violence and police brutality, reaffirm their commitment to defending free speech on campus, continue solidarity with the people of Palestine, demand the freedom of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and ultimately to resist attacks by the Trump administration and the ruling class wherever they may appear.

Above all, this convention demonstrated that the student movement continues to be strong and steadfast.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #StudentMovement #SDS #SDSConvention #Venezuela #AntiWarMovement

Baton Rouge, LA – On October 16, students at Louisiana State University (LSU) mobilized at the Board of Supervisors meeting to demand an end to LSU’s recent attacks on Title IX. While students gathered inside to speak, other supporters held a rally directly outside the meeting.

The protest was organized by a coalition of organizations including Students for a Democratic Society (LSU SDS), Injustice Reform, Feminists in Action, Tiger Prison Project, Freedom Road Socialist Organization and Tigers Against Sexual Assault.

During public comment, board members repeatedly interrupted Ziad Eissa, vice president of LSU SD. Eventually, the board had police forcefully remove him from the meeting. They also removed three other members of SDS who were waiting to give their comments. This meeting had a significant increase in police repression in comparison to previous ones, with officers from the LSU Police Department, Baton Rouge Police Department, and even an undercover officer from the local sheriff’s department.

When supporters learned that their fellow students were denied the right to speak, the rally outside intensified. Students ensured that their voices could be heard from inside the building. Chants like “LSU you can’t hide! Protecting rapists is a crime!” “ Hey hey! Ho ho! The BOS has to go!” and “LSU what do you say, how many girls got raped today?!” could be heard from inside the building while the board met.

The rally raised demands for the cultural centers on campus to be restored to their full capacity. It also demanded the restoration of Title IX offices like the office of engagement, and that LSU expel Damien Shanklin and all other rapists on campus. Students criticized the LSU administration for escalating its clearly racist, sexist and homophobic actions under Trump.

“Across the nation, universities and police work hand in hand to protect rapists, bigots and racists, while punishing students who dare to fight back. Why? Because the capitalist ruling class feeds on oppression,” explained Enola Guyer, a speaker from Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Despite heightened police presence at the event, protesters made it clear that they will not quit fighting against the university administration’s repression.

“We want Landry’s lapdogs to know that we know who they are, we know what they stand for, and we will not stop fighting until our demands are met!” said Guyer as she closed out her speech.

The coalition has planned a week of action from October 19 to the 23, with a range of activities from an open mic night to a sit-in, closing out with a rally to demand that LSU expel Damien Shanklin. Shanklin is a rapist who was allowed on campus with no consequence, and permitted to play for LSU’s football team even after a LSU investigation determined he raped another student.

#BatonRougeLA #LA #StudentMovement #SDS #WomensMovement

New Orleans, LA – On October 22, the Liberate and Unite New Orleans chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (LUNO SDS) rallied as part of a national day of action against sexual violence and rape culture on university campuses. The day of action was called in response to the ongoing coverage surrounding the Cornell 57 and rampant sexual violence on college campuses in general.

At the rally, Loyola students expressed that their university had repeatedly failed to keep them and their peers safe and called for stronger systems of accountability from their administrators.

Speaking for LUNO SDS, Loyola freshman Jessica Monahan stated, “It is imperative that bodies of authority in our universities hear out and defend people like Jane Doe. Not only because it is their job, but because these people need to be and feel safe speaking out about their experiences.” Monahan continued, “What precedent does it set when sexual predators are made to pay for the trauma and dehumanization they've enacted with mere essays and suspensions?”

Incidents of sexual violence do not exist in isolation and are indeed a part of a wider systemic problem. Juleea Berthelot of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization spoke to the Republican-led effort to roll back Title IX protections.

“The rollbacks put in place are being used to protect the status quo as it exists. The ruling makes it impossible for there to be a real legal pathway to hold fraternities accountable for perpetrating sexual assault on campus and lets rapists know they can commit their crimes with little to no accountability,” Berthelot said.

