Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

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By staff

Sara Ayumi of the Milwaukee Anti-War Committee leads chants at Red Arrow Park du

Milwaukee, WI – The Milwaukee Anti-War Committee (MAC) hosted an anti-war rally and march on April 22 to commemorate Earth Day. The rally highlighted the need to fight back against the sources of environmental destruction: namely, the capitalist war machine and the corporations that put profit over people and planet.

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Lo Cross of the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression addre

Milwaukee, WI – On Tuesday, April 18 the Milwaukee Common Council unanimously passed a resolution asking Ascension Wisconsin to reopen the labor and delivery Unit at Saint Francis Hospital.

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Maria Hamilton, mother of Dontre Hamilton, speaks at a press conference ahead of

Milwaukee, WI – On April 20, after two years of fighting by the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and victimized families, a new policy that guarantees the public release of police camera footage after critical incidents was passed by the Fire and Police Commission (FPC). This policy requires the Milwaukee Police Department to release video footage of any critical incidents to the victim’s next of kin within 48 hours and to the public within 15 days.

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By staff

Teamsters at the Elm Grove UPS hub during a parking lot meeting.

Milwaukee, WI – Teamsters across the country are beginning to schedule parking lot rallies ahead of the national contract negotiations, but Wisconsin Teamsters Local 344 are taking it one step further. Local 344 has created their own “Pay up” shirts for local members to wear every Friday in solidarity. The idea for these shirts came from a steward and rank-and-file member out of 344’s Oshkosh barn, Lori Jensen.

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By staff

Organizers with Reproductive Justice Action - Milwaukee canvassed over 1000 home

Milwaukee, WI – On April 4, activists with Reproductive Justice Action – Milwaukee (RJAM) celebrated the end of the Wisconsin spring election. Many organizations poured energy into the extremely important State Supreme Court election, which had reproductive rights, workers' rights, and fair electoral maps taking center stage. RJAM focused on getting voters to the polls by encouraging Milwaukee people to vote in favor of an advisory referendum, polling Milwaukee County’s opinion on overturning the state's 1849 abortion ban.

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Trenton Houck of Milwaukee SDS announces the campaign to increase Black enrollme

Milwaukee, WI – On April 11, organizers with the UW-Milwaukee chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) took to Spaights Plaza in the middle of campus to announce a new campaign focused on addressing the shockingly low percentage of Black students on campus, increasing Black representation in student resources like mental health services, and the graduation rate of existing Black students.

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By staff

Vote follows heated community testimony

Maria Hamilton, mother of Dontre Hamilton, speaks at the MAARPR press conference

Milwaukee, WI – On Thursday, April 6, inside a packed City Hall room, families, organizations and concerned residents offered public testimony to the Fire and Police Commission (FPC) in support of the 24/48 Campaign demands. At this meeting, the FPC made a motion to present the resolution for the creation of a standard operating procedure (SOP) pertaining to the release of video footage of critical incidents involving officers from the Milwaukee Police Department. After a nearly two-year struggle led by the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, the FPC is poised to adopt this SOP when it is put to a vote at their April 20 meeting.

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By staff

People rally for abortion access in downtown Milwaukee ahead of an important bal

Milwaukee, WI – On April 1, activists, medical providers, community members and local politicians rallied in Red Arrow Park encouraging the people of Milwaukee to vote in a pivotal election for the state of Wisconsin. The community joined together, in the bitter wind, with a common goal in mind: to end the statewide ban on abortion.

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By staff

A delegation of faith leaders speaks in support of the resolution to reopen the

Milwaukee, WI – On Friday, March 31, the Common Council’s Public Safety and Health Commission unanimously passed a resolution urging Ascension Wisconsin to reconsider the closure of the Labor and Delivery (L&D) unit at St. Francis Hospital. The St. Francis L&D was the only department of its kind within a roughly 10 mile radius. The hospital serves a predominantly Latino and immigrant community on Milwaukee's Southside, including many Spanish- and Rohingya-only speakers. The resolution also calls on Ascension Wisconsin to establish a one-year moratorium on any downsizing or service reductions at Milwaukee healthcare sites.

