Milwaukee, WI – On Thursday night, May 24, Alex Brower, the president of Substitute Teachers’ Union for Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS), ended his 21-day hunger strike with a victory. Brower was fasting to win health care benefits for full-time substitute teachers. Before now, subs received their hourly pay and nothing more; previously granted benefits for subs were stolen by Scott Walker in 2011. Through his fast, Brower says he was “simply embodying the suffering that full-time subs endure every day they are forced to work without basic benefits.”
Milwaukee, WI – In Venezuela's first presidential election since 2013, President Nicolás Maduro was re-elected in a landslide, receiving 67% of the vote in an election where the opposition was deeply divided and unwilling to unite behind a candidate. Henri Falcón, the most prominent opposition figure to run, received the endorsement of only a handful of parties and only got 27% of the vote. The majority of the right-wing opposition refused to even participate, pre-emptively condemning as fraudulent the very electoral system praised by former U.S. president Jimmy Carter as “the best in the world.”
Milwaukee, WI – On May 12, the people of Iraq will be casting ballots for the Council of Representatives, their national legislature, for the third time since the 2003 U.S. invasion. Recent events have further proved that the U.S. failed to establish a new, pro-American order, and instead have emboldened the Iraqi masses to drive imperialism from their land.
Milwaukee, WI – About 40 people came out during a record storm, April 14, outside of the U.S. Army Center, rallying against the attacks by the U.S. on Syria, and to stand in solidarity with the Syrian people.
Milwaukee, WI – The Milwaukee Teachers Education Association (MTEA) has been fighting budget cuts and downgrades to public schools for years. Governor Scott Walker has been ruthlessly destroying the school system inch by inch and dollar by dollar. It is no exaggeration to say that every student, teacher, classroom and school connected to the Milwaukee Public School system (MPS) has been negatively affected. With hundreds of dedicated members spanning every school in the district, the MTEA has proven itself to be a committed and powerful force for justice within MPS. A force, it should be added, that is more necessary than ever as the school board releases a proposal for the upcoming fiscal period. The cuts are enormous and heartbreaking.
Milwaukee, WI – Former FBI agent and anti-Muslim activist John Guandolo had planned to speak in five Midwestern cities from April 5-9, but protests forced him to cancel all five events.
Milwaukee, WI – On March 16, more than 50 community members celebrated International Women’s Day, an annual event hosted by Milwaukee’s Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO). The event addressed the struggle for women’s liberation and the vital work that women do in our communities.
Milwaukee, WI – Immigrants and community members gathered March 5 on Milwaukee’s south side, where the Young Peoples Resistance Committee (YPRC) led a rally, demanding that President Trump and the Republican-dominated Congress introduce legislation to protect Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients.
Milwaukee, WI – On Jan 20, the Young People’s Resistance Committee (YPRC) attended Milwaukee’s Women’s March. Around 20,000 people were in attendance to counter the Trump administration’s continuous attacks on women, queer people and other oppressed communities.
Milwaukee, WI — Like activists and organizers across the country, 2017 was a tremendously busy year for those in the immigrant rights struggle of Milwaukee, and the closing months were no exception.