Berthelot continued, “The rollback lets schools get off the hook for refusing to come to the aid of victims. It defends rich and powerful students from even being accused of rape by demoralizing those who come forward.” Berthelot finished their speech by reminding the crowd that “more people are becoming conscious of the rotten corruption and injustice allowed on campuses,” and “the struggle for socialism will only intensify as more people in the United States are forced to realize it is the only way to truly end rape culture and anti-LGBTQ attacks on campus and in our communities.”

The rally concluded with the final demand to convict the Cornell 57 and for justice for all survivors.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #StudentMovement #SDS #LUNO #WomensMovement #SexualViolence #LGBTQ

New Orleans, LA – This October 24 at 11 a.m., the New Orleans Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression will hold a march against police brutality. The march will begin in front of the Federal Building downtown at 500 Poydras Street.

Demands include, “Jail killer cops! Stop police cover-ups! End prison torture!” Families impacted by police crimes will be highlighted in the program to demand justice for their murdered and incarcerated loved ones.

The injustice system has consistently shown that it does not care about Black lives. Over the last few months, Black Americans have seen unsolved lynchings, the police cover-up Nolan Wells murder, and the police murder one-year-old Kohen Wiley with no consequences. 

The New Orleans Alliance is demanding justice for Nolan Wells, Kohen Wiley, Jace Lee Scott, and all Black lives taken by police killings or covered up by police. They urge all who believe in justice to attend and join the fight for Black lives alongside the families leading the way.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #NAARPR #NOAARPR #KohenWiley

New Orleans, LA – On October 7, the third anniversary of al-Aqsa Flood, New Orleans pro-Palestine groups, students and community members gathered to demand an end to all U.S. aid to Israel.

Members of the grassroots pro-Palestine organization New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP) erected a banner over the steps facing New Orleans’ famous Jackson Square in the French Quarter. The banner read the people’s demand: “Stop the Gaza genocide, end U.S. aid to Israel!” as tourists and passersby stopped by to take pictures.

Several activist groups rallied and spoke on how the history of occupation, ethnic cleansing and massacres by the Israeli state against Palestinians did not begin on October 7, 2023.

“When the Palestinian resistance broke down the apartheid gates on October 7, they opened the gates to a new world!” said Freedom Road Socialist Organization member Carson Cruse.

Cruse continued, “Let's be clear that this is not just a moral issue of Israel versus Palestine. This is a class issue. The same ruling class that is bombing Gaza, they are suspending and expelling student protesters, stealing oil from Venezuela, price gouging you and me, funding Trump and his dogs' campaigns.”

NOSHIP members spoke of Trump’s agenda to further militarize and occupy the Gaza strip through his Board of Peace. The board issued its first contract for construction of a military base in Rafah, to be populated by foreign troops. The contract was awarded to a Louisiana-based company, Arkel International.

“While Trump’s Board of Peace serves to further solidify the violation of Palestinians’ right to self-determination, Louisiana companies like Arkel stand to profit from it,” said Cristine Farah from NOSHIP.

NOSHIP member Tracie Ash highlighted the breadth of destruction caused by Israel and its financial backer, the U.S., since October 2023, stating, “82% of all buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, including 94% of the hospitals and clinics, with 90% of the population displaced. Nearly 300 journalists have been murdered.”

Speakers combatted the Zionist narrative that Palestinians have no right to resist 75 years of occupation and apartheid.

Local organizations and community members are gearing up for a large March for Palestine in downtown New Orleans on October 17.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #NOSHIP #FRSO

New Orleans, LA – On Tuesday, October 6, around 30 students and community members held a rapid response pro-Palestine rally outside Tulane Chabad to protest an event held there. Inside, three students who served in the Israeli Defense Forces gave a talk on the three-year anniversary of October 7.

The rally was organized by Together United Louisiana Students for a Democratic Society (TUL SDS). The student organization has protested IDF events held by Tulane all three times they have taken place in the past year. The event was not publicly advertised anywhere. Students learned of it only hours before via a mailing list.

SDS organizer Keenan Gray spoke about their rapid response, stating, “Even though Tulane tried to hide this event and we only found out about it three hours in advance, SDS knew we had to quickly organize a protest to show that the genocidal IDF is never welcome on this campus.”