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By staff

Milwaukee, WI – On Thursday, March 23, members of the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, families who have lost loved ones to police violence, and members of the public attended the most recent Fire and Police Commission Policies and Standards Committee meeting. After a special session in February, this regular Policies and Standards Committee meeting revisited the proposal for a standard operating procedure, or SOP, related to the public release of footage related to critical incidents.

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By staff

Protestors picket outside the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office.

Milwaukee, WI – On Tuesday, March 21, members of the Justice for Brieon Green Coalition picketed in front of the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office. The picket was originally planned to pressure Sheriff Denita Ball after she failed to hold the promises she made to the coalition – allowing members to tour the county jail and upload the standard operating procedures to the website for public access.

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By staff

Anti-war activists in Milwaukee demonstrate for an end to endless wars in sub-ze

Milwaukee, WI – In solidarity with the protest in Washington D.C. on March 18 that saw organizers from all over the country descend on the capital, the Milwaukee Anti-War Committee (MAC) hosted a rally downtown to demand peace in Ukraine and reflect on the 20th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Despite the frigid weather, members from the MAC, Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) came together to speak on the need to end imperialism and touched on the destructive history of U.S. economic and military interventions abroad.

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By staff

Milwaukee's International Women's Day Coalition hosts the 2nd annual march and p

Milwaukee, WI – Neither the snow nor the rekindled Saint Patrick’s Day parade was enough to keep 100 people from celebrating International Women’s Day with the Milwaukee International Women’s Day (IWD) Coalition this past Saturday, March 11. Attendees gathered at Dontre Hamilton Park and marched through the streets towards Village Church, where endorsing organizations tabled and delivered speeches.

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By staff

Demanding justice for Keishon Thomas.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the statement from the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (MAARPR).

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By staff

Milwaukee march in defense of abortion rights.

Milwaukee, WI – On Saturday, February 18, Reproductive Justice Action Milwaukee (RJA-M) held a march in downtown Milwaukee with a rally outside the Safety Building. Milwaukee County District Attorney John T. Chisholm’s office is located in the Safety Building and Chisholm was the target of the event.

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By staff

Milwaukee vigil for Tyre Nichols.

Milwaukee, WI – After a successful march and rally over the weekend, the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and the Justice for Brieon Green Coalition organized a candlelight vigil on Tuesday, January 31 for Tyre Nichols and all victims of police violence.

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By staff

Milwaukee march against police crimes.

Milwaukee, WI – Despite the Milwaukee snowstorm, 150 people showed up to march in solidarity with Tyre Nichols and all victims of police crimes. The Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (MAARPR) put the call to action for Sunday, January 29, and was quickly joined by the Justice for Brieon Green Coalition, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Students for Democratic Society, Reproductive Justice Action – Milwaukee (RJA-M), the Milwaukee Anti-war Committee, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO).

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By staff

Protest demands Milwaukee DA sign pledge to not prosecute abortion cases.

Milwaukee, WI – On the evening of January 18, Reproductive Justice Action – Milwaukee (RJA-M) held a press conference and small rally outside of the Milwaukee County Safety Building. This press conference called on Milwaukee District Attorney John Chisholm, to sign a pledge that echoes the promise he made in June of last year, after the fall of Roe v. Wade. It states that neither he nor his office will prosecute anyone under State Statute 940.04, which is an 1849 abortion ban that targets abortion providers.

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Healthcare workers rally and picket outside of home of Bernie Sherry, the CEO of

Milwaukee, WI – The Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Healthcare Professionals (WFNHP) Local 5000 held a rally and picket outside of the Milwaukee home of Bernie Sherry, the CEO of Ascension Wisconsin, one of his many houses. The January 4 action was in response to the abrupt announcement of the December 23 closure of St. Francis Hospital’s Labor and Delivery (L+D) Unit.

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By Ryan Hamann

Workers from St. Francis Hospital march with community supporters to save the La

Milwaukee, WI – More than 60 workers and union members from Ascension St. Francis Hospital (SFH), together with community supporters, gathered outside Milwaukee’s city hall on the evening of December 20. The event was called for by the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (WFNHP) Local 5000, the union which represents nurses and technical and service employees at the hospital. The purpose for the rally was to raise awareness around the services being cut at the hospital, specifically management’s decision to close down the labor and delivery department.

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