Students and community members gathered outside the building, banging drums and chanting, “Tulane hear us loud and clear, IDF’s not welcome here!” And “We want justice, you say how? IDF off campus now!”

“Tulane knows they are monsters. That’s why this is happening off campus. That’s why these cowards didn’t even advertise their event until three hours ago. That’s why last year they tried to arrest us for protesting the IDF, why they retaliated so violently against the encampments, and why they constantly shut down pro-Palestine activism,” said TUL SDS member Jai Thombre. “Tulane treats its own students like we are the threat yet welcomes the IDF with open arms.”

Attendees of the event came outside to shout at protesters, but passersby cheered the crowd on and honked in support.

SDS organizer Rory MacDonald, who Tulane Police attempted to arrest at a similar demonstration in November 2025, spoke about the student movement at Tulane, “We are still here, we are still fighting. The anti-Zionist movement at Tulane has only grown. It’s only gotten stronger, and the Zionist movement is cowering!”

Students ended the rally with a promise to continue fighting back against Zionist forces on their campus.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #StudentMovement #SDS

New Orleans, LA – On October 3, over 200 students and youth rallied for Nicolas Maduro and Celia Flores at the New Orleans Healing Center. The protest called by the Anti-War Action Network (AWAN) condemned the horrific treatment of Cilia Flores, who is currently experiencing a life-threatening heart condition. New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP), an AWAN affiliate, organized the demonstration alongside Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

“When I met farm workers, indigenous organizers, and trade unionists in Venezuela, all of them denounced the Yankee imperialist attacks on their sovereignty!” cried Ebtesham Ahmed, a member of New York University SDS. Ahmed visited Venezuela mere weeks before the kidnapping of Maduro and Flores. They lifted their fist to the crowd, sharing a chant they learned in Venezuela: “¡Yo solo sé tres palabras en inglés, Yankee go home!”

Protesters held signs that read “Free First Lady Cilia Flores!” and “Stop U.S. war on Venezuela!”

Maduro and Flores have been held in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York for over 200 days. Their capture on January 3 resulted in the death of 100 people in Venezuela. During their imprisonment, the United States has maintained suffocating sanctions on the country.

Trump has openly bragged that taking Venezuela’s resources and labor will bolster the U.S. economy, but student activists rejected this exploitation. “My enemy is not the people of the world, they're our allies. I stand with the people of Venezuela as they stand with us, against our true enemy, Donald Trump and the ruling class of the United States,” shouted Khalid Hamu, National SDS secretary.

Freedom Road Socialist Organization member Chris Maldonado connected the struggle to his family’s fight against sanctions in Cuba, stating, “Whether it's my country or Venezuela, it is important that we don’t sit idly by while the U.S. monopoly capitalists plot to murder revolutionaries, strangle sovereign countries, and profit off of exploitation. We must stand up and fight back!”

As the rally ended, NOSHIP organizers made sure to give everyone in attendance a call to action for Maduro and Flores. “The Anti-War Action Network will be at every single court hearing that they have, demanding their freedom and an end to the attacks on Venezuelan sovereignty. We ask that you join us in signing our petition, and rally in your city every time AWAN calls a day of action,” said NOSHIP member Cristine Farah.

People interested in supporting Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores can sign AWAN’s petition at tinyurl.com/awanfreemaduro and follow their Instagram @antiwaractionnetwork for days of action in solidarity with Venezuela.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #CiliaFlores #NicolasMaduro #AntiWarActionNetwork #SDS #Feature

New Orleans, LA – Hundreds of student activists from across the country will arrive in New Orleans this Saturday and Sunday, October 3 and 4, for the 20th National Convention of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). October 3 will also mark nine months since the United States shamefully invaded and attacked Venezuela, kidnapping President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.

New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP), a partner of the national Anti-War Action Network, has led the local struggle against intervention in Venezuela. The intervention has accomplished nothing but more suffering. In particular, the June 24 earthquakes near the capital city of Caracas killed over 6000 people and injured nearly a quarter million more.

“Our city was also devastated by a federal policy of neglect. Now we have the Trump administration trying to cut off aid and resources to more innocent civilians experiencing a disaster. Here, we find that especially alarming and abhorrent,” said Charlie Schully of NOSHIP. “That’s why it is fitting that the largest rally for Venezuelan sovereignty this week may be right here in New Orleans.”

Schully pointed to the fact that the United States is freezing Venezuelan assets in the International Monetary Fund, preventing them from accessing their own funds, and the decades of sanctions which have grown worse. “We call for their leaders to be freed, particularly Cilia Flores, who is quite literally dying in an American prison. But we also demand an end to U.S. sanctions and freeing up their nearly $5 billion in assets!”

Silas Gillett, of Liberate and Unite New Orleans (LUNO) Students for a Democratic Society, said that “Students for a Democratic Society stands in full support of jailed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.”

“As students and youth, we remember the student movement’s history of fighting against U.S. interventions abroad, from Vietnam to Palestine,” Gillett added. “As young people, we refuse to sit by and allow this imperialist government to spoil our world’s future by starting chaos and crises in independent countries. We all have a stake in the fight against foreign interventions. Whatever rights the U.S. imperialists can take away from people abroad, they can take away from us.”

NOSHIP will partner with local chapters of SDS to bring the rally and march against U.S. intervention in Venezuela to downtown New Orleans right after the first day of the National Convention. The rally will begin on Saturday at 5 p.m. in front of Armstrong Park. Activists will march through the French Quarter and end on the steps of Jackson Square.

You can sign the Anti-War Action Network petition to free President Maduro and First Lady Flores at www.tinyurl.com/awanfreemaduro.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #StudentMovement #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #NicolasMaduro #CiliaFlores #AntiWarActionNetwork #SDS

New Orleans, LA – On Tuesday, September 28, about a dozen people packed the municipal court for activist Toni Jones of the New Orleans Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. Jones is facing trumped-up misdemeanor charges of disturbing the peace and disturbing city council. She was arrested on March 30 during a city council meeting where Shanta Scott and supporters gave public comment on corrupt Sargeant Victor Gant Jr of the New Orleans Police Department.

Before Jones’s court hearing, the crowd gathered in front of the building with a loud speaker to chant and give speeches. They held signs reading “Stop NOPD corruption” and “Justice for Jace Lee Scott.”

“From our perspective, the person who disturbed the peace is Victor Gant Jr of the NOPD. He’s a crooked cop who steals justice from grieving families. The people who disturbed the city council meeting are the group of police officers who surrounded and tried to intimidate a mother fighting for justice,” said Toni Mar of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

“It’s a shame how this system is treating people like us,” said Shanta Scott, mother of Jace Lee Scott. “They attack us, but they should be attacking the New Orleans Police Department. They should be attacking every officer that was sitting in the police station over there while the corruption was going on. My child was murdered. This has to stop, from the DA’s office all the way down to the municipal court! Why attack us, and not attack them?” said Scott.

Inside, a city attorney filed for a continuance on the case, citing the need to subpoena more witnesses and a missing police report. Jones will appear before the court again for trial on November 24, the day Jace Lee Scott was murdered by Andrew Gant in 2019.

“On November 24, we are going to come out strong to demand justice for Jace on the date of his angelversary. We have to show these officers that they can’t bully us, we are standing our ground,” said Mar.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #InjusticeSystem #JaceLeeScott #ToniJones #PolitialRepression #NAARPR #KillerCop #VictorGant

Baton Rouge, LA – On September 14, a coalition of more than seven progressive student organizations at Louisiana State University (LSU) held a press conference to voice sharp opposition to the closing of several cultural centers over summer break. These included the African American Cultural Center, Women’s Center, Latinx Center, LGBTQ+ center, and Multicultural Center.

The press conference was held just hours after students’ representatives from Injustice Reform, Student for a Democratic Society (SDS), Feminists in Action, and the LSU chapter of NAACP met personally with Executive Vice President James Dalton and Senior Vice Chancellor Joseph Messina to discuss their demands. Their meeting was hard-won after students marched on Dalton's office to demand it and attended a board of supervisors meeting to publicly demand this meeting a second time.

“We went into the meeting to demand that all centers were reopened to their full capacity and original functioning. The reasons stated by James Dalton for these changes were ‘eliminating redundancy and cutting costs,’” said Gabi DeJean of SDS.

After meeting for over two hours, the administration refused to reverse these changes in any way. They also refused to send an email communication to the student body to explain what changes have been made to the cultural centers.

At the press conference, the Queer Graduate Student Alliance explained that the LGBTQ+ center has been closed for over a year now, and that this was one of the last places that LGBTQ students were safe on campus. Feminists in Action explained that LSU’s campus has also lost a lactation room, staffing to support victims of sexual assault, and funding for free Plan B and contraceptives for students.

“LSU cares about Black bodies and Black culture when it comes to football, but they don’t care about Black students who pay tuition to go to school here,” said Laketa Johnson. Johnson is the founder of A Belle La Femme, a nonprofit organization that helps get scholarships for oppressed nationality women in college. She is also a key community leader in the fight against the unconstitutional Louisiana redistricting map released earlier this year. Johnson touched on key parallels between Trump and Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry’s agenda and the changes that LSU’s administration is making on campus.

All of the student groups present expressed resolutely that they are opposed to the rollback of DEI and right-wing consolidation.

“We all know that these centers came into being as a result of tireless student protest and public pressure decades before us. So we’re sure as hell not going to let them take it away without that same fight!” said DeJean.

#BatonRougeLA #LA #StudentMovement #SDS #CulturalCenters

Baton Rouge, LA – On August 27, Louisiana State University Students (LSU) marched to the school’s administrative office to demand the university’s cultural centers be restored.

Over the summer, the LSU administration consolidated all four cultural centers under the Office of Academic Affairs. This move effectively shut them down. Additionally, all student and administrative staff were removed without warning.

“These centers were won in the 60s and 70s through political struggle and public pressure, and so we will continue the struggle students on this campus have waged in the past,” said Ziad Eissa, vice president of LSU Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

LSU SDS President Margo Wilson and Secretary Gabriela DeJean joined the march and attempted to hand-deliver the students' written demands to LSU Chancellor James Dalton. Upon arrival, Wilson and DeJean were met by several police officers and denied entry for a prolonged period. They were eventually allowed to pass their demands to Dalton’s secretary and demand a meeting with the chancellor to discuss these unjustifiable cuts.

“They want us to think that the world is unchangeable, but we know that when the people dare to fight back, we can change the world,” said Ashley Schmittle, member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Students at LSU are determined to keep up the struggle to reopen the cultural centers.

#BatonRougeLA #LA #StudentMovement #SDS #LSUSDS #Feature

New Orleans, LA – On September 1, a group of students rallied demanding Loyola University New Orleans adopt proper anti-ICE sanctuary policies. This includes visible signage preventing ICE from entering the campus, student and professor representation on the school’s Immigration Task Force, and assurance that Loyola will refuse to collaborate with ICE in any capacity.

At the rally, Loyola student Rosalina Framboise addressed a message to the Loyola administration and President Xavier Cole. Framboise said, “Just because this has not happened on our campus yet, does not mean it is not happening on campuses all over the country.”

Another Loyola student, Fin Jones, said, “When schools and organizations can’t go against the government’s wishes for fear of a target on their backs, we can no longer call ourselves a democracy.”

The rally’s final student speaker, Quesada-Amor, urged Loyola’s administration, “We cannot accept these vile, cruel and unjust enactments carried out by these ICE thugs that only serve to violate the rights of men and women.”

The rally continued a yearlong sanctuary campus campaign led by the Liberate and Unite New Orleans chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (LUNO-SDS). The rally was part of a New SDS National Day of Action calling on all chapters to engage in active protest across their campuses and demand “ICE out now!”

#NewOrleansLA #LA #StudentMovement #ImmigrantRights #ICE #LoyolaUniversity #SDS

Baton Rouge, LA – Members of the Baton Rouge community came together at the biweekly Metropolitan Council meeting, August 12, to fight against the approval of the “Police Support Specialist Program,” Baton Rouge Police Department’s (BRPD) dangerous new re-hiring policy. This program allows former law enforcement personnel with a minimum of 20 years of experience to be rehired onto the force to perform ‘non law enforcement duties.’

The BRPD has consistently failed at holding officers accountable, and the conditions for rehiring outlined in the program show an intentional move to put crooked cops back on the force.

“Bringing people back who are trained under [unconstitutional] policies that simply do not operate in today’s world is unfathomable.” said Reverend Alexis Anderson during public comment as she voiced her concerns regarding the proposal.

Reverend Anderson was specifically referencing the 2024 decision by a federal judge that deemed BRPD’s strip search policy unconstitutional. Anderson additionally had concerns that crooked cops could be rehired onto the force, including lying officers on the Brady List, torturers involved in the BRAVE CAVE torture warehouse, criminals involved in narcotics scandals, or other BRPD scandals.

In response to comments from concerned members of the community, BRPD Chief of Police Thomas Morse Jr. weakly stated, “Why would I want to hire somebody like that?” He stated there are no specific provisions to protect against cops involved in these scandals being hired; he only gave empty promises.

The lack of accountability in BRPD policy gives no comfort to frightened community members who have endured decades of abuse by Baton Rouge Police and have witnessed the blatant lack of care that the force has for residents.

Most recently, Stefan Jones, a BRPD officer, resigned after sexual battery charges were filed against him. Jones was not taken off the force despite previous incidents including the falsification of military orders, brandishing a gun at bystanders, and most notably hitting and seriously injuring a bicyclist while on duty. BRPD’s tolerance of Jones’ behavior allowed a dangerous individual to continue working as an armed police officer and put the Baton Rouge community in harm's way.

While the Metropolitan Council voted to enact the new program, community members remain upset with the lack of transparency around the hiring process and will continue to struggle against BRPD’s attacks.

Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), and the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison Reform Collective (EBRPPRC) all gathered at the meeting to stand up for their community and fight back against this threat from the BRPD.

#BatonRougeLA #LA #InjusticeSystem #BRPD

New Orleans, LA – On August 27, about 30 people gathered for a demonstration against Palantir, a data analytics corporation notorious for its use in mass surveillance and the Palestinian genocide. New Orleans Nurses United led the protest alongside National Nurses United (NNU) locals in seven other cities.

“We nurses are outside the federal building in New Orleans today because one in four people detained by ICE are taken to Louisiana detention centers,” said Hannah Miller, an ICU nurse and NNU member.

The crowd chanted “Purge, purge Palantir!” and raised picket signs that read “Palantir Out!”.

NNU chose to target Palantir in this coordinated National Day of Action because hospitals contract the corporation to manage patient information, including automated scheduling and management. Palantir is currently partnering with the Trump regime to target people for deportation based on Medicaid data from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“Trump and his fearmongers in Congress continue to send billions to corrupt CEOs who profit from violence and suffering. They have stolen more than a trillion dollars from healthcare for working people,” said Miller.

Nurses then occupied a busy street for over ten minutes and raised a giant banner that read, “Patients over Palantir!” They put stickers on signs and buildings informing bystanders on the dangers ICE and Palantir pose.

“We must unite to say no to Palantir making us work harder for less, no to Palantir arming masked thugs to kidnap our neighbors, no to Palantir enabling Israel’s ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people, and no to Palantir everywhere!” stated Nick Michaels, an organizer with New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP).

Organizations that joined NNU in this demonstration include NOSHIP, Jewish Voices for Peace (JVP), and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #Labor #Nurses #NationalNursesUnited #Palantir #AntiWarMovement #ImmigrantRights #ICE

New Orleans, LA – On August 13, IAFF (International Association of Fire Fighters) Local 632 filed a lawsuit with the Civil District Court of New Orleans against the city’s Roman Nelson, the city’s fire superintendent. The union is fighting against unsafe practices like ordering unqualified fire fighters to operate the fire engines, a practice that puts workers and New Orleanians at risk.

Although staffing shortages have historically plagued the department, qualified operators could earn overtime to keep the engines running. “[But] now, we're being told we won't be compensated for this dangerous and often unqualified work. And if we refuse, we risk being fired,” explained Aaron Mischler, president of Local 632.

The conflict between Local 632 and the city came to a head in the beginning of August, when three fire stations were forced to temporarily cease operations due to severe staffing shortages. “When we took this drastic measure, the city finally relented and allowed us to pay guys overtime to keep services up and running,” said Aaron Mischler.

The city of New Orleans has repeatedly attacked workers’ wages to compensate for severe fiscal mismanagement. Mayor Helena Moreno announced layoffs, hiring freezes and furloughs as soon as she took office in November 2025. “We're a public union, we don't generate income, we'll always be a red line. They're always looking to cut corners on safety at the detriment of us and the public,” argued Mischler.

While the legal battle continues, some local news outlets are blaming the union for the city’s failures. Local 632 firefighters want to set the record straight on who the real instigator of this fight is. “Even if you see station closures, we will always get the job done. We put ourselves on the line every day for the people's safety. There's nothing the public has to worry about, this is a fight between us and the city. The city is choosing to do this, not us firefighters,” asserted Mischler.

New Orleanians should keep an eye out for announcements from IAFF Local 632 for future calls to action and solidarity in their ongoing struggle against Roman Nelson and company.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #Labor #Firefighters #IAFFLocal632

New Orleans, LA – On Aug 11, Shanta Scott met with the office of Mayor Helena Moreno to demand justice for her son, Jace Lee Scott. Jace was killed in 2019 by the son of NOPD officer Victor Gant Jr., who now serves on the mayor’s security team. Scott maintains that police led a sham probe to cover up her son’s murder. A dozen protesters joined her outside of City Hall in support.

They chanted, “Victor Gant Jr. what do you say? What protocol did you break today?!” and “How do you spell accountability? F – I – R – E, G – A – N – T!”

Shanta Scott told protesters, “Seems like they have people in high places, I’m going in there to bring them down a little bit.”

After kicking off the rally, Shanta Scott went into City Hall. She was joined by Toni Mar of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. The two met with the mayor’s chief of staff, Kevin Ferguson.

Scott demanded that Victor Gant Jr. be fired. She showed Ferguson audio recordings of Gant's son, Andrew Gant, being interrogated for Jace Lee Scott’s killing. The audio revealed NOPD officer Victor Gant Jr. clearly present at his son’s own interrogation. Audio and body camera footage also showed Andrew’s mother and uncle entering the interrogation room. Andrew Gant’s mother can be heard saying, “You’re going to be home by tonight” and that she would call the judge overseeing the case.

“When Andrew killed Jace, he got to have his family come and comfort him. But where’s my comfort?” Shanta Scott asked Ferguson.

On Nov 24, 2019, Andrew Gant shot Jace Lee Scott in the neck at the Southern University of New Orleans campus. Scott bled to death. That night, Andrew Gant fled the scene and called his father Victor Gant Jr. of the NOPD. Gant told his son to put his clothes in a bag as evidence and drove him to the 3rd district police station.

Despite Andrew Gant being depicted with gloves and a cell phone on campus surveillance tape, these items were not found in evidence. Homicide detective Rob Barrere, a close colleague of Victor Gant Jr., led the interrogation of Victor Gant and Andrew Gant. Both lasted less than ten minutes. NOPD developed a narrative that Jace and Andrew were both “play-fighting with guns.” No evidence was ever submitted confirming that Jace Lee Scott possessed a gun. Andrew Gant was charged with “negligent homicide” and “obstruction of justice.” He was released on an exceptionally low $12,500 bail. He was later convicted and sentenced to no prison time.

In his meeting with Shanta Scott and Toni Mar, Ferguson said that he would reach out to Deputy Mayor of Public Safety Michael Harrison. He said that he would make contact with Harrison in the next week to learn more about the investigation.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #InJusticeMovement #NOAARPR #NAARPR

New Orleans, LA – On the evening of Friday, August 7, around 30 people gathered at the downtown Hilton hotel to protest the local Democratic Party’s decision to platform Vice President Kamala Harris. Protesters demanded that Harris take a stance against the genocide in Palestine that started under her administration.

New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP) led the noise demonstration, confronting wealthy donors to the Louisiana Democratic Party, which charged up to $10,000 to attend their “Masquerade Sneaker Ball.”

“While your constituents were begging for you to condemn the genocide in Gaza and end aid to Israel, you ignored them,” Miriam Lovelace, a member of NOSHIP, declared. For Lovelace, and everyone else present, Harris and the Democratic Party’s role in the genocide already doomed her chances, but her inability to meet the material needs of the people were evident as well.

“Your stance on Gaza lost my vote, but I think a lot of people just wanted a little hope for a better future, of which you offered none. Just snarky one-liners and a Dick Cheney endorsement,” Lovelace said.

Before the demonstration, NOSHIP issued three demands of Vice President Harris: arms embargo on Israel; end all U.S. aid to Israel, and, stop the U.S./Israeli enocide in Gaza. Kamala Harris failed to endorse those positions.

Rosalina Framboise, speaking on behalf of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, criticized Vice President Harris for her role in the genocide. “Kamala Harris and Joe Biden not only ‘stood back’ and ‘stood by’ as Israel conducted a live-streamed genocide of the Palestinian people, but they have actively aided and abetted this carnage by sending billions of dollars to Israel.”

Throughout the evening, protesters were joined by supportive hotel guests who came down to hold signs and chant, hospitality workers and taxi drivers who waved and honked in support, and cyclists who rang their bells. Even the occasional fundraiser participant was sympathetic to the cause, raising their fists in solidarity or approaching to inquire about the cause.

NOSHIP members observed that this was the very same hotel and venue where they were thrown out earlier this year for demanding that the DNC and their Chairperson Ken Martin release the election autopsy report.

“The 2024 DNC postmortem told us something we already knew, that Harris’s complicity and backing of the genocide in Gaza was a major factor contributing to her loss,” Lovelace added.

Demonstrators also condemned both U.S. Representative Troy Carter and Mayor Helena Moreno for their inaction when anti genocide activists tried to stop shipments of arms from the Port of New Orleans. Other speakers invoked the name of Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, of nearby Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. Jabbar was the first American killed in the occupied West Bank since October 7, 2023. There was complete silence from the local Democratic Party around his death.

Closing out her speech, Lovelace concluded, “To Kamala Harris, to Ken Martin, to Troy Carter, and every other politician who wants the support of the people, we demand you call for an end to all U.S aid to Israel. We demand you call for an arms embargo on Israel and a stop to the U.S.-Israeli genocide in Palestine.”

#NewOrleansLA #LA #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #KamalaHarris #NOSHIP

New Orleans, LA – On August 8, a crowd of about 40 people gathered to protest the Trump regime’s recent attacks on Haitian immigrants. The protest demanded an end to mass deportations and for legalization for all immigrants. Nationwide protests broke out in response to a call to action from the Legalization for All Network.

The Department of Homeland Security officially revoked TPS (Temporary Protected Status) for over 300,000 Haitian and Syrian immigrants, immediately putting them in danger of deportation. TPS includes work authorizations, and this revocation triggered immediate layoffs for all workers impacted.

Protesters chanted, “No human is illegal, all power to the people!” and held picket signs that read “Stop the mass deportation of Haitians!” and “Down with ICE terror!” Many attendees were already involved in some form of anti-ICE activism, from know-your-rights trainers to court watch organizers.

“It is important that we recognize that this administration is targeting Haitian immigrants particularly because [this administration] are racists, and we know this because they say it proudly! We must fight against these deportations not just in words, but with our hands and fists, raised against these tyrants,” affirmed Toni Jones, a member of the New Orleans Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

Rosalina Framboise, a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization spoke about Haiti’s revolutionary history, “The Haitian people were daring to struggle and daring to win when the United States barely had recognition. The powers that be are terrified of Haiti and its people because they know that if Haiti can kick their French oppressors out of power, so can every oppressed people – so can the workers and nationally oppressed of this country.”

The organizations who sponsored the protest included the Ben Gordon Freedom Caravan, Louisiana for Collective Liberation, New Orleans Nurses United New Orleans Alliance Against Racist And Political Repression, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports, and more.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #ImmigrantRights #Haiti #TPS